Jeffrey Nedry grew up in southern California, relishing the classic style of hamburger made the old-fashioned way, nicknamed a “smash burger.”
Popularized in the 1950s, the idea was to smash a cold burger patty onto a super-hot griddle, which forms a crust, and locks in all the juice and flavor, he said.
It was inspired by In-N-Out Burger, which started as a mom-and-pop franchise in 1948 in California, and pioneered the drive-thru with a two-way speaker ordering system.
CHUBBIES BURGERS
>> Where: 960 Auahi St
>> Hours: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. (lunch), 5 to 9 p.m. (dinner) Tuesdays through Sundays
>> Cost: Burgers start at $8.50
>> Info: 291-7867 (for information only, no phone orders taken), info@chubbiesburgers.com
ABOUT THE BUSINESS
When Nedry came to Oahu six years ago, he said, “I was disappointed that there was nothing similar to this style and surprised to see how little local ingredients were being used.”
So he set out to open a classic burger joint with fresh, quality products.
He started with a food truck in Kakaako in 2016, choosing to brand it Chubbies Burgers, because the name and concept had an old-school feel. He had always worked in restaurants and wanted to run his own company after taking some college business courses.
At first he parked in and around the Ward Village area, but for the last six months his truck has been anchored in the former Sports Authority parking lot at Ward and Auahi streets.
ABOUT THE FOOD
Chubbies has a short menu, with three kinds of burgers and three styles of crinkle- cut fries, handmade with locally sourced ingredients and cooked to order. Nedry said he went after the best he could find for everything, showcasing 100 percent Angus beef, grass fed on Makaweli Ranch on Kauai. His burgers are unblemished by hormones, antibiotics, fillers or preservatives, he said.
“We looked at different cook methods and equipment and found that smashing burgers gave them a really classic flavor. … It keeps them tender and we wanted burgers that you could actually finish — not these huge things you can’t fit in your mouth nowadays,” Nedry said.
“The truck was a way for me to get started without much cash, and I feel really thankful for every person that we are able to serve. The goal at this point is to get into a brick-and-mortar space so we can better serve our customers, expand and refine our menu, and be open even more often!”
WHAT TO ORDER
Most popular by far is the ’50s Burger ($8.50), which comes with American cheese, lettuce and tomato, and Nedry’s signature 1950s Sauce. Add-ons: bacon or avocado, $2 each; grilled onion, pickles or jalapeno, $1 each.
The El Rey ($11), is topped with avocado, fried panko-crusted red onion rings, pepper jack cheese and garlic ranch sauce; and the Ten Gallon ($11), with bacon, grilled onions, cheddar and a house barbecue sauce.
Three kinds of fries, cooked in organic rice-bran oil, are stuffed into paper boats: the basic ($3.70); Chub Fries ($5), topped with cheddar, grilled onions and special sauce; and Bacon Fries ($6.25), with bacon, pepper jack, green onion and jalapeno aioli.
GRAB AND GO
Chubbies is in the oceanside parking lot next to Starbucks and Jamba Juice on Ward Avenue, next to the Auahi Street entrance. Seating includes five small metal tables on a patch of lawn under trees. First come, first served; no phone orders.
Grab and Go focuses on takeout food, convenience meals and other quick bites. Email ideas to crave@staradvertiser.com.
