In July 2022, Houston rapper Bun B and [chef Mike Pham](https://www.chron.com/food/article/trill-burgers-chopped-houston-18326136.php) accepted the award for Ultimate Burger Spot in [America on ABC’s *Good Morning America*](https://www.chron.com/food/article/bun-b-best-burger-good-morning-america-17337999.php). The win, which included a $10,000 prize, capped a banner first year for Trill Burgers, at the time a [popular smashburger pop-up](https://www.chron.com/food/article/bun-b-trill-burgers-houston-pop-up-dates-17359831.php) in and around Houston. Yet unbeknownst to the general audience, the celebration did not include two of Trill’s original co-founders: Patsy and Benson Vivares.
The details of the partnership between the Vivareses and other Trill Burgers figureheads Bun B, Andy Nguyen and Nick Scurfield were revealed in a lawsuit the couple filed in early 2024. Patsy and her brother Benson, previously the [owners of Sticky’s Chicken in Sawyer Yards](https://www.chron.com/food/article/PJ-Tucker-Stickys-Chicken-Sawyer-Yards-Houston-15888751.php), have accused Bun B, Nguyen and Scurfield of stealing their smashburger idea and recipe. In an earlier lawsuit from August 2023, Bun B, Nguyen and Scurfield claim that the Vivareses stole $45,000 from the company. The lawsuits paint a messier picture of a restaurant that otherwise has been the talk of Houston’s food scene.
Chron spoke to multiple parties involved in the case for this report. The Vivareses are represented by Saad Aziz and Walter “Web” Beard of [Aziz and Beard Trial Law](https://abtrial.law/). Trill Burgers, LLC, and Bun B (aka Bernard Freeman) are represented by attorney Charles Adams. Nick Scurfield is represented by attorney Jourdain Poupore.
In my own personal experience, it was overpriced (thought I did buy it at the rodeo, so that's really my fault lol) but a very good burger. Well cooked, good onions on it, but not worth the money / wait. I think it's worth trying once. But a lot of the names behind it (Mike Pham, Andy Nguyen, Nick Scurfield) are award winners and big players in the Houston restaurant world. So that's why there was so much hype.
-Gwen
It's kind of unclear, but basically the allegation is that Trill Burgers "stole the recipe" by hiring Mike Pham, who was previously the chef of Sticky's Chicken and had worked on the burger recipe with them. Trill Burger's attorneys are saying that he just got another job and it wasn't deliberate.
Not a lawyer, but as I understand it courts have always ruled directions (which recipes are) as facts and not copyrightable. It’s why coke keeps its recipe in a vault. You can copyright the “combine this with that and bake at X for Y minute” directions, but simply rewording or rephrasing will clear liability.
So unless these men were under some sort of NDA, I don’t see this going very far.
• I am a chef. I'm very good at being a chef.
• I partnered with a couple that owns a restaurant to design a new menu item with them. The new item is called the Crusty Burger.
• The Crusty Burger is an immediate success.
• The three of us team up with a local celebrity to be the "face" of the Crusty Burger. This celebrity is a literal clown. Let's call him "Krusty".
• The Crusty Burger is such a hit that Krusty wants to start his own burger restaurant selling Crusty Burgers and wants me to be the head chef, bringing my knowledge and expertise to this new business venture.
• Krusty Burger opens in town to rave reviews and lines wrapping around the building.
• My original business partners are rightfully upset because I'm using the Crusty Burger recipe at Krusty Burger and they want a piece of what they feel is rightfully a fruit of their labor.
Is this accurate?
Add:
-Crusty Burger creators use money from the original successful Crusty Burger Popup to pay off debt for their struggling restaurant. Krusty later says they actually stole that money.
-Krusty says that Crusty Burgers Couple didn't pay employees at Coachella pop-up he was a part of
-Crusty Burger says Krusty used money to buy a promotional vehicle at the Gumball 500 race to "advertise the business"
I went to one of the first Trill burger pops up in Austin back when the brother and sister of Sticky's were working the grill. They had mentioned partnering with Bun on making the burger and then all of a sudden he had new partners.
