Looking for a Bigger, Better Burger?

There are plenty of places to get a burger in town, but when Charleston Buger Co. opens on Monday at 2875 Ashley River Road Charlestonians will get a whole menu full of gourmet, certified Angus beef burgers to choose from.

Chefs John Cuff and Michael Mears, II, along with Cuff's wife - and Mears' mother - Stephanie Mears, decided to start their own venture at the corner of Ashley River Road and Bees Ferry Road after years of working for other people.

"This location was important because we live in Shadowmoss," Stephanie Mears said.

Cuff and Michael Mears, have tons of experience in fine and casual dining setings. Cuff, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, was the executive chef at Kiawah for 12 years and spent another 12 years as executive chef at Rosebank Farms at Bohicket Marina on John's Island. Mears, worked as a chef at the Daniel Island Country Club and as the executive chef at Big Gun Bar and Grill downtown.

"Every restaurant has a burger," Cuff said. "We'll be grinding our own meat."

"Everybody eats burgers," Michael Mears added.

"We do bigger, better burgers," Stephanie Mears said.

Charleston Burger Co. is licensed to sell certified Angus beef through food supplier Sysco. They make everything from scratch in the restaurant and grind their beef for their burgers in house each day.

"We've lived in West Ashley for 25 years, and other than fast food, there's not a burger place in West Ashley, unless you want to drive down Savannah Highway," Stephanie Mears said.

Charleston Burger Co. will specialize in burgers, and its menu features more than a dozen gourmet burgers like the Sweet Carolina featuring homemade jalapeno pimento cheese, fried green tomato, wicked pickled okra, lettuce and red onion, and a build-your-own option with any of the specialty add-ons included on the menu available. But the restaurant will serve Angus hot-dogs, chicken sandwiches and even a few vegetarian options including a couple of salads.

"My favorite is The Inferno," Cuff said. "You've got habanero salsa, spicy chili pepper mayo and pepperjack cheese."

Cuff said the inspiration for the new business came about a year ago from his dying sister.

"A year ago March, my sister was dying. She had a party for herself, and she told us we had to try this burger place in Boston," Cuff said. "It was freezing and this small little restaurant, it only had about 40 seats, had a line out the door."

The Charleston Burger Co. has a little bit more space than that, but the owners are hoping for the same kind of success and devotion from patrons willing to line up in freezing weather just to get a taste. At least in Charleston there's not many days customers will have to deal with freezing weather.

"They will be among the best burgers in Charleston," Cuff said.

Stephanie Mears goes further to say the burgers won't be among the best, they will be the best, period.

Charleston Burger Co. opens Monday, Feb. 6. The restaurant will be open Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. The company's website, www.charlestonburgers.com is still under construction but should be up and running soon.