The animated television show, which follows the exploits of Goku, first debuted in Japan in 1989, but it remains a force in popular culture today.
When Rolando was presented with an opportunity 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, offers an array of burgers, hot dogs and appetizers fittingly 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 Destruction.” The mammoth hamburger comes with double meat and two of every topping.
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, 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 fighting 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.”
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.