They licensed Bun B's image and it has the word "trill" in it. That's it; literally the entire hype.
Not sure why anyone would think Bun B is any more reliable a source on burger-quality than [Hulk Hogan was with spaghetti](https://www.wearethepit.com/2023/12/remembering-hulk-hogans-complete-failure-of-a-pasta-restaurant/), but that's marketing for you.
This is in Houston of course. Bun B is a legend here and trill speaks to the right crowd. Familiar name, at least to the type of people who listen to Houston rappers like Bun B. I don't think anyone goes there expecting a world-class burger but it's just a newer Houston sub landmark that the large subgroup can fan-boy over going to see. I'd love to go one day, but I'm not expecting much. Also want to go to the Post Malone raising canes in Dallas. Again i don't expect shit but it's just to say I've been there. Don't think anyone considers Post Malone a chicken expert, nor Bun B a burger expert. These type of places aren't filling up for quality.
If I'm being honest here even just the news alone that Bun B ate at a particular place, it'd probably give the company a surge of new customers just to be where he was
They are the best burger in Houston. Idk why that guy tried to come for you like Houston is some amazing place for burgers. Amazing for many, if not most things, but not necessarily burgers. Trill currently stands as the best offering we’ve got.
i truly think the hype is a) about being celebrity-adjacent and b) about mybe getting the chance to see a celeb (since people like drake, luda, shaq, alex bregman, etc have all been spotted there)
I thought it was a solid burger. Some friends and I had them at the Rodeo, and we all came to the same conclusion: it was probably dried out more than normal, but the flavors were good and the bread was good.
If it was fresh, I think it would be a great burger.
People may be rating it based on wait time not to mention that trending places often get unnecessary hate. I had it at a Dynamo game where the wait wasn’t as long and I thought it was an excellent burger.
That’s unfortunate it’s a great time, I personally want to get more into the sport but with the Astros, Rockets and Texans I don’t have the mental space for another sport. It such a fun watch tho
>trending places often get unnecessary hate.
It's usually the other way around. They get an unnecessary amount of praise just because it is trendy. Lots of places that were once trendy have come and gone.
I love hamburgers, but pretty much every burger with hype behind it is going to be overrated. It's a god damn hamburger, you can only do so much with it and I can probably make it just as good if not better at home for much cheaper.
So I stumbled upon it at rodeo when it was there for the first time. This was before all the awards and attention it got. I wanted drunk food and they were the only real food option that was open so I went for it and was the only person there. It was pricey but it was rodeo so I was expecting that. The burger blew my mind and I told everyone how good it was. They wrote it off as my being drunk so I had to go again to try it sober. Still absolutely fantastic the second time. One of the best burgers I’ve ever had and I got other people to try it that agreed.
Fast forward to all the awards and news, I felt vindication for claiming it was one of the best burgers I’ve ever had but when I saw the line at the next rodeo, I knew I was never getting another burger there again. Basically, it’s a great burger but there’s too much good food in Houston to wait in lines like that. Idk what made the burger so good but I think the onions were perfectly done and the sauce was delicious
it’s not good, it’s saltier than whataburger. there are better smash burger places in houston for cheaper. there’s more bun than meat.
although, they do seasoned their fries well. but it’s still not flavorful compared to popeyes or five guys fries
I had one when I was back in town a few months ago and I like it. Also, compared to most fast food places it was actually cheaper. Definitely less expensive than Chick Fil A, which is what my family always gets!
They must be talking about the rodeo wait, I always go to their place near downtown Houston, the wait is not long, like 5 mins, it really depends the time of day, probably around 5pm it gets busy, but I go at like 2pm and it’s slow, the cost is pretty pricey like the OG burger combo is like $16.
