Ciao Down Burger Joint

Quality food, creative burger choices, great fries, $ 2 Shiner Bock, and a small but tasty menu all make this a great lunch spot for 12 hungry family members.
Service was just OK but I suspect if we had sat down stairs instead of up on the otherwise empty deck, our experience would have been better so that’s on us.
All in all, we’re a satisfied crew.

Great burgers and cheese steaks. The buns are the bomb! Good prices for gourmet style burgers. Spicy fries, garlic seasoned fries and sweet potato fries are all very good and fresh cut. Wait Staff are friendly and very customer oriented.

Great burgers and fries. I have had the normal cheeseburger and patty melt. Both were delicious. The ambiance is not the best, so if you are looking for a great atmosphere this may not be it. If you are looking for a great burger and fries, you found the joint.

You would think a place called the burger joint would be good… But, This place sucks, frozen pre-​made burger, nothing fresh. Not a good burger joint at all. Never coming back, nuff said

Came across this little hidden gem while on vacation with our family. My love ordered the big Kahuna and I ordered the Bella chicken sandwich. Everything was delicious! All the way from the burgers down to the sweet tea!!! The waitress was very sweet and checked in with us regularly. The place is small but very clean and well kept. We both would definitely recommend this to anyone and will be back if we have the opportunity to visit the area again!

Good and unique burgers. My son and I liked it. As other reviews have said, the spicy fries are spicy (hot). Didn’t have a choice of burger cook temp and my burger was cooked through, but still flavorful. Place is a little hard to find but not bad once you find it.

I’ve been looking for place where I can try real American burger, and it seems for me I found it. I bought The Wrangler and it was great. When I finished server brought cheesecake and said that it’s a gift from shef. No doubt I’m gonna visit this place again

Delicious burger, recommend the bbq bacon one, loved it! Great service and very spicy spicy fries! Yum!

So I went here because I wanted a burger! Of course it was nothing as I had expected but I was still excited!
It’s a small restaurant and I believe only has one or two servers altogether. The service was attentive, but I didn’t feel comfortable with my server– there was no connection, and I kind of didn’t want to bother him– especially since it was my first time.
When I asked about the menu, the server basically told me the only thing made in house was the burger– meaning they used fries from a plastic bag. Okay that’s fine I suppose, if they tasted good, but they didn’t.
Onto the burger. I chose the kahuna, and that is the only reason why this place will continue to have my business .
The pineapple was grilled perfectly and the glaze and mayo they put on it tasted like heaven. Great job on the burger!
3 stars because of their amazing burgers. Would have been another star if the server was more hospitable. Automatic deduction for the fries (I need sides, if the sides aren’t up to par then the meal is incomplete).
I’ll be back, but I’ll take my kahuna to go!
Ciaoxoxo

A hidden little gem located right next to Mario’s, this little burger joint offers big burgers, cheap beer ($ 2 Shiner!?), and great service.
I tried the Cheeseburger Eggsplosion with added jalapeño (free) and bacon (+$ 1) and was delightfully surprised. The patty was seasoned well and juicy but was too well-​formed and perfectly circular, which made me wonder if it was fresh or pre-​frozen (but how much does that really matter if I really liked it? Need to add that to Unilocal Philosophy 101). I also really enjoyed the bread they use which is soft and sweet and held up pretty well against the cheesy, juicy, egginess oozing from my burger.
Spicy fries are legit spicy.
3.8 stars. We really liked our first visit and will be coming back when we need a break from deep-​fried seafood fare.

Wow, was this a good burger! Tasty meat, lovely bun, fresh veggies, and even excellent Chedder to top it.
Wow, was this place hard to find! It’s attached to Mario’s huge restaurant on 61^st street, but has just a tiny sign on the street… and then you get to figure out which door gets you inside.
I almost gave up! But I’m glad I persevered, because my meal was outstanding.
I just got the cheeseburger and eschewed the pineapple-​topped creation And other creative interpretations… but they’re here for my next visit, as is a patty melt and several cheese steaks. For non-​beef lovers, you can get a chicken breast or smoked turkey ‘burger.’ And they have a ‘house made veggie burger’ for the vegetarian you meat lovers dragged along with you. And they have a couple of Mario’s desserts, if you have the room.
Give the place a try for a great burger in a pleasant, informal restaurant hidden in plain sight.

This place was a great find today! It’s hidden in the corner a little bit. Deep fried pickles here are by far the best I have ever had! They seem to be hand dipped and the batter doesn’t fall off, which can happen sometimes. Husband had the western burger and it was huge, he barely ate his fries because it was so big! Chicken bacon ranch Philly cheese steak was great as well garlic fries were a little different, they used real garlic, next time I would just get regular fries. Overall one of the best places we have eaten at! Server was ok, she was new so she didn’t know the menu well and was not much help when asking for recommendations, but we came out with good choices!

Been here twice now and both times have had a great experience. Fresh food and great customer service

These are consistently the best burgers I have had in Galveston. The ingredients seem fresh and the buns are homemade and delicious. My personal favorite is the Big Kahuna with sweet potato fries. I’ve also had the Bella Burger, all of the fry varieties, and the fried pickles (pretty good, not great). Note: garlic fries are extremely garlicky (for good or for ill, your preference). Prices overall are reasonable.
Service is neither bad nor great. They get the job done.
Like others have said, the location is difficult to spot. It’s attached to Mario’s on 61^st street, so just look for the Mario’s sign. If you’re in the mood for a burger, this is the place to visit!

