On the corner of 9th & N St in Northwest DC, lies a burger joint derived from modern day history. Spawned from a concept in a “ghost kitchen” from a high-performing Mexican restaurant, or “Espita” as the locals know, the Ghostburger was born. Espita was a great Mexican restaurant that also poured volumes of mezcal. During peak COVID times, they’d serve up limited amounts of “Ghostburgers” & “Hamburguesas”. Both were absolutely stunning.

Fast forward to 2024, and Espita is no more—instead, a permanent instantiation of Ghostburger remains, in its stead, at the same corner in Shaw. In such a short time, Ghostburger has seen rapid evolution from global expansions (DC, VA, Dubai), revamped recipes of their OG menu, and even a visit and recognition from the POTUS and VPOTUS. I’ve been to Ghostburger since the inception and have seen everything in the middle—although I do miss the OG burgers made on the plancha.

A recent drop into the familiar restaurant afforded me an opportunity to try concept items that recently dropped on the menu. If you’re not familiar with Ghostburger, a few items rotate monthly, while favorites tend to stay on the menu for the long-run (although you might get a recipe change at some point). Helmed by Chef Vincent Badiee (badass name), the menu gets injected w/ creativity, fun, and delicious food—influenced by Chef Vincent’s Michelin & fine dining experience. The best part of this marriage is back to the “fun” description, because that’s exactly what the menu is. Couple that w/ the small, energetic team at GB, and you’re in for a meal that you’d most certainly come back for.

The Menu (as ordered):

Billy Burger (Aug BoTM)
Inspired by the “shloppy joes” from ‘Billy Madison’, this burger touched my soul, as that movie is one of my favorites & I’m a savage for chili cheese anything. I am going to fight for this to make more appearances or a permanent spot on the menu. Make sure to have water on hand, however, or beer—you’ll need it.
Habibi Burger
Caught me by surprise, as the combination of aged feta, zhoug, hummus and herbs made for a very mature and delicious burger. I’ve been recommending it friends & foes alike since.
Backyard BBQ Burger
A burger that was only supposed to last for a month, found a permanent home on the menu. Topped with an amazing bbq sauce, bacon, and jalapeños, it’s a good kick in the mouth for those who like an edge.
Philly Fries
Of the GB classics that have been on the menu from the start, the Philly Fries have seen the most change in a few short years. What used to be just shaved ribeye & queso, is now shaved ribeye, wiz, crema, shredduce, tomato, and jalapeños loaded on the fries they’ve been serving since Day 1.
Noodle Bowls
Now this is where Ghostburger broke back into the ghost/concept space that birthed their namesake. Chef Vincent conceptualized about 5 crazy ramen bowls, in collaboration w/ Otakon DC. Before I tried a single bite, I was impressed with the diabolical departure from a burger remix. The ramen bowls were all packed with ingredients, ranging from fried chicken & confit caremelized onions, to Hot Cheetos & spaghetti sauce and more. Randomly named after celebrities, the bowls I had (Ryan Reynolds & Cardi B) were a fun take on classic pasta dishes like mac & cheese & spaghetti.

Never shy of taking risks, Vincent & Ghostburger continue to push the envelope, despite a DC restaurant industry that is still searching for stability & a new food identity, post-COVID. Should they stay the course, I’m more than confident we’ll see more creativity and flavor exploding from the ghost kitchen, and more.

Just one more thing—bring back the planchas.

Catch y’all on the next stoop—stay soshel.

Mig

I DIDN’T THINK GETTING GHOSTED WOULD HAVE BEEN THIS GOOD

FOOD FOR THE SOUL AT J&S FILIPINO MARKET