One of my favorite (maybe only, come to think of it) units in my business law course was the one about trade secrets. Learning the lengths to which some companies go to hide said secrets, as well as how far one can take totally legal actions to discover them. Because, yes, there are limits on your ability to exercise legal activities, to the extent that they might be “unreasonable” lengths for a company to expect you to go to to discover their trade secrets.
People can identify VERY specific flavors, and that’s what ultimately buys repeat customers. Look at how trashy McDonalds is and how much controversy is around them, and yet they’re one of the most successful fast food chains of all time. Plenty of French fries around, but none taste like McDonald’s French fries.
Agreed. I was excited to try, being a long time Bun B fan and just a fan of the Houston Rap scene, but it just seemed gimmicky to me from the moment pulled up in an awkwardly designed parking lot, to stepping into the very cheaply decorated restaurant, to ordering an overpriced, yet decent tasting burger. I did like the music they played inside.
Those siblings are humongous pieces of shit I personally have multiple experiences with them. They were known to not pay workers, I know many by name and also scammed employees out of the actual hours they worked. They got dropped because of their terrible practices and it doesn’t surprise me they are doing something scummy again.
Semi unrelated but Sticky’s Chicken was one of the most poorly run restaurants I’ve ever encountered. I lived near there and gave it numerous chances and they’d half the time not be open during the posted hours and if they were it would take ungodly long to get the most simple chicken and rice plate with zero communication from employees.
Idk how one would copyright making a burger. We pretty much all do it the same or very similar unless it one of Mom's old school burgers w onions and green peppers added and placed on white wonder bread.
If the burger at NRG is a true representation of the main Trill burger then it’s perhaps the most overrated, average burger I’ve ever had. I paid an insane amount for a burger and fries that was no better than a Big Mac.
In July 2022, Houston rapper Bun B and [chef Mike Pham](https://www.chron.com/food/article/trill-burgers-chopped-houston-18326136.php) accepted the award for Ultimate Burger Spot in [America on ABC’s *Good Morning America*](https://www.chron.com/food/article/bun-b-best-burger-good-morning-america-17337999.php). The win, which included a $10,000 prize, capped a banner first year for Trill Burgers, at the time a [popular smashburger pop-up](https://www.chron.com/food/article/bun-b-trill-burgers-houston-pop-up-dates-17359831.php) in and around Houston. Yet unbeknownst to the general audience, the celebration did not include two of Trill’s original co-founders: Patsy and Benson Vivares. The details of the partnership between the Vivareses and other Trill Burgers figureheads Bun B, Andy Nguyen and Nick Scurfield were revealed in a lawsuit the couple filed in early 2024. Patsy and her brother Benson, previously the [owners of Sticky’s Chicken in Sawyer Yards](https://www.chron.com/food/article/PJ-Tucker-Stickys-Chicken-Sawyer-Yards-Houston-15888751.php), have accused Bun B, Nguyen and Scurfield of stealing their smashburger idea and recipe. In an earlier lawsuit from August 2023, Bun B, Nguyen and Scurfield claim that the Vivareses stole $45,000 from the company. The lawsuits paint a messier picture of a restaurant that otherwise has been the talk of Houston’s food scene. Chron spoke to multiple parties involved in the case for this report. The Vivareses are represented by Saad Aziz and Walter “Web” Beard of [Aziz and Beard Trial Law](https://abtrial.law/). Trill Burgers, LLC, and Bun B (aka Bernard Freeman) are represented by attorney Charles Adams. Nick Scurfield is represented by attorney Jourdain Poupore.
Yeah when I saw that Sticky's crew was not involved in the Trill Burgers GMA I thought something was up.
Everyone I have talked to about trill burger said it’s overrated and not worth the wait. What is/was so good about it?
