Whataburger Houston: Best Location, Menu, Hours and Reviews
Which of Houston's 56 Whataburgers to choose, what to order, what it costs and when to go, with every address and hour checked on October 8, 2026.
The Whataburger I would send a visitor to in Houston is No. 266 Westheimer & Timmons, at 3639 Westheimer Rd near Uptown and the Galleria. Its dining room and drive-thru never close. The building began life as a Herfy’s and was rebuilt in the early 1990s, so it has more history than most fast-food boxes in the city. The official locator lists 56 Whataburgers inside Houston city limits, so another one is rarely far away. First visit? Get the classic Whataburger or the Patty Melt and ask for Spicy Ketchup. After 11 p.m., the Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit joins the menu. I checked every address, phone number and hour below against the official Whataburger locator on October 8, 2026.
Whataburger Houston at a glance
Whataburger is a Texas burger chain founded in Corpus Christi in 1950, and Houston ties with San Antonio as the Texas city with the most locations. The essentials, all checked on October 8, 2026:
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Recommended location | No. 266 Westheimer & Timmons, 3639 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77027 |
| Phone | (713) 627-8602 |
| Hours | Dining room and drive-thru 24/7 |
| Curbside | 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily |
| Delivery | 24/7 |
| Locations in Houston city limits | 56 (official locator) |
| Breakfast | 11 p.m. to 11 a.m. |
| Founded | August 8, 1950, Corpus Christi, Texas |
| Headquarters | San Antonio, Texas |
Best Whataburger in Houston: No. 266 Westheimer & Timmons
No. 266 at 3639 Westheimer Rd is my pick for three reasons. It never closes. It sits on Houston’s busiest bus corridor. And it has the best backstory of any Whataburger in town. Uptown and the Galleria are a few minutes away, which makes it the obvious stop after an afternoon of shopping.
Address, phone and hours of No. 266
Whataburger No. 266 is at 3639 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77027, phone (713) 627-8602, and its dining room and drive-thru are open 24/7. The official location page lists these services:
- Dining room: open 24 hours, 7 days a week.
- Drive-thru: open 24 hours, 7 days a week.
- Curbside pickup: 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. every day.
- Delivery: 24 hours.
- Online ordering: resumes at 6 a.m.; you can schedule an order outside those hours.
- Holidays: hours vary, so check the location page before you go.
Source: official No. 266 location page, checked October 8, 2026. The page says nothing about accessibility, parking or Wi-Fi, so neither do I.
Getting to Westheimer & Timmons by bus
METRO’s 82 Westheimer bus runs the Westheimer corridor between Downtown and Highway 6, passing Greenway Plaza and Uptown. METRO calls it the busiest bus route in Texas, with more than 12,000 boardings a day. I could not confirm which stop is closest to Timmons Lane; METRO’s trip planner will tell you.
Downtown Houston seen from Westheimer Road in Neartown, the corridor served by METRO’s 82 Westheimer bus on its way to Whataburger No. 266 near Uptown and the Galleria. (Photo: iodine127, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Houston\_from\_Westheimer.JPG))
A former Herfy’s with Houston history
No. 266 started out as a Herfy’s, one of 11 Houston burger restaurants Whataburger bought in 1975. According to Houston Historic Retail, the Westheimer building was rebuilt in the early 1990s with design touches that recall the original Herfy’s architecture.
Alternative: Whataburger No. 271 Shepherd & Farnham
No. 271 at 3712 S Shepherd Dr, in Upper Kirby near Greenway, is my second choice. The drive-thru runs 24/7, but the dining room shuts at midnight Sunday to Thursday.
- Address: 3712 S Shepherd Dr, Houston, TX 77098
- Phone: (713) 529-0216
- Dining room: Sunday to Thursday 6 a.m. to midnight; Friday and Saturday 6 a.m. to 3 a.m.
- Drive-thru: 24/7
- Curbside: 7 a.m. to midnight
- Delivery: 6 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Shepherd is another former Herfy’s, according to Houston Historic Retail. Source for hours: official No. 271 location page, checked October 8, 2026.
