What is it about a burger that keeps it so popular?
“There’s no stopping a good burger. It’s an indulgence that people from all over the world love. These days, we’re finding guests want to feel good about choosing the burger, so a grassfed option or a beef with provenance like Australian can help sell it in, with some of those healthier, animal welfare or environmental cues.”
“I spend a lot of time training our chefs on building a great burger, from the right bun and how to toast it, to all the garnishes. When you are taking care of the details, you’ll have guests raving about it and coming back.”
-Chef Stephen Toevs, Marriott Luxury Brands
“I’m always amazed how many burgers we sell. It’s one of those items that’s just classic Americana. It’s such a craveable, indulgent item, and it’s also customizable — you can dress it up with mushrooms and truffle aioli, or dress it down and keep it classic. Everyone can find the burger that fits their style, or mood for the day.”
-Chef Keith Brunell, Nordstrom Restaurants
“At our core we’re a steakhouse brand, so we are a bit obsessed about our meats, including the burgers. Always a 50/50 chuck and brisket blend for the fat content and the flavor, and using the same beef our steaks come from. Where it’s coming from is really important, so that both the quality and the flavor profiles are consistent. It’s imperative for steaks, but important for burgers, too!
-Chef Dan Huebschmann, Gibsons Restaurant Group
What about other proteins or builds outside the classic?
“At LUXBAR, we serve a BBQ style burger that uses our Gibsons Grassfed Australian beef. It’s premium grade grass-fed beef with top 5% marble scoring for grassfed, so it works really well in a burger and the beef flavor is outstanding. Do it up BBQ style with the onion ring, and you have something that’s pretty awesome, and a great flavor combination.” – Chef Dan
“At our NYC burger bar in our flagship store, our Aussie lamb burger tends to be the #2 or #3 seller, outpacing the meat alternates and other options. We give it a full feature treatment systemwide as a seasonal LTO, with harissa and feta in the build, and it does really well.” – Chef Keith
Photo Cred: Brian Bills - Nordstrom 2023
“We’ve seen a movement towards the “smash burger” style, with a thinner patty and that caramelization edge-to-edge. In terms of other proteins, especially if you can have more than one burger on the menu, a lamb burger is a great option. It opens up the door to all kinds of flavor profiles, from Mediterranean to middle eastern, even Indian. I love a tikka masala lamb burger on a folded naan!” – Chef Stephen