Goodburger in Boise is not only the name of a local group of burger purveyors but also the mantra by which they operate their business. A chance visit during the recent Treefort Music Festival resulted in several more visits. The location at 10thand Main in Downtown Boise was the one I visited and it certainly is an impressive, yet comfortable place. A large roll-up door/window allows fresh air in and helps foster a sense of being a nice welcoming place. Service is prompt, with a line to order your food which is then freshly made and delivered to your table.
The menu is simple, with several burger choices and several chicken sandwich choices. If meat is not your thing, Goodburger has both a Veggie Burger and an entree salad. There’s even a kid’s menu that includes fries/apple slices, GoGurt and a kid’s drink. Sides are a simple choice—–fries in two sizes. To top off the menu there’s a Daily Special, drinks and ice cream. A nice choice of beers on tap are also available, with many locally brewed choices for those who would like to have a nice cold one. The 10thand Main site also feature The Drop, a self-service beer tap bar.
Speaking to The Boise Beat, Brady Gassler, one of the founders and owners of Goodburger, said “My business partner and I chose to have Goodburger in Boise because we’re both Boise natives. I was born and raised in Nampa so it’s still Treasure Valley; and my business partner Nicholas Jones was born here in Boise and went to Boise High. Being natives, we wanted to bring a new and awesome product to Boise that we could take pride in. We’re both entrepreneurs and knew the restaurant business, so here we are today!”
The burger menu includes a Mushroom and Swiss Burger, BBQ Burger, Bacon Cheeseburger and a spicy Jalapẽno Burger. Sauteed onions, avocado and even goat cheese and spinach with a balsamic vinaigrette top other burgers. Some of the same combinations also top the chicken sandwiches. Although the regular hamburger beef is flavorful and juicy, the beef can even be upgraded to American Kobe Beef for an extra $2.00.
Having been a serious burger fan for many years, the Goodburger in its basic form was my first test. The basic Goodburger comes with the usual toppings—lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle. A slice of American cheese makes for melty goodness on it and a shmear of their own Good Sauce top the burger. A fresh bun is perfect, holding together nicely and yet light, yielding a nice base for the burger. The patties were cooked right, still juicy and seasoned well. Overall, the burger was really nicely done and came out fresh and hot.
On a followup visit to Goodburger in Boise, I met Brady and talked with him as I ate a burger he had prepared for me. He talked about why their burgers had brought myself and many others back time after time. Brady said, “Our burgers are really, really good because of a couple of things. We do source all of our beef locally—it comes from Snake River Farms so you’re not going to find it from a farm more than 200 miles away, so that’s super awesome. All of our vegetables are hand-cut on a daily basis. We hand-cook all of our meats as well as all of our bacons and other ingredients on a daily basis as well. Obviously, the most important ingredient is love, so that makes it a little bit more fun! It’s just something we enjoy doing”.
Goodburger’s way of doing business seems to have taken off in Boise. Currently with three locations in Boise, Goodburger will soon cross city lines and open a location in Meridian, close to Eagle Road and the I-84. Brady feels that part of the success is due also to their employees and their company mission and philosophy. He said, “With all of our employees, we empower them to be greater than themselves and do more. We push for the community as well, so with Goodburger we have a social mission behind it too. Every Goodburger does good, with about 10% of our proceeds going to either the Idaho Food Bank or another local charity. Also, we fund missions that give healthcare to those in 3rd World countries that wouldn’t usually have access to it, so that’s super-awesome”.
Sipping the last of a beer after finishing my Goodburger, it was easy to reflect upon why Goodburger is growing. The burgers are delicious and yet reasonably priced. The atmosphere is comfortable and gives much more of a feeling of “enjoy, don’t rush”. Goodburger is certainly living up to it’s name so far, making a good burger that everyone in the Treasure Valley can enjoy.
Goodburger
Locations in Downtown Boise, Towne Square and Chow Public Market
Opening soon in Meridian
Goodburger Instagram Page
Goodburger Facebook Page