Whataburger locations in Houston by use
Pick your Whataburger by where you are in Houston: the airport, the Heights, the Medical Center or the Galleria. These seven come from the official locator.
| Use | Location | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Galleria and Uptown, open 24/7 | No. 266 Westheimer & Timmons | 3639 Westheimer Rd, 77027 | (713) 627-8602 |
| Upper Kirby and Greenway | No. 271 Shepherd & Farnham | 3712 S Shepherd Dr, 77098 | (713) 529-0216 |
| Greenway, Southwest Freeway | No. 1629 I-69 & Weslayan | 3929 Southwest Fwy, 77027 | (713) 250-8659 |
| Texas Medical Center | No. 997 Holcombe & Greenbriar | 2265 W Holcombe Blvd, 77030 | (713) 838-8106 |
| Heights and 610 Loop | No. 196 Loop 610 & 18th | 1718 West Loop N, 77008 | (713) 868-8988 |
| North of Downtown | No. 533 Main & I45 | 3636 N Main St, 77009 | (713) 868-1581 |
| Airport (IAH) | No. 1049 IAH - Terminal B-21 | 3100 N Terminal Rd, 77032 | (281) 233-3347 |
Hours change from one location to the next, so check the official Houston locator before a late-night run.
Map of Whataburger locations in Houston: the marker shows No. 266 at 3639 Westheimer Rd (77027). The map also covers No. 271 (3712 S Shepherd Dr), No. 1629 (3929 Southwest Fwy), No. 997 (2265 W Holcombe Blvd), No. 196 (1718 West Loop N), No. 533 (3636 N Main St) and No. 1049 at IAH Terminal B. (Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL)
Whataburger at IAH airport
George Bush Intercontinental has its own Whataburger: No. 1049, at gate B-21 in Terminal B, 3100 N Terminal Rd, Houston, TX 77032, phone (281) 233-3347.
New Whataburger on Yale Street (planned)
A new Whataburger is planned at 167 Yale St, Houston, TX 77007, in a former 3,720-square-foot Taco Cabana. What Now Houston reports about $1 million of work starting in October 2026 and an opening expected in spring 2027. Until the doors open, treat that date as an estimate.
Whataburger Houston menu: what to order
For a first Whataburger in Houston, order the classic Whataburger or the Patty Melt, and after 11 p.m. the Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit. Ask for Spicy Ketchup: staff will not hand it out unless you do.
The classic Whataburger
The Whataburger is a single 100% American beef patty with mustard, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and diced onions on a toasted 5-inch white bun. Mustard, not mayo, is the default, and that is the Texas signature: it sharpens the beef where mayonnaise would smother it. To rebuild it at home, start with our Whataburger with cheese copycat recipe, or go big with the Triple Meat Whataburger copycat.
Inside a classic Whataburger, top bun off: beef patty, mustard, lettuce, tomatoes and pickles on a toasted 5-inch bun. This one has added cheese and no diced onions. (Photo: Kyle Moore (Orgullomoore), CC BY-SA 1.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Open\_whataburger.jpg))
Patty Melt
The Patty Melt is two beef patties, Monterey Jack, grilled onions and creamy pepper sauce on Texas Toast. It is the order I would push on anyone who already knows the classic. The Texas Toast makes it heavier, and the pepper sauce is the part you will not get from a diner patty melt.
Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit and breakfast hours
Whataburger serves breakfast from 11 p.m. to 11 a.m., and the Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit is only available in that window. It is crispy chicken strips with honey butter in a biscuit. At a 24/7 location like No. 266, it is the late-night order.
Spicy Ketchup, Jalapeño Ranch and customizing
Spicy Ketchup and Jalapeño Ranch are Whataburger’s own condiments, and you have to ask for both. The chain says a burger can be built 36,864 ways, so swapping onions for jalapeños or adding a second patty is routine at the counter. For a sweeter, hotter build at home, see our Whataburger Sweet & Spicy Bacon Burger copycat.