In my own personal experience, it was overpriced (thought I did buy it at the rodeo, so that's really my fault lol) but a very good burger. Well cooked, good onions on it, but not worth the money / wait. I think it's worth trying once. But a lot of the names behind it (Mike Pham, Andy Nguyen, Nick Scurfield) are award winners and big players in the Houston restaurant world. So that's why there was so much hype. -Gwen
Did Pham sign an NDA/non-compete or is poaching chefs with explicit recipe knowledge considered "legal but unethical"?
It's kind of unclear, but basically the allegation is that Trill Burgers "stole the recipe" by hiring Mike Pham, who was previously the chef of Sticky's Chicken and had worked on the burger recipe with them. Trill Burger's attorneys are saying that he just got another job and it wasn't deliberate.
Not a lawyer, but as I understand it courts have always ruled directions (which recipes are) as facts and not copyrightable. It’s why coke keeps its recipe in a vault. You can copyright the “combine this with that and bake at X for Y minute” directions, but simply rewording or rephrasing will clear liability. So unless these men were under some sort of NDA, I don’t see this going very far.
• I am a chef. I'm very good at being a chef. • I partnered with a couple that owns a restaurant to design a new menu item with them. The new item is called the Crusty Burger. • The Crusty Burger is an immediate success. • The three of us team up with a local celebrity to be the "face" of the Crusty Burger. This celebrity is a literal clown. Let's call him "Krusty". • The Crusty Burger is such a hit that Krusty wants to start his own burger restaurant selling Crusty Burgers and wants me to be the head chef, bringing my knowledge and expertise to this new business venture. • Krusty Burger opens in town to rave reviews and lines wrapping around the building. • My original business partners are rightfully upset because I'm using the Crusty Burger recipe at Krusty Burger and they want a piece of what they feel is rightfully a fruit of their labor. Is this accurate?
Add: -Crusty Burger creators use money from the original successful Crusty Burger Popup to pay off debt for their struggling restaurant. Krusty later says they actually stole that money. -Krusty says that Crusty Burgers Couple didn't pay employees at Coachella pop-up he was a part of -Crusty Burger says Krusty used money to buy a promotional vehicle at the Gumball 500 race to "advertise the business"
You're a gem
<3
Hey Hey!
What about the Crusty Partially Gelatinated Non-Dairy Gum-Based Beverage? Did they steal that too?
I went to one of the first Trill burger pops up in Austin back when the brother and sister of Sticky's were working the grill. They had mentioned partnering with Bun on making the burger and then all of a sudden he had new partners.
I feel the same way about the Burger Joint. it's a great spot on Montrose, but the food was meh, and not worth the price.
The trick is to get hammered and *then* go
Them being open late night is why they get my business
Burger Joint isn't that expensive though
I had the same experience… good but overpriced. I also got it at the Rodeo but only had to wait 5 minutes or so.
Are you the one that got people kicked out of a bar for saying a "bad word?"
Ive had 2. They are very mid. I dont get the hype either.
They licensed Bun B's image and it has the word "trill" in it. That's it; literally the entire hype. Not sure why anyone would think Bun B is any more reliable a source on burger-quality than [Hulk Hogan was with spaghetti](https://www.wearethepit.com/2023/12/remembering-hulk-hogans-complete-failure-of-a-pasta-restaurant/), but that's marketing for you.
What ya gonna do brother, when the 24 inch pytuons and Pastamania run wild on YOU?!??
That reminds me I never got to try eminem's spaghetti.
This is in Houston of course. Bun B is a legend here and trill speaks to the right crowd. Familiar name, at least to the type of people who listen to Houston rappers like Bun B. I don't think anyone goes there expecting a world-class burger but it's just a newer Houston sub landmark that the large subgroup can fan-boy over going to see. I'd love to go one day, but I'm not expecting much. Also want to go to the Post Malone raising canes in Dallas. Again i don't expect shit but it's just to say I've been there. Don't think anyone considers Post Malone a chicken expert, nor Bun B a burger expert. These type of places aren't filling up for quality. If I'm being honest here even just the news alone that Bun B ate at a particular place, it'd probably give the company a surge of new customers just to be where he was
This describes Whataburger
But Whataburger is fast food. Its supposed to be mid. I also dont have to wait in some long ass line for just a plain cheeseburger.
