Boss Burger earns loyal customers
Published 5:24 pm Friday, January 6, 2017
- Boss Burger employees William Woods, left, Chad Smith and co-owner Joe Oates present the Boss Burger. Mary Meaux/The News
NEDERLAND — When Eric Yates visits friends Christie and Richard Wheat they make sure to stop by Boss Burger in Nederland.
“I think they have better burgers than back home,” Yates, from Houston, said.
The Wheat’s agree that the food, as well as the atmosphere, is great.
Christie and Richard Wheat, left, and friend Eric Yates enjoy Boss Burger.
Mary Meaux/The News
Joe Oates and Mary Fuller brought Boss Burger to 1147 Boston Ave. in October after running the burger business out of a trailer that catered mostly to plant workers on Twin City Highway.
Oates, who worked offshore for decades, got the idea for the namesake burger from reading Lee Iacocca’s autobiography. In the book, the auto leader raved about the Ford Motor Company’s executive dining room having the best burgers ever. Iacocca tried to replicate the recipe but after failed attempts ended up asking the chef. That’s when he learned about the mix of ribeye trimmings and ground chuck.
“If you start with quality ingredients and use a quality process, you end up with a quality product,” Oates said.
The team at Boss Burger is (back row) Joe Oates, William Woods, Casey Boehmer and Chad Smith; (front row) Mary Fuller, Katrina Price and Kellie Smith.
Mary Meaux/The News
Every week crews grind between 500 and 800 pounds of meat for their burgers and only add a little kosher salt.
The name of the business comes from a conversation some years back.
“We had a friend who suggested something like “Burger Boss” after the TV show “Cake Boss,” Fuller said. “We didn’t like that. We switched the wording around to Boss Burger.”
. Rhonda Madding, left, talks with Boss Burger co-owners Mary Fuller and Joe Oates.
Mary Meaux/The News
Longtime customer Rhonda Manning stopped by on Thursday for lunch and to speak with Oates. She and her now deceased husband used to frequent the trailer on Twin City Highway.
“He (Oates) would always make every effort to sit at the picnic table with my husband and talk,” she said as she wiped away a tear. “He (Oates) always brags on veterans. I have good memories with them and of the good food.”
The folks at Boss Burger are friends of veterans.
“We search out veterans, ask our customers if they are veterans,” Oates said. “We thank them for their service and take $2 off their bill.”
Boss Burger also works with the nonprofit Southeast Texas Circle of Hope and the local Knights of Columbus chapter.
Boss Burger is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 11 a. m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. They are closed Sunday and Monday.
