From Special Sauce to Ground Chuck:10 Lowcountry Burgers We Can’t Get Enough Of
By Abasi Chapman
Summer’s not over, friends! Grills around the country are still firing up every night to charr, smoke and BBQ some of the best meats and veggies in the land. One of the most popular invitees to the backyard grill is the lowly hamburger; the paper plate tester; the white shirt distresser. In its most basic form, the burger is simply ground meat and bread. With care, even in its simplest form, the burger can be glorious—tender, juicy meat; springy, not too dense bread. That simplicity leaves, however, a lot of room for interpretation and imitation. You can find a burger on pretty much any menu placed in front of your mug, but let’s be honest, most of them are pretty pedestrian. It’s a special thing to find a restaurant that has put thought, care, and dare I say, love into a burger. You can taste it. You can feel it. So in search of that love, I sought out some of the best burgers in the Lowcountry. And yes, it was glorious.
Bistro 217 (Pawleys Island)
Those ‘in the know’ in Pawleys Island, go to Bistro 217, where amongst other impeccable dishes, they make a lovely burger. So lovely in fact, their Bistro Burger was voted one of the Best Burgers in the Carolinas by Southern Living Magazine. You can tell the consideration that went into elevating it, too; ingredients like local heirloom tomatoes, applewood smoked bacon, buns made in house, homemade mayo, and of course, chuck and fillet ground Certified Angus Beef (CAB). All of that goodness makes for a hefty, juicy burger. It’s almost melty but the crunch of the fresh veggies and bacon pull it back at just the right time. Because so much care has gone into including only the finest ingredients, the richness and depth of flavors shine. You’re eating quality food here—and it shows in every bite.
If you get a chance to eat in, you’ll note the wonderful service, as well. Let’s be real here, service matters, and we’ve all experienced bad service. It’s nice to go into a place where EVERYBODY you interact with is pleasant AND helpful. It feels good to be there and darnit you deserve to feel good. The design utilizes the space to feel upscale while still comfortable and it flows effortlessly from the outdoor patio to the dining room.
Trust me, you should go there.
39 Rue De Jean (Downtown CHS)
Picture yourself walking down King Street in Charleston. You’re strolling past colorful historical architecture, tourists and locals alike, marveling in their great fortune for being in the Holy City. You can smell wafts of wonderful meals being enjoyed in eateries all around you. Now you’re hungry. If you’re lucky in this daydream, you’ll be close enough to duck down John Street to 39 Rue De Jean.
Similar to the first stop, this French restaurant is also known for excellent food and service. While you can find all kinds of exotic dishes on the menu—ranging from duck fat Parisian gnocchi to escargot to sushi—one of the fan favorites that keeps ‘em coming back is the good ol’ Brasserie Burger. Here they use a 10 oz CAB patty and your choice of Roquefort, Gruyere, or Cheddar cheese. You can personalize it with sauteed mushrooms, caramelized onions, or bacon. It’s all the richness you would expect but maybe didn’t know your tastebuds needed.
Talk about living the dream…
Little Jack’s Tavern (Downtown CHS)
If you head up King Street a bit to the popular and hip Upper King area, you will find Little Jack’s Tavern. Now this burger is no stranger to attention. It just shines in a different kind of light—literally; the burger almost shimmers when you look at it. I don’t know how they do it. Maybe they don’t and I’m just spellbound every time I order it, the burger beckoning me as it heads to my table. Or maybe it’s perfectly buttered buns, again, I don’t know. Still it’s an insanely good burger that has won some serious accolades. In 2017, it was crowned one of the top three burgers by Bon Appetit magazine, as well as winning first place at South Beach Wine & Food Festival Burger Bash.
On the surface it seems too simple: ground beef—a patty made from half chuck, half brisket—homemade mayo, bread, and cheese. American cheese at that. Is it sloppy? Yes. Is it tender? Yes. And yet somehow they manage to hold it together. There is texture and nuance in there, likely courtesy of the sunchoke relish that mimics carmelized onions to an extent. This is a decadent burger in the least pretentious way possible.
