Thunder Chief

Thunder Chief is the name of the kitchen at Lavaca Street Bar on South Lamar dishing out fried chicken sandwiches, smashburgers, and other bar foods. The double smashburger is massive, with wagyu beef patties that somehow take on an intense crispy char while staying perfectly pink throughout. That makes this taste more like a classic backyard burger than the paper-thin patties we tend to associate with smashburgers, but make no mistake—this well-seasoned meat has indeed been smashed. If you’re going to make the silly decision to use wagyu beef in a smashburger, this is how to cook it.