There is nothing fancy about The Burger Shop, Souderton’s newest restaurant, which opened last week.
The menu is simple: beef, chicken and vegetarian burgers with a variety of side dishes, plus milkshakes made using organic ice cream from Trickling Springs Creamery in Mechanicsburg.
Simple foods made quickly using quality ingredients is what owner Giuseppe Chiaro wanted. An experienced restaurateur, he and his family have owned and operated Caruso Brick Oven Trattoria in Souderton since 2004.
“I wanted something more casual than Caruso’s,” he said, which is known for its classic homestyle dishes from the family’s native Neapolitan region. The menu there features favorites such as rich and meaty Sunday pork ragu, gnocchi a la vodka, handmade lobster ravioli, lemon veal scallopine and cheese-stuffed half-pound meatballs.
Well known in town, Chiaro “was looking for what Souderton needed,” explained manager Christyl Zavala. “Here, everybody can get what they want,” whether they are meat-eaters or vegetarians.
Chiaro crafted his own recipes for beef, chicken and “beyond” burgers. The “beyond” is a vegetarian option, a 100 percent plant-based, gluten-free, soy-free, non-gmo patty.
Customers stand at the counter (no phone orders are accepted in order to keep the food fresh) and choose a burger, then a bun or organic salad bowl to go with it as well as any fries, onion rings or shakes. They offer a choice of brioche buns from Hearth Bakery in Lansdale or gluten-free “smart” buns.
Next they choose a cheese – American, aged cheddar or pepper jack – and then a sauce. Options range from the standards – ketchup, mustard and mayo – to basil pesto, buffalo sauce and salsa verde.
Lastly are the toppings: raw onions, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, avocados, peppers, caramelized onions, bacon, mushrooms or an egg.
To publicize the new shop, Chiaro held a giveaway on March 14 when he handed out 500 free burgers.
Having gotten a taste, those customers have been coming back.
“We sold out for the first two days we were officially open,” said Zavala. The top seller is the beef burger, and “everyone loves the milkshakes,” she said, which come in chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. Mix-ins are available.
The Burger Shop is designed to be a family restaurant; there are a few tables inside, and more outside for warm days. An unfinished area next to the shop is destined to soon become a parking lot and area for more tables.
After that, Chiaro is looking around for more potential restaurant locations, possibly starting with a doughnut and coffee shop.
“He wants to keep bringing good food to Souderton,” Zavala said.
The Burger Shop
162 N. Main St., Souderton
Eatmyburgers.com
267-382-0903 (no phone orders)
Hours:
11 a.m.-9 p.m. Mon.-St., closed Sun.
Cost:
Burgers $5.50-$12.50, sides $2.50-$4, milkshakes $4.99.
susan.yeske@gmail.com