Little Jacks is a traditional tavern with all you’d expect: lots of wood; low, incandescent lighting; a substantial bar. Not only are the burgers epic, the cocktails stand on their own. It’s definitely worth a visit.
Shrimp Shack (St. Helena Island)
When it comes to innovation in burgers, the Lowcountry brings the goods with the shrimp burger. Shrimp burger you may ask? Shrimp Shack comes back with a resounding YES! Right off of the Harbor River on St. Helena Island is an actual shrimp shack, and as you would expect, fresh shrimp is their specialty. This takeout location attracts shrimp lovers from all around—but be aware: they only take cash or check. Speaking from experience, make sure you have one of them.
I hauled my own family to check out Shrimp Shack’s renowned shrimp burger, but alas we didn’t bring cash. The closest ATM that showed on our navigation was over the bridge crossing Harbor River to Harbor Island. We crossed, got cash at the ATM, and headed back towards St. Helena Island only to find standstill traffic. As we waited, drivers were turning around suggesting that we do the same. It was at this point that we were told that the bridge was broken. In other words, we were quite literally trapped on the other side until repaired. After waiting for what seemed like an entire lifetime in the car with three kids, we eventually learned that it would take hours (yes HOURS) to fix. So we decided to do some exploring. As luck would NOT have it, mostly everything was private or closed down, and we were left with almost nothing to do. Thankfully Johnson Creek Tavern was open and guess what was on the menu? You got it, shrimp burgers!
Johnson Creek Tavern’s shrimp burger (pictured) had a surprising amount of flavor and texture. It’s a shrimp patty, lettuce, tomato, sesame seed bun with sauce. The patty is soft and juicy on the inside, yet crispy on the outside. It’s nothing fancy—except I think making a SHRIMP burger is pretty darn fancy on its own.
Editor’s Note: Just before going to print, we learned of the passing of Captain Bob Upton Sr., the owner of Shrimp Shack. We extend our condolences to his wife Hilda and family, whom he co-owned and ran the Shrimp Shack with.
Matt’s Burgers (Summerville)
Hello, class, I’d like for you to meet Matt. Matt makes burgers. Matt makes damn good burgers. You can find Matt’s Burgers at 102 S Cedar St. in downtown Summerville. You should go—now.. Not only is downtown Summerville a nice little slice of the Lowcountry, you can also find a nice little slice of burger heaven there.
At Matt’s they do daily ground chuck—seasoned to perfection—and hand smashed into patties up to a huge 1/2 lb. They don’t skimp with the toppings or options either: (award-winning homemade) chili, sausage, mushroom, bacon, texas toast, and more.
We did take out (thanks, COVID-19), so we didn’t get to experience what we hear is exceptional service. There’s always next time. What we did experience was a very delicious burger. I got the Matt’s Special. What I like about this burger most is that it’s a straightforward burger. It’s full of flavor and also holds up to all of the toppings. To me, it seemed like one of the closest to the spirit of the backyard grill burger that draws up so many summertime memories with family and friends. I guess in short, they put in the love.
Betty Lou’s Bisto (West Ashley)
I couldn’t talk about burgers without including the crowd favorite. Okay, maybe it’s actually my 8 year-old-daughter’s favorite, but nonetheless, that title goes to Betty Lou’s Bistro for their Betty Lou’s Burger. I really can’t knock her judgement here, either. This is a lowcountry sleeper. They use artisan lettuce, “beer” onions, garlic aioli, bacon, pimento cheese and a tomato-onion chutney. Talk about off the charts flavor and texture! The acid of the chutney pulls out nuances that you would otherwise miss amongst the rich aioli and cheeses. It seems to be so well thought out—and certainly enjoyed often by my family.
You can find Betty Lou’s Bistro on Ashley River Road in Charleston. The vibe is always cozy, familiar and attentive. It’s kind of like going to a friend’s house for lunch, if your friend was also a burger wizard. But hey, don’t take my word for it.
