About 40 people lined up before 9 a.m. Monday to get a taste of the new Whataburger – the first in Winston-Salem, and the second in the Triad.
Whataburger opened with a flag-raising ceremony, and it handed out swag as well as free meals to the first 100 customers.
Whataburger is known for its its “two-handed” burgers – quarter-pound, 5-inch patties that are served on 5-inch buns. It’s also known for its spicy ketchup – which it bottles and sells in supermarkets in Texas.
“Big burgers, good price, great food,” said Robert Hartshorne, who’s originally from Tyler, Texas, and was at the Winston-Salem location Monday morning to order a double.
Adam Brown, who has had the burgers while visiting his son at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, echoed that sentiment. “The burgers are really good, they’re a good value, and the meat tastes like meat,” he said.
For Texans, Whataburger is just part of the culture and Texas landscape – like McDonald’s is for the rest of the country. “I grew up on Whataburger. I never even saw a McDonald’s until I was in high school,” said David Holcomb, who now lives here.
He grew up in the small town of Freer, not far from Corpus Christi, where Whataburger was founded. “You have to be from Texas to really love Whataburger, but you can learn to like it,” he said with a laugh. “Whenever I go back home, it’s my first stop.”
Whataburger was founded in 1950. By 1961 it had developed its signature orange and white striped logo, which has since become ingrained in Texas culture.
Whataburger’s Texas origins come through with Tex-Mex touches such as jalapenos and avocados on its burgers and its taquitos for breakfast.
The company reported $3 billion in revenue in 2022, and it currently lists more than 1,000 restaurant locations in 17 states.
(Whataburger is sometimes confused with the What-A-Burger chain of restaurants in Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. There also is a second unrelated restaurant chain based in North Carolina, originally named What-A-Burger Drive-In, with locations in Concord, Kannapolis and Mooresville.)
The chain finds operating partners for its locations. The operating partner in Winston-Salem is Jalen Sumpter, who came from Burlington. Sumpter said he previously worked for Chick-fil-A, Walmart, and, most recently, Harris Teeter as an assistant store manager.
“The biggest things I took away from those jobs is you have to take care of your team and you have to take care of your customers,” he said.
The new location has a modest dining room but a double drive-thru. Inside, customers can order at the counter or through one of two digital kiosks.
It is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The classic Whataburger – called the #1 ($5.99, or $9.59 with medium fries and 32-ounce drink) – consists of that thin but large quarter-pound patty with mustard, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and diced onions on a toasted five-inch bun. You can get it with double or triple the meat ($7.59 or $8.69).
Other burgers include the bacon and cheese, jalapeno and cheese, or avocado and bacon. There also are Whataburger juniors (1/8 pound patty), single and double.
Over the years, Whataburger has expanded its menu beyond burgers. It has three chicken sandwiches (about $6, or $10 as combo meals) – regular, grilled and spicy – plus strips and wings. The eight dipping sauces include jalapeno ranch, original cream gravy and honey butter sauce.
Whataburger pushes the combo meals – Winston-Salem’s digital menu inside the restaurant doesn’t even list prices for individual burgers or sandwiches.
Also on the menu are three “all-time favorites”: a patty melt of two beef patties, grilled onions, Jack cheese and creamy pepper sauce on Texas toast; sweet and spicy bacon burger; and honey BBQ chicken-strip sandwich.
Sides include fries, onion rings and apple slices. There also are salads with grilled chicken.
Breakfast is served half of the day – from 11 p.m. to 11 a.m. – and includes pancakes, biscuits, an egg-topped burger and more. Popular items include taquitos with cheese and the honey butter chicken biscuit. Breakfast prices start at $3.59 for a taquito and go up to $8.29 for a breakfast bowl meal with scrambled eggs, cheese, gravy, hash browns, biscuit and choice of bacon or sausage plus a drink.
Last but not least are shakes and malts (vanilla, strawberry and chocolate) plus cookies, brownies, cinnamon roll and hot apple pie.
Whataburger didn’t have any N.C. locations until this spring. The company opened in Gastonia in May and Greensboro in July, followed by Charlotte and Hickory.
That makes Winston-Salem the state’s fifth location. More are coming soon including Kernersville, High Point, Archdale, Mooresville, and a second Greensboro restaurant.
mhastings@wsjournal.com
336-727-7394
@mhastingswsj
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