Bottom Line: The Southwest Burger from Prasek’s is not too high on the heat scale, but it is cooked up fresh and priced right making it worth the stop.
If you happen to be traveling between Houston and San Antonio on I-10, I recommend scheduling your trip so that you can stop at Prasek’s Family Smokehouse in Sealy, Texas for lunch or dinner. That is a roadside mega-convenience store at Exit 718 (think Buc-cees without the beaver) where you can fill up with gas, grab some groceries, use their quite clean restrooms, and also find something delicious to eat. They offer a large variety of smoked meats like brisket, turkey, sausage, and ham, but those are to take and eat later. They also offer a selection of kolaches (for you non-Texas people, more on those here) and other baked goods. And then the Big H Grill inside has BBQ, steaks, sandwiches, and more that you can eat there or take to go.
I have previously purchased their smoked turkey, smoked ham, and smoked sausage, and all of those are first-rate. But I was stopping by for lunch, so I decided to see what was cooking at Big H. The BBQ plates were looking pretty good and that Reuben sandwich was tempting as well (which I assume is made with their own pastrami). But when I saw the description for the Southwest Burger, I knew what I was having for lunch. That includes a grilled beef patty, jalapeno spread, grilled peppers and onions, along with jalapeno cheese on an onion bun.
The hamburger patty is at least a third pounder if not a half pound. It is plenty beefy and grilled up fresh with just the right amount of seasoning. The cheese delivers both creaminess and a little sharpness along with a bit of a kick. The grilled peppers and onions bring some sweetness with a nice earthiness, and they are not cooked too long so they have some good texture. The Onion roll is pillowy and fresh and not too heavy on the onion flavor. That holds together what proved to be one heck of a good burger, and not what you would expect from some roadside stop.
Heat-wise, this burger is not built to set your mouth on fire, just to spice things up a little bit to enhance the experience. The heat comes from the two jalapeno cheeses and that only gets the burger to the Mild level on my scale. But it is a nice burn that lingers and just kicks everything up. If they had thrown in some jalapenos with those grilled peppers and onions (I didn’t see that as an option), it might have brought this to spicy burger perfection. But I am not complaining about what I got. This ranks as a top burger (which is saying something in Texas), and I will definitely be returning to Prasek’s next time I am passing by for another one of these (and possibly a sampling of the other menu items).
And guess what? This burger only cost $7.95, a price which includes chips and a pickle. All this for under eight bucks? That’s fast food level pricing (actually, cheap compared to some fast food joints these days) for a high-quality burger. The other sandwiches are around the same price, and that includes their BBQ sammies. I saw one of those, and they did not skimp on the meat. So if the quality does not convince you to stop at this place, then go for the prices. You will pay the same or less than a fast food place with their sandwich options while getting a much better meal.
I didn’t realize that the burger came with chips, so I ordered the southern staple fried okra as a side. My order was well battered and fried and the okra was not cooked to death so it still had some good chew. And for $2.50, I got a pretty big order of the stuff. You could easily split it with another person, especially considering the fact that the sandwiches are quite sizeable.
In addition to everything else, Prasek’s has a large selection of salsas, sauces, jams, jellies, and condiments with their name on the jar. I’m not sure if they make those themselves or source them out (some look very familiar to what I see other local stores selling), but they are still worth picking up. I grabbed a jar of their Ghost Pepper Salsa and that is one of the hottest salsas I have ever purchased from a store!
Prasek’s has two locations, the one off of I-10 near Sealy and another at Highway 59 in El Campo, Texas. Big H Grill is open from 6:30 AM to 7:30 PM, and in the morning you can get breakfast tacos and breakfast burritos. I highly recommend stopping by, though take note that while you are paying fast food prices this is not necessarily fast food. It takes them a little while to prepare your order, especially if they are busy. But they are fixing it up fresh, and it is worth the wait. They also have a nice dining area there in case you want to sit and enjoy your meal before hitting the road.
Prasek’s Sealy: 2949 SW I-10 Frontage Rd, Sealy, TX 77474
Prasek’s El Campo: 29714 US-59, El Campo, TX 77437