The award-winning smashburger spot opens in Katy this September, marking chef-owner Abbas Dhanani’s first move beyond Washington Avenue.
Photo credit: Abbas Dhanani
Burger Bodega, the Houston smashburger concept that earned national recognition almost as soon as it opened its doors, is bringing its New York bodega-inspired menu to Katy this fall.
The new location at 21904 Franz Rd opens Saturday, September 19 at 11 a.m. — the brand’s first expansion since launching on Washington Avenue in 2022.
The Katy spot seats just over 100 guests, with a patio for outdoor dining. There’s no drive-through, but a dedicated pickup and curbside window handles to-go orders.
The menu carries over everything that made the original location a Houston staple: double smashburgers on potato buns, the chopped cheese sandwich with bodega sauce, halal options, and milkshakes in flavors like mango lassi and Vietnamese coffee. Location-specific specials may also rotate in over time.
From backyard pop-up to national recognition
Dhanani started Burger Bodega as a pop-up before opening the Washington Avenue brick-and-mortar in late 2022. The restaurant moved quickly from neighborhood favorite to critical darling — earning an A-plus review from former Houston Chronicle critic Alison Cook, a spot on the Infatuation’s 12 Best Burgers in America list, and a place on the Houston Chronicle‘s Top 100 Restaurants of 2025.
It also won Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year at CultureMap Houston’s 2024 Tastemaker Awards and a Houston Business Journal Landmark Award in 2023. Coverage from The New York Times followed.
The grand opening celebration will feature local vendors alongside the full original menu. “Katy has been on our radar since day one,” Dhanani said. “It’s one of the most vibrant, food-loving communities in the Houston area.”
More details are available at burgerbodega.com, and updates on Instagram at @burgerbodegahtx.