Hello, Dear Readers! It’s been a long time, but we have reasons to reconnect and to celebrate. Having twins might have taken me out of the restaurant-visiting circuit for a bit, but this busy gluten-free mama is back in blogging action and ready to eat out.
As of November 3rd, 2017, this blog has received over 100,000 hits! I am honored and continually inspired to bring you delicious GF restaurant options in an easy-to-read format.
I am thrilled to finally present to you what I believe is the best burger I have ever eaten. Vegetarians, don’t think this post is not for you; read on for information on an incredible veggie burger option.
I’ve traveled the globe, but I recognize that the very best burger is right here at home – at Al’s Burger Shack in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
I’m not the only person who feels this way. In July 2018, TripAdvisor declared Al’s Burger Shack serves up “the best burger in America”. Read more glowing reviews on Al’s website’s “About” page. Al’s burgers were named one of the Best Burgers in the South in Garden & Gun magazine. According to WRAL.com, “Al’s has received “best burger and best fries” accolades in Indy Week and Chapel Hill Magazine and a #1 burger listing on Yelp.” Chapel Hill Magazine calls Al’s Burger Shack “an obsession”. I completely agree.
Where: Al’s Burger Shack, 516 West Franklin Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27516 and a second location at 708 Market Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27516 in Southern Village.
GF Menu: No. However, Kevin, at the Franklin St. location, explained that everything at Al’s is made-to-order.
Al’s carries delicious GF hamburger buns from Mountain Farm, which are toasted on the grill prior to serving.
Additionally, the sweet potato and the crispy crinkle cut fries are prepared in their own vats, and are not fried with anything else containing gluten, reducing the risk of cross-contamination.
What I ate: On different visits, I have tried the Paco, the Sean, and the Aubrey burgers with GF buns + Fries.
How to order it: Select your burger from either the posted menu or the chalkboard daily special, place your order at the counter, and ask the server for the Gluten-free bun. As always, if you are ordering a burger that contains a sauce, be sure to check whether the sauce is gluten-free.
What it looks like:
The Paco Burger is my perennial favorite. Guacamole, tomato slices, fresh jalapeño, jabanero jack cheese on a buttery, toasted GF bun. I ordered this one without the jalapenos. The cheese and guac still give it a nice kick.
The Aubrey burger is from the Daily Special menu. Bacon, pimento cheese, avocado, roasted garlic aioli, lettuce, and red onion on a GF bun. Open wide!
Sean’s Bacon Cheeseburger is my Dad’s favorite. Bacon, lettuce, tomato, mayo, and cheddar cheese on a terrific GF bun.
We often order the “half & half” Crispy Crinkle Cut and Sweet Potato Fries, because sometimes you can have it all. The Crinkle Cut fries come with sea salt and rosemary and the Sweet Potato fries come with sea salt and brown sugar, but as these are made to order, you can request them with or without seasoning.
Green Note: Owner Al Bowers is clever (UNC alum, ’88), and so his restaurant is thoughtfully designed, from the physical construction of the original building to the philosophy behind the food. From the “About” page on Al’s website:
Our mission is to provide local, fresh, sustainable food and drink with a hefty dose of southern hospitality. Our all-natural, hormone- and antibiotic-free beef is from North Carolina pasture-raised cattle. We serve craft beers brewed in North Carolina and produce from as many local farmers as possible. We make all of our specialty toppings and dressings in the Shack.
The Shack itself was built on the same local and sustainable principles. Almost 100% of the interior was recycled from the existing space, our picnic tables and bar tops are made from reclaimed wood and some of the bricks for the patio steps are over 200 years old.
Additionally, the cheese is from the nearby hormone-and-antibiotic free Holstein cows at Maple View Dairy, a short 15-minute drive from Al’s Burger Shack. Their milk shakes are also made with Maple View ice cream.
Okay, Vegetarian Friends, this is for you. Al’s Burger Shack offers the Kaarin, a vegetarian burger, which is a sweet potato, black bean & oat burger with guacamole, lettuce, tomato, and sliced red onion. A carnivorous friend of mine visits Al’s weekly and says that the Kaarin (vegetarian) is his favorite burger.
On my first visit to Al’s Burger Shack in the new Southern Village location, I heard a woman say to her friend, “I wish I had a second stomach so I could eat another one. They’re so tasty.”
I’ll see you there!
Sweet Tea & Wheat-Free 
Gotta have a Paco burger at least once a week. Love the owner and employees as much as the food.