FUSION HA! While some of the characters in “Dragon Ball Z” can fuse together to bolster their power, customers at Goku’s Burger can fuse any of the ingredients and items on the menu together to create their own custom-made meals.
Angus beef Shredded cheese Ham Mayo Lettuce Onion
Bacon Pineapple Tomato Potato Jalapeno Nacho cheese
The Piccolo Combo ($12): An Angus beef burger is piled high with jalapenos, shredded cheese, ham, mayo, mustard, lettuce, tomatoes and onions.
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DINING FEATURE
Fusion burger ($28): Patrons can create their own burgers with as many as 12 toppings with this secret o-the-menu item.
COURTESY GOKU’S BURGER
Goku’s Burger Porter food truck owners fuse love of anime, gourmet burgers L ike so many people around the world, Rolando Macias has been a fan of “Dragon Ball Z” since he was a child. Despite a slow start, he said the promotion of the restaurant—which included an extensive social media campaign run by Sylvia—powered up the eatery’s popularity to new heights. Even Stephanie Nadolny—the voice actor who played Goku’s son, BY WESLEY GARDNER
Goku’s Burger in Porter oers several appetizers in addition to burgers, including the Krillinachos ($7) and the Destructo Disc onion rings ($6) .
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The animated television show, which follows the exploits of Goku, rst debuted in Japan in 1989, but it remains a force in popular culture today. When Rolando was presented with an oppor- tunity to start his own restaurant with his wife, Sylvia Macias, he decided to fuse two of his favorite interests: cooking and “Dragon Ball Z.” “All of this is for the cartoon,” Rolando said as an episode of the show played behind him. Goku’s Burger, which opened in The Food Zone in Porter in July 2019, oers an array of burgers, hot dogs and appetizers ttingly named after popular characters from the cartoon. Rolando said the most popular dish is the Goku Combo, which includes a 10.5-ounce Angus beef hamburger topped with shredded cheese, ham, mayo, mustard, lettuce, tomato and onion. For customers who come packing an appetite, however, Rolando recommended the Beerus Combo, named after the cartoon’s “God of Destruc- tion.” The mammoth hamburger comes with double meat and two of every topping.
Gohan, in the American version of the show— dropped a personalized post on TikTok to help promote the eatery. Rolando said Goku’s Burger has become so popular that customers come from across the U.S. and sometimes wait in line for more than two hours to eat and take photos in front of the many “Dragon Ball Z”-themed backdrops. In November, Rolando said the restaurant will again host its annual Tournament of Power, which pits tech-savvy customers against one another in bouts in “Dragon Ball Fighter Z”—a fast-paced ghting game spanning most video game consoles. “We put three [televisions] out so you can practice, but the 75-inch [television] is where [the tournament] is played on,” he said. Looking to the future, Rolando said he and Sylvia have no plans to expand to another location, noting they are content with the restaurant’s progress. “We are happy,” he said. “All of the people really like the concept.”
Rolando and Sylvia Macias opened Goku’s Burger at The Food Zone in Porter in 2019.
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Goku’s Burgers 23242 FM 1314, Porter 832-579-5996 www.facebook.com/gokusburgers Hours: Thu.-Fri., Sun. 5-9 p.m.; Sat. 2-9 p.m.; closed Mon.-Wed.
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