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Christian’s Tailgate is a classic spot for sports enthusiasts: Big-screen televisions stream all the major sporting events. A lively bar scene is complemented with gently priced (and generously poured) cocktails. But while many bars with a reputation for game watching make the food feel like an afterthought, this old-school hot spot originally made its mark in Houston as a truck stop serving great burgers in the 1940s.
Fast-forward nearly 80 years later, the burgers are still among the city’s best, but customers with strong allegiances to any number of college or professional sports teams also call Christian’s Tailgate one of the leading places to catch a game in Texas’ biggest city.
“Houston is a melting pot,” says Mazen Baltagi, the current owner and partner of Christian’s Tailgate. “But that also means everyone has a hometown team, and we try to cater to as many of them as possible.”
A crowd-favorite burger is perhaps one of the greatest ways to unite fans no matter their allegiances.
The burger-slinging truck stop originally opened as Christian’s Totem. It built up a fan base as hordes of Texans and out-of-state residents flooded the Houston area after World War II to find work in the oil business.
For years, the mom-and-pop joint with its red-leather booths and long bar set the benchmark for the best burger in Houston. While classic, thin patties have always been popular at Christian’s, other variations like the chili burger and the jalapeño cheeseburger with its hint of heat became signatures. They are famous for using a half pound of beef, otherwise known as a “two fister.” A side of “heart attack” fries were also a must-order.
In 2006, Steven Christian, a third-generation descendant of the family-run business, rebranded Christian's Totem to Christian's Tailgate and expanded his grandfather’s restaurant with a second location in Midtown. Another location in the Heights opened in 2010.
But three years later, Christian sold the brand to new investors, including Baltagi, while keeping the original space off Washington Avenue.
Christian eventually closed the original Christian’s Totem in 2016 — but it wasn’t goodbye. The new owners continued evolving the Christian’s Tailgate brand in the hopes of building upon the beloved sports bar and its nationally-recognized burgers, which had been featured on best-of lists in glossy magazines and on food television shows.
“To have the national recognition and exposure that the brand had, that’s hard to obtain,” Baltagi says. “We wanted to slowly build on it.”
As Christian’s Tailgate expanded to its current four locations across Houston, the formerly burger-centric menu started offering other dishes like salads, wraps, and even tacos. Baltagi and his partners believed the menu additions helped the restaurant maintain its reputation as a popular sports bar in an increasingly competitive field.
The business plans went beyond food. Despite customers with varying team allegiances, Christian’s Tailgate started reaching out to different fan groups on social media offering them specials and deals to build a devoted following.
In Houston, locals are devoted to their hometown teams, but Christian’s Tailgate became a spot known for catering to out-of-towners and fans rooting for the opposition. It's been a prescient move in a major U.S. destination where the economy has long been fueled by the oil industry and medical field, both of which attract transplants. The pandemic also saw many people moving from major coastal cities to Texas, especially Houston and Austin.
Today, customers who follow certain sports teams make it a point to watch games at Christian’s Tailgate with fellow fans. The Midtown location lures in transplants from Buffalo, NY, and even won an award as the best bar for fans outside their state (it helped to sell local beer from there, Baltagi notes). The Highway 6 spot is home to fans of yet another New York pro football team and over at the Kirby location, Kansas City fans gather regularly.
But it’s not always about burgers and sports for Christian’s Tailgate. Karaoke, which starts at 9:30 p.m. and can go until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, draws some of the biggest regular crowds to the restaurant. Even when there’s not a weekly game on, people gather to sing their favorite tunes while often ordering food and drinks. With karaoke, team loyalty and rivalry don’t matter, Baltagi says, and instead, the focus is on fun and entertainment versus winning or losing.
"The popular burgers were just a start, a solid foundation anyone would want," Baltagi says. "We always knew we had to build on that success to attract a new generation of Houstonians — no matter the team."
PHOTO CREDIT: Becca Wright
