The vacant space on the Corner that once held Littlejohn's sat dormant for over a year since its closure in May. Seemingly overnight, the new eatery Nothin’ But Burgers moved in Sept. 5 in prime location to draw students on their walk back from class or Corner nightlife. Two life writers were itching to investigate this new staple of the Corner’s many restaurant options, so they went and tried it for themselves.
Before we arrived, we tried to find information about the new eatery, but we could not find anything online hinting at its opening. There was no website, no FaceBook page, nothing of the sort except a Reddit thread and a newly started Instagram account. Nothin’ But Burgers does not appear to be a chain, but that does not make its arrival out of thin air into such prized Corner real estate any less mysterious.
We were able to find out its hours, though. The burger spot opens every day at 10:30 a.m. and closes at midnight Monday through Wednesday, 2 a.m. Thursday and Sunday and 4 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
When we entered, the restaurant was mostly empty, but the lively staff made up for the quiet atmosphere. Inside, it felt like a mix of a classic American diner and a modern burger joint — the smell and decoration in the restaurant reminded us of Five Guys. Reminiscent of retro diners, a neon welcome sign sat above the classic red-and-white checkered pattern tiles adorning the walls.
The exposed kitchen faced the dining area, allowing customers to see their food being made. Customers order at the register, and while the service was on the slower side, we found the seating area to be comfortable and spacious.
What makes Nothin’ But Burgers unique is its simple and cheap menu — burgers are the sole entree offering. This also means the menu offers no vegan, vegetarian or gluten-free options beyond fries.
The menu advertised the single cheeseburger at $6, while the double was $9. We both opted for the single-patty cheeseburger, but we changed up the sides and drinks so we could taste the menu fully. One of us got the fresh-cut fries and chocolate milkshake, and the other got seasoned fries. The totals were $19.99 and $11.79, respectively. All in all, for University students, we thought this was a fairly reasonable price for a quick burger and fries.
The cheeseburger itself seemed nondescript and not too impressive when taken out of the tin foil, but the taste left both of us surprised and satiated. The light potato bun was the perfect contrast to the juicy patty. The sliced onions were perfectly caramelized and brought some sweetness to each bite. While the patty itself was thin but still filling, the house sauce was the true star of the show. With its hints of mustard, Worcestershire sauce and relish, an otherwise ordinary burger was elevated into a classic that we could see ourselves returning to again and again.
We were taken aback by the amount of fries they gave us, which overflowed out of the small cup they came in. The restaurant offers fries three different ways — fresh-cut fries, seasoned fries and loaded fries. You can also add jalapeños, extra cheese and extra onions for an additional $1 fee. One of us ordered fresh-cut while the other ordered seasoned, and they both offered the perfect salty complement to the burger. The original fries were well-salted with just the right amount of crisp, while the seasoned option brought some well-needed spice with hints of oregano.
Following the slight spicy kick from the fries, the milkshake was the perfect relief and palate cleanser. The texture was just thin enough to easily sip through a straw, but still with enough thickness to make the rich chocolate taste like a real treat after a long day of class.
Other flavor options include vanilla, strawberry, oreo, knafeh pistachio creme, pistachio creme and Dubai chocolate. In the future, we would like to try other flavors because the chocolate flavor was more reminiscent of chocolate syrup, but we still enjoyed it enough to sip on for the next hour.
Beyond milkshakes, Nothin’ But Burgers also features an array of canned and fountain sodas, custards and dirty sodas. Unfortunately, when we visited the restaurant, they couldn’t offer us custards and University-themed dirty sodas — a viral drink from Utah that combines traditional fountain beverages with creams and syrups — because they didn’t have the ingredients on hand. While the drinks are now available, this apparent lack of preparation made its first couple weeks seem to be a soft opening.
While Nothin’ But Burgers has not been here for too long and there is still much to learn about how successful the restaurant will be, it’s clear that it’s already attracting hungry customers.
Yet it’s safe to say that these two life writers will be returning to Nothin’ But Burgers as soon as possible to try other menu options. For anyone looking for a classic American meal combo, we recommend you give Nothin’ But Burgers a try.
Phoenix Banks is a senior associate on the life desk. She is a second-year College student, majoring in English and Media Studies. Phoenix is from Chesapeake, Va., and she enjoys writing about student perspectives, specifically students of color. Outside of The Cavalier Daily, Phoenix is involved in V Magazine, WXTJ and The Virginia Black Review.
Claire McGinn is a staff writer on the life desk. She is a third-year College student majoring in history and minoring in Data Science. Claire is from Centreville, Va., and she enjoys writing about University events, programs and student organizations. Outside of The Cavalier Daily, Claire is involved in University Programs Council, Women in National Security, Kappa Delta sorority and Catholic Hoos.
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