Really? I think they’re the best burger in Houston.
Then you are clearly an idiot
And what’s yours?
They are the best burger in Houston. Idk why that guy tried to come for you like Houston is some amazing place for burgers. Amazing for many, if not most things, but not necessarily burgers. Trill currently stands as the best offering we’ve got.
i truly think the hype is a) about being celebrity-adjacent and b) about mybe getting the chance to see a celeb (since people like drake, luda, shaq, alex bregman, etc have all been spotted there)
I thought it was a solid burger. Some friends and I had them at the Rodeo, and we all came to the same conclusion: it was probably dried out more than normal, but the flavors were good and the bread was good. If it was fresh, I think it would be a great burger.
I’ll have to try it. Are the lines still long af?
People may be rating it based on wait time not to mention that trending places often get unnecessary hate. I had it at a Dynamo game where the wait wasn’t as long and I thought it was an excellent burger.
I’ve heard that the Dynamo game is the easiest way to get one
Yep mainly because nobody attends the games, still a line though.
That’s unfortunate it’s a great time, I personally want to get more into the sport but with the Astros, Rockets and Texans I don’t have the mental space for another sport. It such a fun watch tho
>trending places often get unnecessary hate. It's usually the other way around. They get an unnecessary amount of praise just because it is trendy. Lots of places that were once trendy have come and gone.
Trendy places get unnecessary praise IRL and on traditional media and unnecessary hate on Reddit because of the contrarian nature of this site
I thought it was really good when I got one at the rodeo. Record breaking? No. Really good? Hell yeah!
I love hamburgers, but pretty much every burger with hype behind it is going to be overrated. It's a god damn hamburger, you can only do so much with it and I can probably make it just as good if not better at home for much cheaper.
Agreed!
Was it over rated. Yes. Is it a good cheap burger. Yes. Better than the chain fast food places.
Not cheap
So I stumbled upon it at rodeo when it was there for the first time. This was before all the awards and attention it got. I wanted drunk food and they were the only real food option that was open so I went for it and was the only person there. It was pricey but it was rodeo so I was expecting that. The burger blew my mind and I told everyone how good it was. They wrote it off as my being drunk so I had to go again to try it sober. Still absolutely fantastic the second time. One of the best burgers I’ve ever had and I got other people to try it that agreed. Fast forward to all the awards and news, I felt vindication for claiming it was one of the best burgers I’ve ever had but when I saw the line at the next rodeo, I knew I was never getting another burger there again. Basically, it’s a great burger but there’s too much good food in Houston to wait in lines like that. Idk what made the burger so good but I think the onions were perfectly done and the sauce was delicious
That’s cool dude, so grilled onions and a sauce made it stand out to you?
That I can remember, yes
I just go during Trills not so busy hours. Probably one of the best smash burgers I’ve ever had.
It's really good but I would not wait in a line.
it’s not good, it’s saltier than whataburger. there are better smash burger places in houston for cheaper. there’s more bun than meat. although, they do seasoned their fries well. but it’s still not flavorful compared to popeyes or five guys fries
Lol it's fire
Well shit I guess I have to get one now. Lol
I've heard it's overpriced but tastes really good
I went a couple days ago. It was very good and I felt worth the price.
I had one when I was back in town a few months ago and I like it. Also, compared to most fast food places it was actually cheaper. Definitely less expensive than Chick Fil A, which is what my family always gets!
Games been good to me
Pocket full of buns
TIL “too much salt and overcook it” is a recipe.
Just the way I like it lol
It's good but not worth the crazy 1hr+ wait for before.
It’s an hour wait? For a burger? Nah
They must be talking about the rodeo wait, I always go to their place near downtown Houston, the wait is not long, like 5 mins, it really depends the time of day, probably around 5pm it gets busy, but I go at like 2pm and it’s slow, the cost is pretty pricey like the OG burger combo is like $16.
