Burger Boy — Restaurant in Live Oak

I've been going to Burger Boy on St. Mary's for about forty years now and it was always exemplary. Carl and his wife showed us what a labor of love looked like on a daily basis and you knew that a sense of community existed within that old A-Frame. It was truly an old school gem. And we all knew it. Then Carl Bates sold the store and retired. At first it was okay. Sorta. But after a while it just started to be disappointing. The burgers were just not the same, the fries often soggy and cold, and the familiar old faces were replaced with fresh young faces. Old school talent, skills and care were lost and replaced with the sort of things you might expect from kids that clearly would rather be somewhere else. We used to go at least once a week. Then, after a year or so, once a month. Then, after a few years, almost never. Every time we went, it was worse than the previous visit. Disappointment turned into disgust. Our memories of how good it was contrasted by how bad it had become left us longing for a time machine. But recently we were rolling hungry along Pat Booker and decided that a trip to Burger Boy couldn't be any worse than Jimmy John's or Jack In The Box. So we reluctantly strolled in. We were immediately greeted by a person that seemed like a refugee from the days of yore. A real old fashioned Burger Boy gal that Carl would have approved of and appreciated. And it just got better. She took our orders with the typical Bates family attention to detail and efficiency that we had completely forgotten ever existed. Then just as it used to be, our orders arrived looking like we remembered and so sorely missed. We pondered the possibility that we had indeed stumbled into a time warp. And it just got better. The fries were hot and exactly the right kind of crispy, the burgers were prepared just as we ordered them, and even the soda seemed to be just like it used to be. Which surprised me. Now would be a good time to mention that the burger wasn't exactly the same, there was that subtle fifty year old burnt grill grease magic missing, but it was close enough to bring tears of joy to our eyes. It was remarkable enough that I wanted to tell the lady that was working the counter just how pleased we were with their work, but she was busy in the kitchen. So the first person that noticed me waiting at the end of the counter immediately came to see what she could do to help me. I apologized for bothering her and quickly related how our experience that evening was the best one we've had since Carl retired. I'm not sure I explained it as fully as I could have, but she definitely seemed to be grateful for our gratitude. I asked to personally thank the counter lady and kitchen crew as well. And you know, somehow I feel certain that she did. And another thing is for sure, we're going back. Maybe not to the St. Mary's location anytime soon, but certainly to the Pat Booker location. I'll probably even wear the Burger Boy hat Carl gave me all...

I think it's a shame that I can only give the burger boy on Pat Booker five stars for a review. If I had it my way it'd be 10 stars all the way around. Not one of the employees that I saw there earlier today had a scowl on their face or gave the impression that they didn't want to be there - quite the opposite really, & whoever cooked my burger - the overtime - needs to be given a raise, because it wasn't just a burger, it was a work of art. But for as good a vibe as the employees per putting out, I think its got alot to do with who is running the show and how they treat their employees . . . You know, the whole, "Lead by example" deal . . . And the manager there at the time(Eddie) needs not only to be given a raise, but should also be offered stock options at a quarter of the going price at the time of the offer, but he better get full monetary benefits when those stocks go up(and with Eddie at the helm I can't imagine those stocks doing anything but!)! Eddie should also be given triple the sick leave, paid vacation, a company vehicle and if nothing else not a gold star, but a platinum Star by his name. It is just incredibly refreshing to see that there are still some people like Eddie out there. Someone who cares about their job and shows it with the quality of work that they put out. I got the impression that Eddie is fully aware of the fact that the way he conducts himself - be it in his interactions with fellow employees or the way he interacts with customers -is not only a reflection upon himself but also upon the people he works for - be they immediately above him or the company as a whole. Whoever hired Eddie made a damn good choice in doing so, and I sincerely hope that they see and understand that and take care of Eddie accordingly. To Eddie : should any of the youngsters you were managing this afternoon be smart enough to pick up what you were laying down( and I suspect some of them just might be), their journey will be so much more meaningful & successful than those of all their peers who don't want to work and want everything handed...

So here it is... some people will agree with me and some will not. There are faithful Burger Boy followers here, and it's obvious some have posted the reviews. I was really excited for this location to open. And it Finally did! Everyone else was excited also, you can tell by the long lines! The staff I interacted with were friendly. A couple of questions I asked they couldn't answer, just gave me no answer and his best guess. I'm quoting. I got the Working Man Special, two patty burger, supposed to be with a large fry and large drink. I upgraded to a shake of the month, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, added cheese and bacon. $ almost 14 dollars. Again staff was friendly, not completely knowledgeable yet, but I give them lots of credit. They actually kept the long line moving. It had a good amount of cheese, the bacon was very good. Probably the best bacon on a fast food burger. Or any burger. The bacon was thick and very tasty. I order my burger without pickles. The burger patties were plentiful. Think Whataburger size, definitely not In N Out size. But the patties had no flavor! None at all. The outstanding flavor on the burgers were onion and bacon. The beef was just mass. Almost no lettuce on my burger. Bottom bun was soggy. The crinkle cut fries were good, but I really do not think what I received was a large size. Compared to other chain stores it would be a medium at best. It was a large burger like I said, filling but it did not hit a home run with me. Shake was very good. Fries meah, burger underwhelming. Bacon very good. If they pay attention to the burger patties the way the do the bacon it would be a home run and a definitely go to place. The menu is limited, which really isn't an issue. It's a...