Rap icon E-40, WWE star Booker T spotted at Houston’s Trill Burgers – Chron

Just weeks after NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal popped in, Trill Burgers is once again visited by not one, but two pop culture legends.

Bay Area rap icon E-40, government name Earl Stevens, visited the viral restaurant Wednesday night, alongside WWE Hall of Famer, Booker T. Huffman. Stevens and Huffman were greeted by fans and customers, signing autographs and ordering burgers.

“Never know who’s gonna walk in at Trill Burgers,” said the award winning restaurant in an Instagram post, as Stevens dapped up Bun B. The rapper, donning his iconic rolled beanie and shades, has deep connections to the Houston rap scene (yup) despite hailing from California.

Stevens, who was part of rap’s golden era of the 90s, is known for his bars on hip hop quartet The Click’s breakthrough hit, “Captain Save a Hoe”. The rap veteran, who has a long history with colleague Bun B, has also worked with gone-to-soon stars, Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. — helping to build the quintessential sound that defines classic hip hop. Longtime fans of that classic 90s sound, including Paul Wall collaborator Daniel “Termanology” Carrillo, were elated to see Stevens at the burger joint. Other fans flocked to WWE star Huffman, who autographed items for wrestling devotees. Huffman, who is a retired professional wrestler, was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2016. Booker T, as he’s known professionally, was raised in Houston and continues to work with wrestlers throughout Texas.

Nowadays, Stevens, who still raps, is mostly a producer, entrepreneur, and chef, occasionally popping out for public appearances and praising Houston. In a 2020 interview with KBXX-FM, Stevens spoke highly of Houston’s mega-food scene. The rapper, who as a teenager worked at a high-end restaurant, praised Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen, which has been a hit with H-town’s biggest stars, Megan Thee Stallion and Beyoncé. More recently, the rapper founded a food company, Goon With a Spoon, trading in his beanie for a toque. 

Trill Burgers has continued to see seemingly random, yet major celebrity appearances since its opening in June 2023. During its earlier days, the restaurant was visited by Ludacris and Canadian rapper Drake, who will make a two-night tour stop this week at Downtown’s Toyota Center with British rapper 21 Savage.