Is it possible for a Houston eating spot that’s been around for over six decades to be both famous and little-known at the same time? Yes. And Cream Burger is that spot.
Beloved by countless H-Town die-hards—especially students, faculty, and staff of Texas Southern University and the University of Houston—Cream Burger has been featured on TV by KHOU, the Texas Bucket List, and more. Its burgers, fries, and chili dogs have been spotlighted by countless food lovers online, including national influencer Mr. Chime Time.
Still, plenty of native Houstonians are only now discovering this family-owned, affordable, deeply Third Ward-rooted institution that’s been holding it down for 64 years.
Founded in 1961 by Willie and Verna Lee Greenwood, a husband-and-wife duo from Hungerford, Texas, Cream Burger was passed to their children in 1974—the same year George Foreman fought Muhammad Ali in the “Rumble in the Jungle.”
That second generation continues to run the business today while training up the third to carry the legacy forward.
“My mom and dad started this business in 1961. And if they were alive today…I bet they would be so proud of us right now. And we’re trying to get a third generation
Beverly Ann Greenwood
in to continue the legacy.”
“My mom and dad started this business in 1961. And if they were alive today, they’d be surprised because we’ve been going for 64 years,” says Beverly Ann Greenwood, one of the second-generation owners and the unmistakable face at the Cream Burger window. “I bet they would be so proud of us right now. And we’re trying to get a third generation in to continue the legacy.”
Beverly’s lifelong Cream Burger journey
Beverly’s connection to Cream Burger runs deep.
“I’ve been working at Cream Burger ever since 1961,” she said. “No, my siblings and I didn’t cook hamburgers or make French fries when we were children, but we cleaned up the place. We picked up paper and swept the yard.”
Ask her what her favorite menu item is, and she bursts into laughter.
“That’s what everybody asks. And I tell them everything. I’ve eaten more hamburgers, more chili dogs, more French fries than anybody who has come up to the window,” shared Beverly.
Her childhood memories are seasoned with countless meals fresh off the grill.
“It was a hamburger in the morning for breakfast, a hamburger at lunch, a hamburger at dinner. We might switch it up—chili burger, cheeseburger, chili dog—but yes, I ate more hamburgers here than anybody.”
Customer-service legend
Cream Burger’s food has a cult following, but so does Beverly’s approach at the ordering window.
Some call her hard. Others say stern, “direct,” or even straight-up mean. Just as many call her loving. Beverly has heard it all and remains completely unbothered.
“I interact with customers the way I want to be treated,” she explained. “Some say I’m hard: ‘That crazy lady up there at Cream Burger.’ But what goes around comes around. If you treat me kind and respectful, I’ll treat you kind and respectful. But if you want to be disrespectful, I can be disrespectful to you.”
She pauses, then adds with a grin, “I used to curse, but I don’t curse anymore. I just say, ‘God bless you’ and keep you going on your way. Now I’m seasoned.”
Just like the burgers, customers can’t wait to order.
When the Defender visited, customers were lined up 30 minutes before opening.
“It makes me feel good that we are doing something for the community and the community recognizes us and loves us,” Beverly stated. “In this day and age, it’s hard to find love everywhere. So I think when they come up here, they see the love that we are giving.”
Third generation steps up
After years in corporate America, Corey Greenwood, Beverly’s nephew, is now Cream Burger’s manager and part of the third generation of leadership.
“It’s my grandmother and grandfather’s business,” Corey says. “They started it in 1961 when I wasn’t even a twinkle in my mother’s eye. So, it’s a family tradition.”
He’s been around the stand all his life, but joined full-time after being laid off following the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It was like God preparing me for what my family needed from me,” he says. “And honestly, I’m no longer stressed. The headaches I had in corporate are gone.”
He remembers being a small child, coming to the stand with his grandmother.
“Walking in the same space she walked, and now my aunts and uncles walk, and now I’m walking—it uplifts me. It puts a smile on my face and rules my heart,” said Corey.
Beverly beams with pride about Corey’s role.
“My nephew is the same way my daddy was; a man of all traits. He gets on the grill, cooks hamburgers, and cooks French fries. If anything breaks, we call him. I’m so glad he put aside all his other achievements to help us,” she said.
And Corey reflects that love right back.
“My aunt Beverly is one of the five women who raised me. Her customer service helped me in my 25 years in corporate. Helping here is a blessing,” added Corey.
Moving forward with gratitude
Both Beverly and Corey say Cream Burger’s future is built on love, loyalty, and affordability.
“It’s the love and the support,” Corey says. “We thank our customers, we appreciate our customers, and we try to give back.”
That includes maintaining competitive prices, even as costs rise.
“Everything is going up but the wages,” Corey says. “So, we try our best to do our part for the community.”
They’ve also modernized their offerings to include credit and debit card payments, as well as new shake flavors, to better cater to younger customers.
Through it all, Beverly sums up the Cream Burger spirit simply: “We just appreciate our customers, and we want to do what we can to make them happy and make them smile.”
