In just a few weeks, Burger Nerds will go from pandemic pop-up to having multiple brick-and-mortar locations when the burger restaurant opens a new location at 7537 Maple St. Owner and Bucktown native Alfredo Manzanares told What Now New Orleans that the current pop-up residency in The Courtyard Brewery will transition over to the new Uptown location.
As you’d expect, Burger Nerds is known for its more unique burgers. Its signature queso burgers are made with smashburger patties, grilled onions, pickles, queso cheese sauce, and signature Nerd Sauce on a potato roll. Other menu items include two kinds of chopped chicken sandwiches, classic smashburgers, and loaded french fries.
Manzanares said losing his job at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic allowed him to get creative and develop what would become Burger Nerds, which already has a small takeout location in Metairie.
“I just kind of started playing around with the burgers and inviting people over to try them,” he said. “Eventually, it became a thing where the burgers were really good and people started are craving them.”
The brewery residency began in the summer of 2023. Manzanares said regular hours of operation at the brewery allowed him and his team to refine their processes, improving everything from ordering products to maintaining quality.
“Having a small operation, we had to stick to things that we knew were popular, like, our special burgers, and keeping everything consistent,” he said. “It was perfect for that, being able to work four days a week and hone in on the execution. It was a really, really good experience on that end for sure.”
Manzanares and his team will be moving into a turnkey space, allowing them to make a quick transition. He said the new Burger Nerds location should be open by the end of February, and he hoped to start offering more unique and creative dishes.
“I think that we’ll be able to get a little more creative and highlight some of that unique culinary background that the city has,” Manzanares said. “We’re hitting some incredible strides right now and then you know, we can’t do it without the the city. You know, the city has our backs for sure.”