There is a new burger joint in town. Wicked Burger by Chris Stam, the owner of Alchemy, a fine dining restaurant located in the heart of Edgartown, opened its doors at the beginning of May. Wicked Burger, on Upper Main Street across from Stop & Shop in Edgartown, is sandwiched between Al’s Package Store and Larry’s Tackle Shop, which makes it an ideal place to order takeout for the boat, beach, porch, or couch.
When I picked up my order, I had the chance to speak with Chris, a very nice fellow with a sparkle of passion in his eyes. He said he was looking to utilize the location with a kitchen in a way that suited the space. Grab your beer, tackle, something handheld to eat, in the same plaza before a day out on the boat. There already are some great sandwich spots in town, so he figured, What’s better than burgers?
He and his business partner gave the shop life with an eye-catching logo and a carefully crafted, no-frills, smash burger menu. Wicked Burger has six double smash beef burgers to choose from, and a carefully selected veggie burger sourced from Maine. You can also customize your own by stacking all the add-ons. With optional gluten-free buns, everyone will find something they’d like — and I think most will find a burger, or two, they absolutely love.
On a Saturday night, there was a continuous stream of people coming through the door, but never a line of more than two. You can order at the counter or online, and all the food is packaged for takeout. They do have four sit-down tables inside, if you’d prefer to eat there.
I picked a good menu sampler: the Wicked Bacon burger, two all-beef smash patties, tons of bacon, American cheese, grilled onions, lettuce, tomato, and pickle, with Wicked Good sauce ($18); the Wicked Spicy Burger, two smash patties, chipotle gouda, grilled onions, pickled jalapeños, lettuce, tomato, and wicked hot aioli ($17); a side of fries ($8); a side of onion rings ($8); and a strawberry milkshake served with whipped cream and a cherry ($10).
My boyfriend never says no to a burger. I was hoping the sun would break through on the overcast evening so we could dine on my porch, but instead it started to drizzle, so we ate inside. We split the burgers, each taking half. The spicy burger was not too spicy, just the right amount for any heat lover. I don’t usually have things that have jalapeño and chipotle. Those flavors are rarely paired together. It makes a clever and tasty mashup. The bacon burger was mighty meaty. Between two beef patties were four or five strips of bacon, with all the other toppings fearlessly living within the same bun. All four of the so-juicy patties, each burger having two, were cooked to perfection.
The onion rings were thick, the fries were thin, both were seasoned with enough salt and pepper. After our burgers, I sat down to write this, looked over the photos I had taken, and I gasped. THE MILKSHAKE! I leapt up, distracted by the burgers. I completely forgot I’d put the milkshake in the freezer. Luckily, I had a sip on the way home. I can vouch that it was yummy, sweet, and tasted like childhood. It’s now in the fridge for me when I have finished writing.
There are many subtle touches that align the concept of Wicked Burger. It’s a place to grab something when you’re on the go. I didn’t have to add more salt and pepper to the fries. Heck, I love ketchup, and I didn’t even use any. The burger was juicy, but it didn’t leave a pool of grease in the container, or run down my arm. As a sauce lover, the pairing of each burger with its own unique sauce and toppings meant there was no need to squeeze mayo, mustard, or ketchup packets. You can, of course. Toppings like the tomato and lettuce were sliced thin, making it easy to take each bite without accidentally pulling it apart. The containers were just the size of the food, put into a sturdy paper bag that was easy to carry. It had the logo I admire, nice and big on the outside. I hope they decide to make stickers, so I can put one on my cooler.
Wicked Burger is currently open Wednesday through Sunday, 11 am to 7:30 pm at 258 Upper Main St. in Edgartown. Look for them seven days a week during the summer, and they may stay open year-round. Browse their mouthwatering menu online at wickedburgermv.com.