Whataburger Spicy Ketchup (left) next to regular ketchup. You have to ask for it with your Houston order. (Photo: theimpulsivebuy, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Flickr (https://www.flickr.com/photos/27410581@N07/6705171603))
Limited-time items
Specials rotate. For the chain’s 75th anniversary on August 8, 2025, Whataburger brought back the Monterey Melt and the Chicken Fajita Taco for a limited time, according to Fast Casual. I found no item sold only in Houston.
Vegetarian options
The official menu would not load when I checked on October 8, 2026, so I cannot confirm the current vegetarian items, drinks or shakes. If you avoid meat, check the Whataburger app before ordering.
A Whataburger meal: the classic burger, fries and a fountain drink, photographed at a Whataburger in College Station, Texas. (Photo: Whiskey5jda, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Whataburger\_food.jpg))
Whataburger prices: what to expect in Houston
Houston prices could not be verified. The closest dated reference is a San Antonio price check from July 2026, which puts a Whataburger at $7.43. Use these figures as a guide, not as a Houston menu.
| Item | Price (San Antonio, July 2026) |
|---|---|
| Whataburger | $7.43 |
| Double Meat Whataburger | $9.29 |
| Whataburger Jr. | $4.95 |
| Fries | $3.34 |
| Hash Brown Sticks | $2.47 |
| Whatameal combos | about $11.89 to $15.98 |
Source: Fast Food Menu Prices, checked October 8, 2026. Some sites quote lower Houston prices, but they carry no date and I could not check them, so I left them out. The Whataburger app shows the exact price at each location.
Whataburger prices, San Antonio, July 2026: Whataburger Jr. $4.95, Whataburger $7.43, Double Meat $9.29, fries $3.34, Hash Brown Sticks $2.47, before sales tax. Houston prices were not verified and vary by location. (Chart: Burger Breton, data from Fast Food Menu Prices (https://fastfoodmenuprices.com/whataburger-prices/), rendered with QuickChart)
Payment, app and rewards
Whataburger has taken Apple Pay in the dining room and drive-thru since late 2017. The app accepts saved debit and credit cards, Apple Pay, PayPal, Paze and Whataburger gift cards, and its rewards program gives 10 points per dollar spent.
Whataburger Houston reviews
The best-documented reviews of a Houston Whataburger are for No. 196 on the West Loop. Customers praise its fast drive-thru and hot food, and complain about cold fries and waits. I found no verifiable Google, Yelp or TripAdvisor rating for No. 266, so I give it no score.
What customers say at No. 196 Loop 610 & 18th
No. 196 at 1718 West Loop N holds 4.2/5 on Google from 1,897 reviews and 3.9/5 across all platforms from 2,494 reviews, as aggregated by Sluurpy on October 8, 2026.
- Praised: a fast two-lane drive-thru, food served hot, courteous staff.
- Criticized: cold fries, Dr Pepper syrup running out, waits at the drive-thru.
The critics’ view
Not everyone in Houston buys the legend. For ‘The Blind Cult of Whataburger’ (PaperCity, February 15, 2016), James Brock ate burgers from 23 locations and came away unimpressed: soft bun, mediocre lettuce and tomatoes, overcooked beef, uneven quality. The one thing he praised was the courteous service.
My verdict
Whataburger is worth it in Houston for one thing: a customizable, mustard-forward Texas burger at any hour. I would not cross town for it when the city still has family institutions like Lankford’s, and the uneven quality Brock described in 2016 still turns up in reviews as cold fries and long waits. But at 2 a.m. on Westheimer, with a Patty Melt and a cup of Spicy Ketchup, it is the right call. How I built this guide: official location pages for addresses and hours, dated third-party prices, aggregated review data and local press, all checked on October 8, 2026.
Whataburger in Houston: a short history
Whataburger reached Houston in 1957, seven years after the first restaurant opened in Corpus Christi. The chain grew in the city in these steps:
- August 8, 1950: Harmon Dobson, with Paul Burton, opens the first Whataburger on Ayers Street in Corpus Christi.
- 1957: the first Houston Whataburger opens on Old Spanish Trail. It is a rectangular building with a V-shaped canopy, not the later A-frame. Its exact address has not been documented.