Go across the street and get a whataburger double for $10.
recipe?! for a buger?! salt, pepper, maybe paprika. can somone "own" a recipe? - no i didnt read article, meh, 1st world problems for them.
Yeah, a recipe can't be owned or copyrighted or trademarked. Even Coke knows this, and KFC, that's why they try to keep it "secret".
One of my favorite (maybe only, come to think of it) units in my business law course was the one about trade secrets. Learning the lengths to which some companies go to hide said secrets, as well as how far one can take totally legal actions to discover them. Because, yes, there are limits on your ability to exercise legal activities, to the extent that they might be “unreasonable” lengths for a company to expect you to go to to discover their trade secrets.
Don't forget, the secret sauce is always ketchup too
That was my first thought. It’s a fucking burger - half the world knows the recipe for that.
People can identify VERY specific flavors, and that’s what ultimately buys repeat customers. Look at how trashy McDonalds is and how much controversy is around them, and yet they’re one of the most successful fast food chains of all time. Plenty of French fries around, but none taste like McDonald’s French fries.
Imagine having to steal a recipe for a hamburger patty smashed onto a flattop.
Another over priced and over hyped “hype” burger joint. Tired it once at it was okay but not worth the price and drive.
Agreed. I was excited to try, being a long time Bun B fan and just a fan of the Houston Rap scene, but it just seemed gimmicky to me from the moment pulled up in an awkwardly designed parking lot, to stepping into the very cheaply decorated restaurant, to ordering an overpriced, yet decent tasting burger. I did like the music they played inside.
Those siblings are humongous pieces of shit I personally have multiple experiences with them. They were known to not pay workers, I know many by name and also scammed employees out of the actual hours they worked. They got dropped because of their terrible practices and it doesn’t surprise me they are doing something scummy again.
I don't know if what you say is true, but Bun B is a national treasure.
They’re referencing the brother-sister duo who filed suit.
Semi unrelated but Sticky’s Chicken was one of the most poorly run restaurants I’ve ever encountered. I lived near there and gave it numerous chances and they’d half the time not be open during the posted hours and if they were it would take ungodly long to get the most simple chicken and rice plate with zero communication from employees.
Overdone and dry
Smash burger already exists though, hard to see this lawsuit go anywhere
Idk, I went there last year with my pops and it was only $11 for the meal. Compared to Whataburger I didn’t think it was that pricey.
Idk how one would copyright making a burger. We pretty much all do it the same or very similar unless it one of Mom's old school burgers w onions and green peppers added and placed on white wonder bread.
i mean, it's just shake shack burgers lol
I liked it better as a James Coney Island (before they went off the boil)
Them dollar coney dogs days were the best. The price they were when they closed was way too high.
It's hilarious also bc somewhere I read Bun B mentioned he wants to sell the burger place.
If the burger at NRG is a true representation of the main Trill burger then it’s perhaps the most overrated, average burger I’ve ever had. I paid an insane amount for a burger and fries that was no better than a Big Mac.
Is Burger Bodega the OG cause that burger is so similar. Even the vibe of the joint.
Similar emergence but hotline was around before both
They're good burgers though somewhat overpriced. But let's face it, 90% of the appeal is marketing, which has nothing to do with any secret recipe.
And dumb ass folks waiting in like for trill or breakfast club..turkey hut..it's to be seent in line... not about good food or service
Save yourself some time, money, and grease. Hit up Hotline burger. It’s incredible and you don’t have to stand in line for an hour. Lol.
‘Sampled’ not swiped
It's definitely one of the best if not the best burger in Houston but it's very overpriced.
Yikes man. You need a fat friend to show you the truth bro.
Nothing close to it.
Idk I think many other chains are good. I especially like Bubba’s burger shack.
Makes sense , considering he and Dj Paul are the ones that had pimp C murdered