Great burgers at decent prices. We ordered: a cheeseburger with rosemary mayo and garlic fries, and a crabby patty with fried pickles. We were impressed with the quality and would definitely recommend all the food we tried!

Food had: Kahuna Buger, Grilled Chicken Sandwich, kids sliders, Garlic Fries and Fried Pickles
Location: by Mario’s so hard to spot
Taste: My husband with shock on his face said it was possibly the best burger (Kahuna) he’d ever eaten. The garlic fries where very tasty, especially with ranch to dip them in although they can stand on their own. The Chicken sandwich was perfectly cooked and executed. The fried Pickles were literally devine. DEVINE.
Price: $ 30 for everything including a kids meal!!! Extremely worth every penny.
We’ll probably head over again tomorrow!

went today… tried the big kahuna w/​onion rings — ATE it ALL!
it was 1130 — hadnt eaten anything… so, i went for it!
place connects to mario’s on 61^st… no frills…2 tv’s. free refills.
the kahuna is a beef patty topped with caramelized pineapple, applewood smoked bacon, mozzarella, chipolte mayo and a «secret» fire glaze on a sweet tasting bun… with homemade onion rings $ 14.50
[not cheap] but, it was really really good. great taste.
onion rings were fresh… kinda slippery tho… you know the ones… that when you bite into it… the whole piece of onion slips out and slaps you on the chin?!! LOL… i prefer the ones that dont!
the waitress/​cashier/​busser/​to go girl… serena…she has pink hair… which she rocks totally.
she had to do all of the above mentioned work titles ALL by herself during the 1130−1230p time frame i was there… she didnt get «slammed» for the lunch rush but, it was steady. she handled the multi faceted role very well… which i found impressive.
however, my first impression of serena… reminded me of… well…if you have ever seen angelica johnson [comedian] —doing king burger… bon qui qui… kinda like that… but, NOT as bad!
serena was just a tad blunt. no need for security or anything! LOL!
[bon qui qui’s favorite word] SEE you tube link
anyho…constructive criticism:
a to-​go customer with alot to carry… asked her if she had a box or something she could contain the food items in… she, was like… no, sorry.
then, the dude before me placed his order w/her…then after he paid. he wanted to change something… she was like… ive already put your order thru.
then, a table of 4 dudes next to me… one guy ordered off the cuff… cheeseburger with avocado… she was like… ok, so you want a cheeseburger?
to me… it was awkward moments… its like, almost intimidating its so cut and dry when she responds… she shuts it down! LOL!
i know serving the public is a challenge… ive worked tables several times in my life… and, its trail by error sometimes.
for the most part… people tip 20% or more. so, personality… first impressions in the restaurant biz… can make… or break the bank!
when i paid, i kinda forced a conversation w/her…kidding around that i was a piggy and ate the whole thing… she was pleasant… and talkative so, yeah, the potential is there!

I had the big kahuna burger. It was delicious!!! The bacon was perfectly crispy and the bun was a Hawaiian bread. The only thing I noticed was the spicy fries are really salty, but I just wiped off some of the seasoning.

I almost didn’t stop here because I couldn’t tell the place was open. It is tucked in the corner right next to another restaurant and easy to miss. I’m so glad I went in though. This was easily one of the best burgers I’ve ever had.
I had the fried egg burger with bacon (they give it a cooler name that I don’t remember) and spicy fries. When I go to Red Robin, I always get the same thing — fried egg burger (whatever it is actually called there… Royal Red Robin maybe?), and this place put Red Robin to shame! I really liked the spicy fries; some fries aren’t too spicy, then others that got a heavier coating are HOT. The bun was so good — like a Hawaiian sweet bread but sourdough. Burger, egg, and bacon all cooked perfectly.
I would definitely go again next time I’m in town. As far as price goes, I don’t think it was unreasonable at all. You’d spend as much or more at any other burger joint that isn’t fast food. Most of the burgers were $ 9 – 11 range depending on the toppings and came with fries.

I didn’t know this place existed! I was told it’s only been open for 6mos?
Anyway, what a nice little burger joint. There is quite a selection of burgers for such a small place… and there’s a veggie burger on the menu.
I got the veggie burger and I think it’s the best I’ve ever had. HUGE patty. It’s thinner than I expected, but that wasn’t really much of a matter as, like I said, it is huge. And the flavour – perfectly seasoned. I’d so much like to steal the recipe… oh anyway. It came with a choice of either regular fries, spicy, or garlic. I went with the garlic fries. Didn’t taste very garlic-​y, but quite alright, still.
The veggie burger does come with rosemary mayo, but I asked for the chipotle bbq sauce instead. It’s amazing and well partnered.
I like this place a lot already. I think it’s going to get more traffic soon. It is connected right through Mario’s. It does get a little slow around lunch time, but I think it’s well worth the visit, and for the price you pay, it’s absolutely worth your while.