by Bottom Line: Chunky’s makes some of the best burgers in town, but the Ghost Burger goes beyond Insane on the heat level.
If you are in San Antonio looking for a good burger and some heat, I’ve got a recommendation for you. But I will warn you first that you’ll want to wade those waters carefully. Chunky’s Burgers has been around since 2004, and it has developed somewhat of a reputation for its Four Horsemen Burger. If you’ve ever watched the earlier seasons of Man vs. Food, that burger is the one that nearly did Adam Richman in, though he ultimately made it through the challenge. (You can watch the ordeal here.)
I had seen that episode a while back and had an idea of the heat level because Richman had previously taken on challenges with items that I had tried before. So, I had a good idea of just how hot that Four Horsemen Burger is, and I knew it was not for me. I like to eat spicy food to find that perfect juncture where fire meets flavor—not just for the sake of pain or to prove how tough I am. Still, I knew I had to check out Chunky’s at some point, so I stopped by recently to try their option that’s the next level down on the heat scale: the Ghost Burger. Their burgers come with a half-pound patty of 100% fresh, never-frozen beef, along with cheese, mayo, mustard, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and onions, all stuffed into a handmade bun. As for what makes the Ghost Burger so hot… keep on reading.
To start off, this is a damn good burger. It has a thick patty that’s nicely seasoned and cooked perfectly, delivering a good, beefy taste. The lettuce and tomato are fresh, and they add quite a bit of melted Pepper Jack cheese. They also add mustard and mayo, and while I typically believe that latter condiment has no place on a burger, I had them keep it on as a counterbalance to the heat for this one. The final touch is that fresh-made bun that is oh-so-tasty and brings everything together to perfection. So, if you’re looking for a first-rate burger, Chunky’s has you covered.
As for the Ghost Burger, I thought it came with a Ghost Pepper sauce (the menu isn’t too clear on that). But instead, it came with four dried chilies piled on top. Four Ghost Peppers! All on one sandwich! One is approaching insanity to start with, but they added four!!!
I took the first bite and probably got a quarter of one of those Ghost Peppers, and I knew I would fold right away. That peppery, earthy kick from the chili sure went well with that excellent burger, but it immediately set my mouth to inferno level (never mind on the mayo offsetting the heat). By the second bite, I decided it was time to scrape those chilies off if I wanted any chance of enjoying the burger. I ejected what was still there, then cut one up and put it back on the burger. That was more tolerable, but my mouth was nearly numb by the time I finished the burger. One Ghost Pepper, cut up and cooked with the burger, would have been much better from a taste perspective (for chiliheads, that is—not the average mortal). But four goes beyond Insane on my scale!
You can call me a wimp all you want—that’s fine. But the four chilis had the burger at a heat level that is just not enjoyable, nor are the aftereffects the next day. And this reinforces that I do not want to try the Four Horsemen Burger, which has those four Ghost Peppers plus a spicy sauce, jalapeños, and other fiery items, amping up the insanity that much more! The two people I went with got the Jalapeño Cheeseburger, which they said was packed with the chilies (they call it the “gateway pepper” on the menu) and pretty hot, so I’ll be making a return trip at some point to try that. But those four Ghost Peppers do nothing but spoil an excellent burger, in my opinion.
Chunky’s has quite a lot of other burgers on the menu, so if heat is not your thing, you still have plenty of options. They also have several non-burger selections, with the entire menu priced quite reasonably. To start off your meal, might I recommend the Bottle Caps, which are breaded and fried slices of jalapeño? Those have a little bit of a kick, but not too much, and they are quite tasty. And if you do decide to go with the Ghost Burger or that Four Horsemen monstrosity (the latter requires signing a waiver), you better prepare yourself for the consequences the next day!
Chunky’s Burgers
4602 Callaghan Road
San Antonio, TX 78228
Phone: 210-433-9960
Website: www.mychunkysburgers.com
Hours:
Tue-Thu: 11 AM to 9 PM
Friday: 11 AM to 10 PM
Saturday: 11:30 AM to 10 PM
Sunday: 12 PM to 6 PM