Green Truck Pub (Savannah)
I’m not really sure where to start with the Green Truck Pub out of Savannah. You could easily start a turf war depending on who you’re talking to about their favorite burger. The Hot Rod? The Rustico? The Whole Farm? With 10 different burgers available to choose from, burgers have quickly become the calling card of Green Truck Pub. Personally, I’m a sucker for the Hot Rod Deluxe: 1/3 lb grass-fed all-natural beef, cheddar cheese, bacon, sauteed mushrooms and onions. Yes, please!
Kid Cashew Big Mac (Mount Pleasant)
If you’re craving a burger on the other side of the Ravenel Bridge, check out Kid Cashew’s Big Mac Daddy, which I’m pretty sure would make even Ronald McDonald himself ditch the original in favor of this next-level “Big Mac”. Noting the non-necessity of the middle slice of bread, Kid Cashew rightly ditches it, instead focusing on the quality of the two stacked ¼ pound beef patties—perfectly wood-fired—white cheddar cheese and that famous special sauce. Finished with pickles and shredded lettuce, this burger leaves you satisfied and slightly nostalgic.
Husk (Downtown CHS)
Named one of the best burgers in Charleston by Eater Carolinas earlier this year, praise for this burger—created by Sean Brock as a homage to his favorite childhood burger—is nothing new. To have eaten this burger at the cozy satellite bartop at Husk is to know flavor… and I’ll say it, happiness. The burger patties—there’s two—alone are unique: ground chuck, flank steak AND bacon. The sauce is an amped up aioli with lemon zest, relish, jalapenos, and hot sauce. Then the pickles, onions and cheese finish it off, all squeezed perfectly between two buns slathered in that delicious special sauce.
Yes, you’ll want to visit Husk for their duck leg or cornmeal catfish—or whatever’s on the fancy menu in the main restaurant—at some point. But skip out on a burger from Husk (and maybe some of the best bourbon you can find) next door? Don’t even think about it.
Rita’s (Folly Beach)
Don’t let the name fool you, a stop at Rita’s Seaside Grille doesn’t mean you have to dig into oysters, crabs, or shrimp. If your heart’s set on beef, I say get beef—and with a half-pound patty, lettuce, tomato, red onion, cheese and Rita's special sauce on a brioche bun, no doubt, Rita’s Cheeseburger will hit the spot. Feeling glutenous? Hey, no judgements here. Try any of their add-on’s: fried egg and bacon; caramelized mushrooms and onions; or, if you’re really up for a belt-buster, 1/4-pound Carved Smoked Beef Brisket.
That rounds up our whirlwind burger tour of the Lowcountry. One thing I learned on this journey is that there are endless ways to elevate the ol’ backyard burger. For every boring, overcooked burger on a menu, there’s a chef going mad scientist in the kitchen trying to raise the bar. I’m not done taste testing burgers by a long shot, either... though I should probably take a break and do some cardio.
Skip the Meat (Sidebar)
Not really digging burgers made of juicy, tender beef? Despite being outnumbered by meat lovers in our household, my wife happens to be an almost two decades-long vegetarian herself. To keep her happy—and all you bean-loving veg heads—here’s an exhaustive list of eateries to satiate that faux burger flavor fix.
(PS: In no particular order...)
Lowlife Bar
Butcher and Bee
Sesame Burger Co.
Commonhouse Aleworks
Gnome Cafe
Jack of Cups
Brown Dog Deli
Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar
Ye Olde Fashioned
Poe’s Tavern
Handcraft Kitchen and Cocktails
Mustard Seed
The Southern
Chuck and Patty’s
Rutledge Cab Co.
Herd Provisions
Five Loaves
Dog and Duck
Fuel Cantina
Billy’s Burgers
Vickery’s
Bohemian Bull
Three Little Birds
Pub Fare
Early Bird Diner