Review: Petrol Station's Rancor Burger

Exterior of Petrol Station

After months of hearing raves about Petrol Station in the Oak Forest, I finally got the opportunity to come out and see what all the word of mouth, tweets and blogorrhea was about. The place is an old service station that's been refitted as a Canadian/American style pub. In fact the old pump islands have been converted to patio space, covered and uncovered. Pretty good reuse of an old building in my opinion.

One Page, one side
Menu at Petrol Station

Their tap list features a number of local and national craft brews. Their menu is fairly standard pub fare--fries, burgers and the like. Though the Smoky Mac & Cheese caught my attention. I'll have to give It a try next time.

The atmosphere is kitschy and unassuming. There is no signage marking the location at Golf & Wakefield in Oak Forest. Kind of reminiscent of a recent article on Mijune Pak's blog... The clientele are a mixture of Hipsters, Yuppies, InnerLoopers and folks who remind me of run of the mill Joes and Janes from Burnaby, BC (a Vancouver suburb) in Canada. If they had TVs and put on the Blues/Jets game and I might think I was back in Canada...

Interior of Petrol Station

While I sat and waited on my burger--and be warned, it is not fast food--I was able to overhear the conversation of a pair of yuppies about their kids, divorces, 2nd marriages and running/training.

Reflecting Houston's ethnic diversity, their condiment bar has Heinz ketchup, French's mustard, Lea & Perrin's Worcestershire sauce, Cajun Chef Hot Sauce, Asian Srirachi Hot Sauce and UK HP Sauce and Sarson's Malt Vinegar. The HP & Srirachi sauces go well with beef & I love malt vinegar on my French Fries.

The Rancor Burger is a Beauty... (Don Cherry HNIC voice)

Rancor Burger Blueprint:
1/2 lb Angus beef (medium)
Cheddar cheese
Bacon
Fried egg
Lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickle & mayo
Served with Pub style natural cut fries.
and I paired it with a Storm King Stout Ale

First of all: WOOOWWW!!! MEEEAAATYYYY! This burger is substantial. It's seasoned mainly with salt, pepper & Worcestershire and not much else. The angus beef is cooked to a true medium with a hot pink centre. It's quite juicy. The bacon is thick and I detect a hint of applewood smoke in it. I love my burgers with a fried egg on top and this one comes with it, over easy. The yolk bursts and oozes. It just adds to the flavour sensations. The lettuce and tomato slices are fresh. It's served on a thick fluffy bun wit salad parts on bottom, but can't contain. The ooze. It's a 4 napkin burger to be sure.

Storm King Stout, HP Sauce
& Sarson's Malt Vinegar 

The pub fries are crisp outside and fluffy inside. Not too salty. Nor too greasy. Natural cut, like I like them and bonus points for having malt vinegar for the fries.

As a craft beer lover, I enjoyed the Storm King Stout from Victory Brewing Co.. This beer is a dark, Russian Imperial Stout beer with a mild start, has a burnt hoppy top note and finishes slightly bitter. It's thinner than Guinness, thicker than Shiner Bock and as Potent as Unibroue (9.10% Alcohol by Volume). It was a perfect complement to the sweetness of the beef and bacon, and the sour twang of the malt vinegar on my fries.

The Foodie Professor's Report Card for Petrol Station:
Rancor Burger: A
Pub Fries: A-
Storm King Stout Ale: A+
Service:
Speed: B+
Friendliness: A-
Atmosphere: A- (Canadian pub style is great; Hipster clients not so much)
Overall Grade: A-

Petrol station is located at
985 Wakefield Dr (at Golf Drive)
Houston, TX 77018
713 957-2875

HOURS
Monday: 5 p.m.-midnight
Tuesday-Friday: 4 p.m.-midnight
Saturday: 11 a.m.-1 a.m.
Sunday: 11 a.m.-8 p.m.

And remember:
Eat Happy!!!
Zap An, Y'all!!!