- Around 1960: the Houston franchisee’s contract ends.
- 1961: the striped orange-and-white A-frame appears, with the first prototype in Odessa, Texas.
- 1963: Houston has four Whataburgers.
- 1975: Whataburger buys Houston’s 11 Herfy’s restaurants, built between 1971 and 1975 and owned by Campbell’s Soup since 1971. They close briefly, then reopen as Whataburgers.
- 2019: the Dobson family sells a majority stake to BDT Capital Partners of Chicago and keeps a minority share.
The orange-and-white striped A-frame, Whataburger’s signature building since the 1961 prototype in Odessa, Texas. This one, still standing, was photographed in Mobile, Alabama, in 2010. (Photo: Carol M. Highsmith, public domain, Library of Congress, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Whataburger,\_Mobile,\_Alabama\_LCCN2010637041.tif))
Several former Herfy’s still operate. Besides 3639 Westheimer and 3712 S Shepherd, Houston Historic Retail identifies 444 W Little York, which keeps the original layout with side entrances. Sources: Houston Historic Retail and Wikipedia.
How many Whataburgers are in Houston?
The official locator lists 56 Whataburgers inside Houston city limits, not counting suburbs like Katy, Pearland or Humble. Tasting Table (April 6, 2026, using ScrapeHero data) counts 57 in Houston and 57 in San Antonio, tied for the most in Texas, against 21 each in Dallas and Austin. The same count puts the chain at more than 1,100 restaurants, 774 of them in Texas.
How many Whataburgers are in Houston? 57, tied with San Antonio for the most in Texas, against 21 each in Dallas and Austin (Tasting Table, ScrapeHero data, April 2026). The official locator lists 56 inside Houston city limits. (Chart: Burger Breton, data from Tasting Table/ScrapeHero (https://www.tastingtable.com/2137208/neither-austin-nor-dallas-texas-cities-most-whataburger-locations), rendered with QuickChart)
FAQ: Whataburger Houston
Is Whataburger open 24 hours in Houston? Some are. No. 266 at 3639 Westheimer Rd keeps its dining room and drive-thru open 24/7. No. 271 on S Shepherd runs a 24/7 drive-thru but closes its dining room at midnight Sunday to Thursday. Hours vary by location and on holidays, so check the locator.
What time does Whataburger serve breakfast? Whataburger serves breakfast from 11 p.m. to 11 a.m., including the Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit.
How much does a Whataburger cost in 2026? A Whataburger cost $7.43 in San Antonio in July 2026, with combos from about $11.89 to $15.98. Houston prices were not verified and vary by location, so check the app.
What should I order at Whataburger for the first time? Order the classic Whataburger or the Patty Melt, and ask for Spicy Ketchup. After 11 p.m., add a Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit.
Whataburger or In-N-Out: which is better? For a Texas-style burger in the middle of the night, Whataburger. Its menu is larger and more customizable, and breakfast runs through the night; ABC13 made the Houston case in ‘7 ways Whataburger wallops In-N-Out Burger’. Critics like PaperCity’s James Brock find Whataburger overrated.
Where was the first Whataburger in Houston? The first Houston Whataburger opened in 1957 on Old Spanish Trail, in a rectangular building with a V-shaped canopy. Its exact address has not been documented.
Is there a Whataburger at Houston’s IAH airport? Yes. No. 1049 is in Terminal B at gate B-21, 3100 N Terminal Rd, phone (281) 233-3347.
Can I pay with Apple Pay at Whataburger? Yes. Apple Pay works in the dining room and drive-thru, and the Whataburger app accepts cards, Apple Pay, PayPal, Paze and gift cards.
Are there vegetarian options at Whataburger? I could not confirm the current vegetarian items on October 8, 2026. Check the Whataburger app before ordering.
More burgers in Houston and beyond
This guide belongs to our Houston burger restaurants hub, which also covers the city’s independent burger bars and family spots. Four hours up I-45, our best burgers in Dallas guide ranks the burgers to try in North Texas. For more city guides, browse the Restaurants section, and to cook Whataburger-style burgers at home, head to the Recipes section.
