The Texas Burger Restaurant That's Trolling Presidents (And People Are Eating It Up)

It's always a bit odd when food and politics collide (remember "freedom fries," anyone?). Then again, both worlds revolve around a blend of social influence and personal choice. One regional restaurant chain is putting that to the test, though. Founded by Roland Beainy in 2020 in Bellville, Texas, Trump Burger is — you guessed it — a Donald Trump-themed burger restaurant. Even the logo features the president's famous combover sitting atop a burger. But is Trump Burger actually in favor of the president, or is the name just a playful gimmick?

As is no secret, Texas has a long history of support for local burger restaurants (though you may want to try a bean patty for a truly regional burger taste). With Trump Burger, the menu appears to genuinely support Trump. The main item is the eponymous Trump Burger with American cheese and barbecue sauce, though customers can also get the slightly bigger Trump Tower burger with double the beef and cheese. There's also the Biden Burger, which its website lists as topped with "old tomato and our oldest buns." It's advertised as unavailable due to inflation and costs a whopping $50.99. 

For kids, there's a Barron Burger and Ivanka Chicken Tenders. As if these choices — plus the red, white, and blue decor and Trump impersonator sightings — weren't enough, all of the burgers even come with "Trump" emblazoned across the buns.

Trump Burger has been making waves for serving up more drama than fries. The biggest controversy? Founder Roland Beainy and his co-owner, Iyad Abuelhawa, were both detained by immigration officials in the summer of 2025. Originally from Lebanon and Jordan, respectively, the two Trump Burger heads are now facing deportation as part of an illegal immigration crackdown imposed by the same man their burger restaurant chain revolves around. In Beainy's case, he is accused of going through with a sham marriage to obtain U.S. residency, while Abuelhawa is accused of evading deportation years earlier following criminal charges. Adding another layer of irony to the situation, Trump Burger has since publicly mocked ICE with skits skewering the agency on its social media accounts.

While burger chains are no stranger to controversy, it's unclear if Trump Burger will survive this one. Even if it does, there are other issues to tackle. Trump Burger's Kemah location — now listed as "permanently closed" on Google — became entrenched in opposing lawsuits with its landlord. It's a rather odd situation where the restaurant owners have accused the landlord of forcibly taking over the restaurant and changing its name to "MAGA Burger USA." Then there are the issues with food critics, some of whom have blasted the mini-chain for not cooking its burgers properly. Whether any of these controversies have affected Trump Burger's local popularity so far, well, that remains to be seen.

So, are these MAGA-targeted burgers actually any good? It seems to depend on who's eating them. Some professional food critics have not been impressed, giving the burgers less-than-stellar reviews. Writing for the Houston Chronicle, restaurant critic Bao Ong called Trump Burger's politics "so loud that it distracts from the food," while declaring "most dishes are unremarkable." Eater Houston, meanwhile, criticized the burgers as "thick but bland, topped with a waxy cheese that lacks any memorable flavor." Similar sentiments were shared by other food critics, both national and local.

Nevertheless, local customers share more mixed views. The original Trump Burger location has many reviews complimenting both the food and the service. The locations in Houston and Flatonia, meanwhile, have far fewer and less-impressive critiques, with one customer writing in a Google Review: "The burger was dry, tasteless, and clearly frozen."

So, while Trump Burger may not be worth going out of your way for, anyone living near a location may want to check out the hype before the next controversy comes along. Still, there are always more consistently ranked fast food burgers worth checking out.