Bacon and cupcakes may be the culinary trends of choice these days, but we can't ignore the amount of burger joints popping up in Phoenix. Recent months have seen the emergence of coal-fired burgers, Fat Ass Burgers and the California-based Habit Burger, and now another new hamburger concept has hit the East Valley.
, scheduled to officially open this week at 2160 North Arizona Avenue in Chandler, had a surprise soft opening on Saturday and was jam-packed during peak lunch hours. Located in a former El Pollo Loco, the remodeled restaurant now sports a classic burger palace look, with umbrellas, a red-and-white diner color palette and cheeky sayings stenciled on one wall (for example, "Mooo Bueno" and "Pack Your Buns").
Hey, it beats the Bible quotes you'll spot on the wall at a certain other burger-and-custard chain.
The new restaurant's menu focuses on flame-grilled burgers made with natural 100% beef from Niman Ranch, with topping options ranging from chili to jalapenos and cheese. The meat is sustainably raised, and cows are fed an all-vegetarian diet.
If you're not keen on beef, Flame Burger also offers veggie and turkey burger options, plus gyros and hot dogs. It seems like an eclectic mix, but according to the owner, "gyros, burgers and dogs are the top three most-consumed foods right now."
Prices seem reasonable at $1.99-$3.99 for Chicago Red Hot dogs and sausages, $5 for an original burger combo with waffle fries and a drink, and $5.99 for a flame-grilled gyro combo.
Flame Burger is open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
