- The Trump-themed restaurant chain's decor includes many American flags and posters of the president.
- One of the locations features a Trump impersonator that greets customers.
- The menu includes the Trump Tower burger and a chicken sandwich in honor of the first lady.
A Donald Trump impersonator, dozens of American flags and a burger with the word “Trump” stamped into the bun are all things a customer might see on a visit to any of the four Trump Burger locations in Texas.
The restaurant chain, themed after President Donald Trump, was founded by a Lebanese immigrant named Roland Beainy, reported Fox Business. All of the current locations of Trump Burger are in Texas.
The newest location, in Houston, opened on May 9, according to Newsweek. The other locations are in Bellville, Kemah and Flatonia.
Houston Chronicle restaurant critic Bao Ong wrote that the logo of the restaurant chain “features a cheeky, anthropomorphic burger that nods to the president’s comb-over with a swoop of golden-blonde hair floating above the bun. The red, white and blue color scheme and countless references to Trump feel like a shrine to the president.”
Along with the many American flags found at each of the locations, Trump Burger also has merchandise, including baseball caps that read “Trump 2024 The Revenge Tour” and red T-shirts with one of the president’s most well-known lines, “You’re fake news!”
The decor at Trump Burger’s Kemah location includes a photo of Trump raising his fist after a bullet grazed his ear last summer and a large poster of the president and the first lady. Ong described the design of the restaurant as “theme park-like.”
What the food is like at Trump Burger
The restaurant’s menu features burgers, Philly cheesesteaks, chicken tenders, fries, onion rings and milkshakes.
“Perhaps it’s no surprise, but the over-the-top, in-your-face marketing behind the restaurant and the politics it peddles is so loud that it distracts from the food. If we cut to the chase though, most dishes are unremarkable and far from making the Chronicle’s best burgers guide,” wrote Ong.
Ong described the restaurant’s burger as “consistent in its blandness.” He also criticized the Philly cheesesteak for “stingy portions,” and said that it “seemed as if someone stir-fried a few pieces of beef and onions and threw it into some bread.”
The menu also includes the Trump Tower, a burger with 1 pound of Angus beef and some house barbecue sauce, which Ong also criticized for clashing flavors.
There is also a First Lady Chicken Sandwich, which Ong said is dedicated to Melania Trump. He described it as “better than the burger, with a nicely grilled, not-too-dry chicken breast draped with two slices of American cheese. It would be even better if the too-sweet teriyaki were left out.”
The critic did praise the restaurant’s milkshakes, saying the “use of Brenham-born Blue Bell for the milkshakes was a highlight.”
“The simple-yet-classic preparation with ice cream, milk and whipped cream on top seemed as all-American as the U.S. flags blanketing the restaurant,” he added.
In response to the negative reviews of the food from Ong, a spokesperson for Trump Burger said it wasn’t surprising, according to Fox Business.
“The Houston Chronicle maintains a predominantly liberal stance, so we expected nothing less than a biased take on anything bearing the Trump name,” the Trump Burger official said.
Entertainment included in the meal
The Kemah location of Trump Burger also has a Trump impersonator named Michael “MJ” Falato, who Ong said approached every customer asking if they wanted a photo with him while wearing a red Trump 2028 hat.
When writing about Falato, Ong said that he makes it “not easy to simply enjoy your food at Trump Burger.”
Bringing political jokes to food
Brittany Britto Garley, a food critic with Eater Houston, also reviewed the restaurant chain, describing the humor of Trump Burger as “brutish,” with inside jokes aimed toward a Trump-supporting audience.
“As with most aspects of Trump Burger, a menu isn’t just a menu. It takes jabs and attempts to drive political points home with brutish humor,” Garley wrote.
The critic added that the menu includes The Biden Burger, also known as the “Harris Burger” at the Houston location. This burger “features a 1-ounce beef patty topped with ‘old tomato’ and ‘the oldest buns available due to cheating and inflation.’ Listed under an illustration of former President Joe Biden with a red X over his face, the burger is priced at a very random $50.99,” Garley wrote.
Garley asked the cashier if the burger was a real dish that could be ordered, and the cashier responded, “It’s a joke.”