The first time I ate at BCK (formerly BCK: Kitchen and Cocktail Adventures), I distinctly remember leaving with a nagging sense of why didn’t I think of that? The third restaurant by the Bosscat Kitchen & Libations ownership team, and second in its adopted Houston home, introduced an original and (so I thought) irresistible concept to a Heights neighborhood already spoiled for choice.

Bosscat executive chef Peter Petro created a menu of childhood memories reimagined for an adult palate. Dishes included Vietnamese pot pie, Shake N’ Bake pork chops, and Big Deb, a massive reimagining of a Little Debbie cake. The aesthetic was warm and inviting. They even added a community suggestion board for customers to write their favorite childhood meals, and once a month the kitchen would recreate one. Yet, as so often happens in the unpredictable and unforgiving hospitality industry, the delightfully kitschy concept failed to catch fire.

In response, the year-old restaurant recently rolled out a reimagined menu and a more refined concept with less focus on nostalgia and more focus on burgers. While most of the original dishes remain, the new menu focuses heavily on what it calls “Between the Buns,” a section dedicated to a slew of new burgers and sandwiches.

Leading the charge is the classic BCK burger, back from the original menu. A reimagined chef’s take on a certain world-renowned burger with a quarter-pound of beef, this classic American cheeseburger on a sesame seed bun is a dead ringer for its fast-food muse. A new and regionally apropos addition is the well-stacked Tex Mex Burger. This delicious take on a southwest burger features pickled jalapeños, cilantro, Fritos, and a miraculous condiment creation called “enchilada mayonnaise” that will live in my dreams for weeks. Other newbies include Return of the Mac with bacon and spicy mac n’ cheese, and Avocado Eatin’ Californian with cheddar jack, sprouts, tomato, avocado, and creamy ranch.

While nostalgia is no longer the central theme of the restaurant, most of the original charms remain. Items like Mac N’ Cheez Its and Pasghetti O’s are joined by the new and creatively named Hamburger Assistant, a strangely familiar bowl of macaroni, cheese sauce, tomato, and ground beef that’s sure to ignite some unexpected college flashbacks.

The revised menu aims to focus offerings on what management and ownership believe their Heights customers want. Burgers never fail in this city, and with the added charm of BCK’s existing concept and a talented back-of-house team, the shift feels like a smart move for a business sitting on notoriously expensive real estate.