Since he opened his fashionable restaurant ZZQ in 2018, homeowners Chris Fultz and Alex “Orange” Graf have been fielding requests for brand spanking new areas all through the Mid-Atlantic. Nonetheless, his labor-intensive Texas-style barbecue, with its large metallic people who smoke and infinite piles of scented wooden, does not simply transport or broaden operations. As an alternative, final month, the husband-and-wife duo quietly opened Eazzy Burger, a check restaurant of kinds in Scott’s Addition, whose grilled burgers might at some point turn into extra well-known than the joint subsequent door.
When the Ardent homeowners first floated the thought of a small check kitchen between their brewery and ZZQ, Fultz and Graf jumped on the alternative to check a brand new enterprise thought of their very own. “The tradition of hospitality and the prime quality of the elements and the meals we provide, that is our model,” says Graf.
“We by no means need to do a elaborate dinner,” provides Fultz. “We love consolation meals and the quick informal nature of what we do. We felt we might carry a very extraordinary burger to market that may converse for itself, and that is one thing we predict we might broaden to extra shops throughout town and state.”
Tucked between ZZQ and Ardent, Eazzy Burger goals to show a beforehand lifeless area right into a sort of micro meals courtroom the place the three firms seamlessly share prospects via their completely different ideas. The built-in nature is obvious within the QR codes on the Eazzy Burger tables that enable prospects to simply order Ardent beer along with their burgers.
Transferring from a sell-out enterprise mannequin to a extra fashionable on-demand eating expertise couldn’t have occurred with out the assistance of Dale Richardson, the Operations Supervisor, and Russell Cook dinner, the Culinary Director of ZZQ and Eazzy Burger. With out their professional help, Fultz and Graf might by no means have felt comfy that their new restaurant might assure the extent of freshness and taste that ZZQ prospects rave about.
Hinted via the pastoral mural of grazing cattle on the wall, a part of the plan to make sure burgers style their greatest entails the brand new restaurant’s reliance on regenerative beef. Smoking roughly 2,000 kilos of meat per week, ZZQ imports its beef from Colorado because of the lack of natural ranchers in our area.
By partnering with a Maryland-based regenerative cattle collective that raises high-grade black angus bulls, Fultz and Graf hope to carry their burger provide chain nearer to residence. “Eazzy Burger is my platform for educating folks about regenerative farming,” says Fultz. “You possibly can be ok with what is going on via your mouth as a result of it is also serving to the planet, and also you’re a part of the change within the meat business, which is among the greatest culprits for local weather change on the planet. It additionally creates a better-tasting product.”
Along with the shortage of hormones or pesticides used to lift the cattle, the farmers Eazzy Burger works with additionally dry-age the meat for 2 to 4 weeks earlier than grinding it, creating richer flavors within the meat. By making the supplies they use as compostable or recyclable as attainable, Fultz and Graf attempt to give prospects a quick, informal expertise they’ll be ok with.
The inventive takes on the basic flavors that Eazzy Burger’s choices embody ought to impress prospects. With inside decor harking back to the 1950s, patrons needs to be transported again in time to the golden age of the burger.
Many menu objects are harking back to the American Southwest, the place the couple steadily travels when not in Richmond. Choosy eaters needs to be happy with the build-your-own burger possibility, however the menu is stuffed with enjoyable flavors for these keen to proceed the journey. [They’re also testing out a new chicken sandwich].
Fultz’s favourite is the chile relleno burger which incorporates a skinless, grilled, cheese-topped poblano chile that goes on a patty with a second sort of cheese and plenty of crispy fried onions. “It is like an enchilada on a bun,” she says.
Graf’s high decide is the Guthrie, a nod to an Oklahoma-style burger that options caramelized onions cooked proper on the patty, plus pickled jalapenos, cheese, and a particular sauce.
Since “each burger joint ought to have a chili burger,” in accordance with Fultz, the Large Iron is a quintuple smoked affair with its burger, cheese, bacon, tomato jam, and sauce all getting the smoked remedy. As a reference to each the Marty Robbins music and the metallic meat kitchens subsequent door at ZZQ, Fultz calls this burger “a smoke bomb in your mouth.”
Since Graf hasn’t eaten meat for over a decade, Eazzy Burger provides a surprisingly robust set of vegetarian choices starting from the basic No Bull burger to the marinated and fried Not a Fish tofu that mimics a conventional fish sandwich. A chili and cheese canine known as the Complete Enchilada and a model of the Sonoran canine known as Locote broaden the menu past the hamburger bun.
With a wide range of kid-friendly meals and delicate flavors, it is clear the duo behind ZZQ are able to experiment with their new venue, so long as Richmond is alongside.
Eazzy Burger is situated at 3204 W. Leigh St. and is open Wednesday via Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.