The Texas Restaurant Where Guy Fieri Tried One Of The Most Memorable Burgers He's Ever Had

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Guy Fieri has eaten a lot of burgers. You can hardly tune into his longtime hit show, "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" (DDD) without seeing the flamboyant host sink his teeth into some monstrous burger from a family-owned joint in any corner of the country. With so many under his belt, it's unlikely he remembers them all, but certain burgers remain unforgettable to the restaurateur. The Firehouse Burger from Lankford Grocery & Market in Houston, Texas, is one.

Like all of his interactions on DDD, Fieri heads to the restaurant's kitchen to see how certain dishes are made before he eats them. While the Firehouse mustard sauce is prepared, Fieri announces one of his best one-liners: "That is going to kill my mouth." The condiment comes together with jalapeños, serranos, and restaurant-grown habaneros, plus garlic, onion, and radish. Other spicy additions to the Firehouse burger are cayenne butter and pickled jalapeños.

After the first bite, Fieri says, "Oh, that is hot ... nice-hot, you still get flavor." He continues, noting, "My mouth is, like, literally on fire at this point ... my tongue is completely numb ... I almost bit it off," (via YouTube). Ultimately, Fieri admits that he digs the burger, which is all that needs to be said for throngs of people to put Lankford's on their road trip pitstop list.

Without the cheerful red picnic tables out front, the original Lankford Grocery & Market looks like a modest home in a Houston suburb. The vibe is approachable, with an old-fashioned Coca-Cola sign hanging out front. Lankford's was established in 1937 as a neighborhood grocery store. It wasn't until the 1980s that it transitioned first into an icehouse (a casual tavern of sorts in Texas) and finally into a restaurant that steadily gained a reputation for solid burgers. It continues to be run by the third generation of the Lankford family and has two additional Texas locations. People still come from all over to sample what they saw on "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives" in 2009. We ranked the eatery as one of the 11 best restaurants in Texas featured on DDD.

Along with its popular burger menu of half-pound beef patties and unique, flavor-packed toppings, Lankford's serves a modest breakfast menu featuring Tex-Mex favorites like chilaquiles, huevos rancheros (yes, these two are different), breakfast tostadas, and migas. Appetizers include fried pickles, green tomatoes, and chicken cracklins. There are also sandwiches, meat-topped salads, and a handful of rib-sticking desserts. The burgers are Lankford's claim to fame, but no matter what you order, there's no excuse to walk away hungry from this old-time joint.