The Art of Building a Better Burger

At Southern Burger Co, we believe that burgers are an art form. Not to get too poetic, but a good burger has a lot in common with a sonnet.  Each has a set structure to support almost infinite creativity.  In a burger’s case you start with two buns, a patty and the toppings. In a sonnet’s case you start with a set rhyme scheme and number of stanzas. Where you take your burger or your poem from there is up to you.

When we started Southern Burger, we knew it was important to start with those essential elements and make sure they are exactly right. As we learn from experience about the art of a great burger, we’ve made a few changes. You might have read our last blog post about our new Niedlov’s buns. Their shape inspired us to make our patties broader for crispier edges and a dense juicy center, all with more room to pile delicious condiments. For veggie lovers, we’ve honed an amazing, unique eggplant cheddar veggie burger that’s every bit as good as a meat patty.

Most everyone knows the basic burger toppings—ketchup, mustard, mayo, lettuce, tomato, and maybe a slice of cheese. We decided to give each one the attention we pay to our burger patties and buns. If we’re serving fresh, healthy 100% Ground Chuck, premium Jenni-O Turkey, nitrate-free bacon, and Clifty Farms Pork, that the condiments we put on it should be just as quality. That’s why we make our own in-house from scratch with no high fructose corn syrup.

We go through five gallons of our house ketchup a week! We also make our own mustard, ranch, buffalo ranch, curry ketchup, and Southern sauce. Our pimento cheese is made in house, and if you can’t get enough we also sell it by the pint. Our very favorites, though, are our one of a kind Bacon Jam and Habanero Jam that really push our burgers to the next level.

Our other condiments still get the same level of thought and love when it comes to where we source them. We serve Duke’s Mayonnaise, a fiercely loved Southern classic. Our pickles are made by Wickle’s, a little Alabama company that makes their pickles according to a 70-year old family recipe. We use Red Oak lettuce because it has better flavor and can stand proudly with the other ingredients, and order our kale from Fall Creek Farms. If we don’t make it ourselves, we find someone who puts in the care and attention we think is necessary for every ingredient.

As you can see, we take the art of the burger very seriously. Though the components are familiar, each and every one has been carefully considered and given the utmost attention. We want every part of the burger to be just right, recognizable and yet unlike anything you’ve ever had. That’s our mission at Southern Burger, and every day we come back to the kitchen to fine tune our craft and serve up the best burgers the South has ever seen.