A Neighborhood Burger Joint with a Pedigree

Here on St. Simons Island, we love our food! The sheer number of restaurants on this island and in the surrounding area is rather astonishing when you consider its relatively small population. Even more amazing is the fact that a number of those restaurants garner national attention and accolades. Seeing the Food Network or Cooking Channel crews filming here is becoming nearly second nature. So when word hits the streets that there’s a new restaurant opening, there’s a buzz of excitement that fills the air. When that word is accompanied by the news that the new restaurant is the latest project of former Sea Island Chef David Carrier, that buzz becomes positively electric.

Has the opening of a burger joint ever been quite so eagerly anticipated as the first day of business for Certified Burgers & Beverage?! When we sat down with Carrier to talk about the restaurant and asked him if the first days had brought any surprises, that’s what he said was most unexpected: that despite the fact they had exceeded the initial projected timeline for opening the restaurant by seven months, the buzz continued. When the logo was revealed and the signs started going up, Carrier says he couldn’t go to the store without being stopped by people who wanted to know when Certified Burgers was opening. Thankfully, that wait is now over and St. Simons Island has been introduced to the neighborhood burger joint done the five star chef way.

You see, part of the reason for the buzz is Carrier’s own reputation. David came from a restaurant family, growing up in his parents’ restaurant in Queens. He graduated from the French Culinary Institute and moved to California to work for renowned chef Thomas Keller at French Laundry. He then did a stint in Chicago under Grant Achatz and later started a Southern comfort food movement there with Kith & Kin. Starting Certified Burgers & Beverage with partners Bo Chambliss and Jessica Snyder and the support of his wife, Ryanne, is his first local culinary endeavor following his five year tenure at The Cloister and The Beach Club at Sea Island.

That experience and five star mindset is what elevates the burger and fries experience of Certified Burgers & Beverage. This stand-alone concept for a casual burger joint with an artisan approach to its menu was created specifically for St. Simons Island by Carrier and his partners. You can immediately see the “grinder to griddle” theme that carries throughout the restaurant. A large chalkboard with a fabulous burger and drink drawing by Daniel “Ox” Hocutt is filled with entries that change daily including notes about where the day’s ingredients originated: beef from Hunter Cattle Co., shrimp from Darien. Ingredients were sourced locally or regionally, and he wants you to know exactly what you’re getting. If you want to watch those cuts of meat being ground for the burgers or the house-made sausage, there are windows so you can see directly into the “butcher” room. The tables and bar are topped with solid butcher-block tops created by local craftsman Steve Schoettle. Butcher trays are used to serve the food, and it’s butcher paper that holds your silverware and which unwraps to become a placemat.

Carrier says the restaurant has “a five star mentality and a food truck focus,” serving only a few items and doing that “right.” From where it’s sourced, to how it’s made, to what it’s served with, and the care with which it’s served, Carrier says the emphasis is “doing that one thing and doing it the best we can.” That means the highest quality, regionally-sourced ingredients, hand-cut fries, hand-ground, hand-pattied, and cooked to order burgers. The beverage offerings include pure cane sugar sodas from Boylan, freshly squeezed lemonade, delicious shakes made with real ice cream, a vast bar selection with craft beers as well as popular liquors and selections from local/small batch distillers.

The burgers are designed around geographic locations and range from the traditional “American” to the more exotic choices like the “Greektown” (essentially a gyro in burger form), “Buford Highway” (a Korean BBQ inspired kick of heat), and the “Canuck” (topped with poutine—which is also served as a side—as a nod to his French Canadian roots). “I saw a way to introduce some of the culinary ethnic diversity that was lacking here by bringing some of those outside flavors to our menu,” says Carrier. There are both familiar and creative combinations with Carrier promising more to come, including, a double-pattied everything-on-it burger called “The World,” and then something even larger and perfectly paired with a martini (shaken, not stirred) à la 007, called “The World is Not Enough.” Yes, the chef has a sense of humor as well as an artisan’s flair for well-made, flavorful food.

If you aren’t a red meat eater, don’t let the carnivorecentric (yes, we made that up) focus scare you away. The Certified Burgers & Beverage menu also has chicken, shrimp, excellent salad choices, and vegetarian options as well, including a chick-pea patty burger! Gluten-free dietary requirements? That’s okay too, Carrier has tried to keep the menu as gluten-free as possible, and offers special gluten-free buns too.

If you’re looking for a $5 burger combo, this isn’t your place, but if you want to experience how amazing a burger can be, in a comfortable, casual atmosphere filled with friends, you’re very welcome here any time. The value in finding a neighborhood hangout where you can have a burger that’s ground, pattied, and cooked right in front of you, made with locally sourced ingredients, accompanied by equally fresh sides, plus soda fountain classics like thick milkshakes and egg creams is priceless. If it’s a bargain you want, Carrier says that he’ll be unveiling some specials in the near future, like express lunch and Happy Hour, and maybe even something for the kids.

Speaking of kids, they figure into the Certified Burgers & Beverage vision too. Carrier wants this to be a true neighborhood restaurant that supports and is supported by the local community and that includes our youth. Proceeds from each kids’ meal purchased are being donated to the Boys & Girls Club of Southeast Georgia, and Carrier plans to host fundraising events as well. As the restaurant settles into a normal routine, Carrier plans to bring youth into the kitchen with programs that allow them to see behind the scenes, participate, and to introduce them to the hospitality trade which supported him growing up.

Certified Burgers & Beverage is more than your average burger joint or bar, it has the potential to be a community gathering place for all ages with a heart that beats with the passion for food and hospitality of Chef David Carrier. And if you look at Carrier, you know that heart is no small thing. Stop in Certified Burgers & Beverage at 44 Midway Square for a bite or a beverage and bring your friends. Follow them on Facebook to see what’s cooking.