Sure, we’ve heard the questions. A burger shop seems a little casual for Underbelly Hospitality. But actually, when you think back to Underbelly’s origins as a whole animal restaurant, it makes perfect sense.
At our steakhouse Georgia James, we sell more steaks a year than you can count—which is fantastic—but that comes with both a price and a need to use more than just prime cuts. On a 950 lb cow, there are 20-26 portioned ribeyes and 12 8oz filets. Roughly 250+ lbs of that cow have to be used as ground beef.
We opened Underbelly Burger to provide an outlet for R-C Ranch to sell their grind so they can continue to provide us with steaks at Georgia James—utilizing the whole cow so nothing goes to waste. This is one way we’re working toward a more sustainable cattle industry.
Our burgers are about showcasing the best possible meat from our friends. You won’t find gourmet toppings or five different styles of fries. Just high-quality, old-school burgers that we think are delicious, and we hope you do, too.
About R-C Ranch
R-C Ranch is a 2,800-acre Wagyu ranch in Brazoria County, Texas. Owners Blake Robertson and Ryan Cade (R-C is their combined namesake) started their ranch in 2010 to provide high quality food for the people they love. They raise Wagyu because they want to raise and sell the best meat they can—and they consider Wagyu the absolute best. They follow a sandwiched breeding process that creates the most desirable animal possible using three Wagyu bloodlines, each representing a different region of Japan and gene trait: Kedaka, a cow known for its large size; Tajima, which produces the best marbling; and Shiname, a cow with the best maternal traits.
“When bred—sandwiched—together, these genetics produce what we think is the perfect product: large cows with beautiful marbling raised sustainably on our ranch,” said Ryan.
Their butcher shop is located right next door to Underbelly Burger, where you’ll find R-C Ranch Wagyu burger in the case, as well as products from like-minded producers that have similar expectations of quality, sustainability, and treatment of animals.