Restaurant veterans Amanda Anderson, Debra Carter, Kristin Fults and Melinda Raymond have all known one another for at least a decade. Working in everything from management to serving to cooking to bartending, the four friends hit upon an old idea with a new twist when they opened Bluegrass Burgers on Frankfort Avenue last April.
“We wanted a quick casual concept,” explains Anderson. “Around town, you can get a lot of good things, but not a burger. With the availability of good local beef, it just seemed to fit right.”
Sourcing their meat from area growers – including Harned Ranch, a fifth-generation beef company in New Haven, and Kentucky Bison Co., a bison and heirloom pork supplier in Goshen – Bluegrass Burgers lives up to its name as a true grass-roots Kentucky restaurant. “We pay a little more, but for the quality and consistency, it’s worth it,” Anderson says of the hormone- and antibiotic-free meat. And you can top off your burger with varieties of Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese from downstate in Austin, Ky. “It’s from right here where we all live.”
Not a big meat fan? No problem. “We do a house-made black bean burger, and a portobello mushroom cap on sourdough bun,” explains Anderson. “We have people who come in and get mushrooms and onions and peppers and make a sandwich of that with field greens, then go to the toppings bar and add to that.” With a choice of up to 30 different toppings – many from gardens as close as the owners’ own backyards – there are enough options to ensure that no two sandwiches will be exactly the same, at least on the outside. “Some times of the year you’re at the mercy of Mother Nature,” Anderson says. But from what produce the Bluegrass gang gets, in-house creations often emerge: pineapple salsa, picos, and cucumber fresca, which, Anderson says, “goes great with the ahi tuna steak we do.”
Nontraditional is the word at Bluegrass Burgers. “We have a regular fryer, sweet potato fryer, and a fryer that I would use for fish (or) anything battered or breaded,” says Anderson, taking into account customers’ dietary preferences. “Most everything we have is okay for someone with a gluten allergy,” including gluten-free buns upon request. “It’s nice when folks come in and see that – they’re shocked. It was important to me to have that as an option.” And, locavores looking for a little something extra can clean their palates with local dessert fare, including ice cream from the Comfy Cow, as well as sweets from Cellar Door Chocolates and Kizito Cookies.
Even with a strong year out of the gate and a loyal clientele, the four co-owners aren’t rushing to expand their empire – or to kick back on the restaurant’s patio with a local brew – just yet. “Things are going well,” Anderson says. “Business-wise, we’re all of the same mindset: pay for one (restaurant) before we start another one. But we’re all vested partners and hope to branch out in the next year or so.”
Bluegrass Burgers is located at 3334 Frankfort Ave. in Crescent Hill. They’re open seven days a week – Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. For more information, visit www.bluegrass-burgers.com or call (502) 614-6567.
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