Gone, but hardly forgotten—Bernie’s Burger Bus, the pop-up-turned-mini local chain known for its indulgent burgers and milkshakes, left a lasting impression on Houstonians before it shuttered in 2020. Keeping up with its school theme, the brand is making a triumphant return in the way of a collaboration with Miami-based PINCHO Burgers + Kebabs, coined the Five-Year Class Reunion.
Through Sunday, October 5, all Houston and South Florida PINCHO locations will feature a trio of specials collaborated upon by Bernie’s chef-owner Justin Turner, who has since gone on to serve as Director of Culinary for McCord Development, Inc., and PINCHO’s Culinary Director Adrian Sanchez.
“Both brands began as scrappy, homegrown startups,” says PINCHO co-founder and CEO Otto Othman in a press release. “We put our hearts into the food while having fun and building community. Our menu strategies are similar as well—doubling down on flavor and creativity, featuring monthly specials and continuing to innovate. It’s an honor to be able to recreate such an iconic brand in our restaurants and to give people a chance to taste Bernie’s again.”
The match-up is the latest in PINCHO’s chef collaboration series, which has proven popular in Miami, and has since followed suit in Houston. Last month, Houstonians had the opportunity to sample a banh mi-inspired burger during a collaboration with Saigon Hustle.
This month, the menu pays homage to some of Bernie’s most beloved menu items. Among the specials is the Bernie’s Burger, inspired by one of the restaurant’s best-selling burgers, the Cheerleader. The handheld packs PINCHO’s signature 100% Black Angus patty with pepper jack cheese, beer-battered jalapeños, slow-roasted garlic tomatoes, lettuce, and cilantro-jalapeño aioli on a toasted Bread Man brioche bun.
Turner likens the upgraded burger to a college cheerleader, not a high school cheerleader, that is all grown up. “It’s a more sophisticated, 2025 version of the burger,” Turner explains.
Guests can pair their burg with Honor Roll fries, a helping of PINCHO’s classic fries, topped with slow-cooked vaca frita, chipotle-mango barbecue sauce, white cheddar cheese, and scallions. Where Bernie’s original Honor Roll fries were loaded with brisket and Memphis-style barbecue sauce, these tout Latin flavor and are offered as an individual order, or in a family size portion.
Finally, a cookie butter milkshake, offered exclusively at PINCHO’s Houston locations, remains true to Bernie’s original. The shake combines vanilla ice cream with Trader Joe’s cookie butter spread, and is served topped with fresh whipped cream and crushed Speculaas cookies.
While Bernie’s return is reason enough to venture in, PINCHO’s is donating $1 from every Bernie’s Burger sold to the Periwinkle Foundation, a Houston-based non-profit that supports families affected by cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. In Miami, proceeds will benefit The Battier Take Charge Foundation, founded by former Houston Rockets player Shane Battier to provide educational resources for underserved youth in Miami, Houston and Detroit. Formerly Battier’s personal chef, Turner credits the athlete’s move to the Rockets for connecting him to the city.
“The city of Houston has treated me amazingly for the 20 years I’ve been here,” Turner says. “Five years after Bernie’s closed feels like the right time to bring back a taste. I’ve had a few people reach out to do something together, and it just never felt right. This, from the beginning, felt different—and once Otto mentioned making it charitable, which is a big deal for me, it was a no-brainer.”
PINCHO has four Houston-area locations, in Memorial, Katy, Cypress, and Conroe, and is open daily for lunch and dinner, Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; and Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m
