K.T. Burger is Open in the Highland Park Village, and the Burger Game is Strong

It’s all acutely organized at K.T. Burger. Coolers, piled high with ice and evenly distributed beers, run alongside a long entryway. A server greets you, writes the number of your party and your table on a bordered, sticky slip of paper. Four of the latest flat screens, each seemingly equidistant from each other, blaze four different sports without a sound. Food is neatly papered up on covered metal trays, and margaritas come in frosty grails.

I’m at the new Highland Park Village Katy Trail Ice House spin-off on a weeknight, and I’m feeling like an idiot in a nice, organized room. For three reasons: 1) Twenty minutes earlier I parked confidently at the West Village, whistling as I got out of the car, because I was very sure that the restaurant was there. 2) Finally at the correct Highland Park Village, I drove around in lobotomized circles, unable to find the place (it’s tucked in next to the movie theater). I don’t want to tell you how many times I passed it, but someone told me four times is too many. 3) I actually asked Siri “Can you please find K.T. Burger?” She literally responded “What was that again?”, sort of pissed.   

Anyway, now I’m at the long communal table in the center of the tiny, busy spot. It’s a spin-off, which means much of the menu is the same as the other Katy Trail Ice House location, with exceptions. A Pat Green song is playing. I ordered the standard cheeseburger with house-chips and a cup of the beer-infused venison chili. The burger comes with shredded lettuce, tomato, diced white onion, and pickles tossed-in with sharp yellow mustard. The meat’s also doubled up, one beefy patty stacked on top of another, griddle-seared to a good, thick crust.

First let me say that K.T. Burger chefs’ topping distribution game is strong to quite strong. Shredded lettuce, marbled with just enough yellow mustard, sat on top manageably-thin slices of tomato, on top of pickle slices. It was all striated over melted American cheese, which is always good. The double beef patties were stacked meticulously enough that the juicy first patty gave way to that heavily-crusted second. The squishy bun was big enough to not allow tomato and onion shards to fire out, and simultaneously small enough to not make you feel like you digested an entire field of grain. Nicely done, burger magicians.

The house chips were also great, filament-thin and flecked with pepper. My big complaint: Salt. Driving home, I felt like I had downed a glass of sea water. I imagined eating a row boat of ice cream.  But everything is organized in way to get you in and out of a solid burger experience at K.T.

It was good, if not great, and at a price (my burger was $7.95; chips were $1.95) that will make you stand and say loudly to the restaurant: “YES I WILL NOW BE BUYING THOSE TOM FORD GLASSES NOW.” Like a good spin-off, K.T. has expanded the Katy Trail universe with new taco and grilled brats. Keep up the organization, K.T.

K.T. Burger is at 32 Highland Park Village, I think? Wait, not the West Village right? No. Where am I? Am I OK?