Award-winning joint heats up burger scene

Since she was young, one of Beth Steele’s dreams was to own a bar. 

When a spot in downtown Orlando opened up more than 10 years ago, she called her father, who said, “If anyone can do it, it’s you.”

And do it she did. 

Since then, Beth’s Burger Bar has become known as one of the most popular burger joints in Central Florida. It has has been recognized as “Best Burger in Orlando,” for multiple years in a row by various organizations in the area.  

The bar’s Winter Garden location, which opened last week in Stoneybrook West Village, is its fifth. The other locations can be found in Edgewood, Lake Cay and Lake Mary and in the Orange County Convention Center. 

Steele said Winter Garden has been on her list of locations for a long time.

“It was one of my No. 1 priorities,” she said. “We weren’t able to find anything in the area forever. … The good thing about this location, too, is that it was already a restaurant. So once we got the space, we were able to go through a fast turnaround for opening.”

BURGER BAR

Steele’s infatuation with burgers and beer began at the young age of 16.

She developed a habit of customizing her burgers at every restaurant she visited. Many times, she said the burgers would leave her disappointed. Failing to find the perfect burger, Steele decided she would make her own. That’s when the idea of Beth’s Burger Bar was born. 

The burger bar’s menu includes signature burgers such as The Peanut Butter Burger and The Morning Burger, as well as customizable burger options. In addition, the eatery serves up sides such as chili cheese fries, pretzel sticks and tater tots. Desserts, beer, wine, cocktails, salads and wings also can be found on the menu.

“There’s a lot of burger places, and there’s a lot of really good ones, but I think that we do a lot of the little things here,” Steele said. “We hand-patty every burger, so it’s all fresh. We get our buns delivered from a bakery every day. We come up with some crazy ideas like the Jalapeño Cheese Crunch burger that has Cheetos on it, so I think just staying on top of it and making sure our products are good, our staff is trained well.”

The new location is 2,024 square feet, not including the outdoor patio area.

Beth’s Burger Bar will host live music every week on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, beginning in May. The location also will have games and activities for children. 

In addition, the eatery still is looking for seven more employees. Steele is searching for four more line cooks, as well as a few strong cashiers who will help with tasks such as the register, cleaning up tables and delivering the food.

COMMUNITY SUPPORT

Steele said the Winter Garden community already has been outstanding in its support. 

Steele has a personal connection to the community, with many of her friends living in the area, as well as her brother and his family, and has sponsored a Winter Garden Little League team.

She posed for more than 70 photos on the first day and has given out numerous T-shirts and hugs.

“Everyone has been so positive and has thanked us for opening in the neighborhood,” she said. “We had people trying to come in at 10:30 a.m. the very first day before we were even open. We’ve had a lot of people peeking their heads in even before that for the last couple of weeks. We’re very excited to finally be open.”

Steele said her business places an importance on giving back to the community. 

“We do a lot of stuff for charity, a lot of auctions, a lot of stuff for kids and cancer patients,” she said. “I think I’m lucky, because I have a really good staff, so we have 17 people that have been here over five years, which is almost unheard of in the restaurant business. I am very involved in the business, too. I take customer service very seriously, and I care a lot about the community.”

Throughout the years, Steele said her passion for the business continues to be inspired by her staff and the families.

“I’ve made some really, really great friends over the years, and also with having my staffing company, a lot of my customers from there come here,” she said. “I get to meet so many people and form so many connections, and I suppose I enjoy the chaotic part of it, too.”

Another one of Steele’s passions is working with the younger employees. 

She shared she likes to teach kids to work hard and go after their goals.

Although the new store currently has 37 employees, 15 of them are under age 18. 

The general managers from the Lake Cay and Edgewood locations have helped with training, and many of the employees have trained at various locations to ensure the new business is running smoothly and properly.

Steele hopes the restaurant can continue to win best burger, as well as build regulars in the new store, host events, do work with local charities, and overall, help out where it can to build a stronger connection with the community.

“I don’t want it to just be somewhere to go and eat,” she said. “I want it to feel like home.”

The new location will host a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony in the near future.

“I really want everyone to know that we are very thankful to be here and grateful that everyone has been so welcoming,” Steele said. “We hope to meet lots of people and make a lot of people happy.”