Connecticut has a slew of well-known burger joints, and everyone has a favorite. But if you’re a burger lover and haven’t checked out GoldBurgers on Main Street in Newington, you’re missing out.
“It tastes like the burger you’d make at home for yourself out of a frying pan – the best way you could possibly do it,” said GoldBurgers owner and chef Matt Crowley.
Crowley opened GoldBurgers in 2009, with the vision of creating a quick-service burger joint that was somewhere between a gourmet burger sit-down spot and a fast food place. Four and a half years ago he was joined by current Executive Chef Tim Marotto. Crowley said the idea was and has remained simple – good food in a casual place.
“It was at a time where GoldBurgers really needed the next step and Chef came in with a great base of food knowledge, a respect for ingredients, local ingredients, and building relationships, but most important of all, he bought into the whole doing good food in a casual environment - in–a fast food casual environment,” Crowley explained.
The menu started and has remained full of burgers, fries and hot dogs. Customers can order off the main menu, or take a stab at the Specials Board, which features items using local, seasonal ingredients. Sometimes the special menu shies away from the burger and dogs route for something a little more creative. When we visited Crowley was prepping bluefish for fish tacos. They were also offering a salmon cake, a brisket sandwich and a pork sandwich.
Local
“We’re doing more than burgers and you’ll be able to find those selections on our special board. It’s a great place for us to showcase the local ingredients,” Crowley said.
And if you’re lucky, a GoldBurgers regular may clue you in to the restaurant’s “secret menu.” Crowley didn’t reveal much about that, but did suggest that some old favorites no longer featured on the menu may be served if you ask nicely.
So what do you like on your burger? Are you a classic beef patty with cheese and lettuce kind of person? The classic Gold Burger features two meat patties, American cheese, lettuce, onion, pickle, GoldBurger sauce and potato chips for a little crunch.
But not everyone is a beef person – and at GoldBurgers, that’s just fine. Another favorite on their menu is the Chicken & Waffle burger - a chicken burger with bacon, American cheese, maple syrup, waffle fries, and hot sauce. They also offer sausage burgers, a variety of veggie burgers, falafel, and of course, hot dogs.
GoldBurgers also sells fresh cut fries, sweet potato fries, waffle fries, onion rings and cheese fries. Crowley says they can go through a hundred pounds of fries in a day.
For all the specialty options his burger joint offers, GoldBurgers also offers a build your own option and Crowley says he’s usually a minimalist when it comes to his own burger.
“When I eat a burger here, I get a double cheeseburger with ketchup and onions, ‘cuz that’s how I eat my burger,” Crowley said as he laughed. “And that’s what I tell people at the register – don’t think you have to be – make the best, you know the best making burger or stack-up, the most epic burger of all time – get the burger however you want it.”
Get what you want, but try not to be the guy that stacks every free topping on top of a burger. It’s happened, and Crowley kept the receipt as proof.
“He insisted, so we did it, but don’t be that guy,” Crowley said.
GoldBurgers is located at 1096 Main Street in Newington. There is free parking available in a public lot behind the building. For more information and to check out their menu, visit the website here.
