WHY THE BURGER JOINT BRAIN CHILD OF SUPER STAR CHEF BOBBY FLAY LIVES UP TO THE HYPE

by BRENDAN FITZGIBBONS

Celebrity Chef Bobby Flay may be the most recognizable culinary personality on television, but if there’s one thing he wants people to remember about his chain of tasty burger joints, Bobby’s Burger Palace, it’s “crunch.” With five locations in New Jersey, a growing number of Burger Palace customers get a chance to get “crunchified,” in that each of their burgers is infused with a thin layer of crunchy potato chips.

For years, Flay has been a calling card of the Food Network, hosting an astonishing 13 shows, including Throwdown! with Bobby Flay, The Best Thing I Ever Ate, Worst Cooks In America, and most recently Beat Bobby Flay. He has also made several appearances on Iron Chef and the hit PBS series Great Chefs.

In addition to success as a TV star, Flay owns and operates several upscale restaurants in Manhattan, Atlantic City, Las Vegas, Uncasville, CT., and the Bahamas. His first Burger Palace location opened in 2008 at the Monmouth Mall, followed by plants in the Bergen Town Center, Cherry Hill Mall, Marketfair Mall, and Freehold Raceway Mall.

Although the 49-year-old is a lifelong New Yorker, it’s no surprise that the culinary entrepreneur chose to lay some groundwork in the Garden State, as he grew up spending summers on the Jersey
Shore. In addition to the these locations, there are 13 other Bobby’s Burger Palace eateries scattered throughout the East Coast and Las Vegas.

Flay initially wanted to open the business to give his friends in the industry a place to hang out and enjoy quick bites after working long days in the kitchen.

He drew on his considerable travels to curate the Burger Palace menu, which features a diversity of flavors from various regions of America. Several burgers are named after cities and states like the “New Mexico” (a spicy blend of roasted green chiles, queso sauce, and pickled red onions) and the “Miami,” a pressed, hearty sandwich with ham, pickles, Swiss cheese, mustard and mayonnaise.

Every month features a special dish, and October’s was the Pacific Northwest Burger, a succulent mix of white cheddar cheese, red wine barbecue sauce, and crimini mushrooms.

Bobby’s Palace also offers customizable burgers, plus seared Griddled Cheese and Griddled Pimento Cheese and Bacon sandwiches.

Healthier options range from a Crunch Salad featuring crispy tortilla chips, chopped veggies, and romaine lettuce, and a Topless Burger Salad, wherein baby greens are combined with any burger.

Although Flay is a lifelong New Yorker, he chose to lay some culinary groundwork in the Garden State.

Then there is the eclectic and diverse selection of milkshakes. The eateries offer nine different favors, including Blueberry-Pomegranate, Black and White, and Mint Chocolate Chip, along with three alcohol-on-board options—Vanilla Caramel Bourbon, Pineapple Coconut Rum, and Mocha Kahula Vodka.

Rounding out the comfort food menu are sweet potato and regular fries, onion rings, and a substantial list of soft drinks, beer, wine, and the ever-popular Frozen Cactus Pear Margarita.

Bobby’s Burger Palace
bobbysburgerpalace.com