HOUSTON – The secret recipe for one of Houston's best burgers is no longer a secret.
According to Houston police, someone broke into Plonk Beer and Wine Bistro on 43rd Street early Tuesday morning and stole a safe containing some cash, gift certificates and the recipe for the Guanciale Burger.
"The Guanciale burger was named by Houston Press Magazine as the No. 1 burger in the city of Houston last year," owner Scott miller said.
Surveillance video caught images of the suspect smashing the patio doors with a planter to get inside.
"He came in and searched around the bar a little bit," Miller said. "He took the empty drawer out of the register, but there was no money in it. Then he went into the manager's office and took our safe."
The video shows the suspect wheeling out the 110-pound safe on an office chair, taking it outside the same way he came in. Surveillance video even caught a glimpse of the getaway vehicle, which appeared to a Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Later that afternoon, the safe was recovered in front of a construction site, a few blocks north of the restaurant.
"The safe had been busted open," Miller said. We received some paperwork, some spare keys, most of our gift certificates, but there was no sign of the recipe."
It appears to be a crime as mysterious as the Guanciale burger's recipe.
"We can make more money," Miller said. "But, we can't replace the recipe."
Anyone with information about the theft is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.
A restaurant burglar was caught on camera stealing a safe containing several valuable items, including the recipe to an award-winning burger.