Good Stuff Eatery Brings More Great Burgers and a Celebrity Chef to Philly

Good Stuff Eatery opened yesterday on 18th St. between Chestnut & Sansom. It's the latest in a fast casual burger craze that has swept the U.S. over the past few years. Good Stuff comes to Philly with pretty big street cred - celebrity chef Spike Mendelsohn (Top Chef, Iron Chef, etc.) is behind it and has already captured the D.C. market. We had Good Stuff burgers a few years ago in D.C. and loved them so this Philly opening came with much anticipation. 

Details on the burgers below, and for lots more photos of opening day, check out our Facebook album.

The place was packed right away but seemed to keep people moving quickly. I was fortunate enough to enter an hour early and chat with Chef Spike. The most interesting part was actually witnessing the scene one hour before a grand opening - contractors screwing in last minute fixtures, gigantic crates of potato rolls being carted around, rugs still being rolled out, stuff literally everywhere. But it all came together in time for a nice ribbon cutting and celebration with the Mendelsohn family and Philly owners, George & Elaine. 

By opening time there was a line down the street and around the block! Filled up quickly. 

Good Stuff is really a family affair - here you see George & Elaine (Philly owners), Spike's mom (who had the original idea), Spike's dad (business guy), Chef Spike, and his sister Micheline (marketing) - Love to see them all having so much fun.  

Seating is upstairs at Good Stuff at individual tables or this long farm-to-table-esque option

Ingredients at Good Stuff are sourced as locally as possible. Still a lot coming from D.C. area for now, but also from Lancaster County with hopefully more to follow. Burgers are only 12% fat, with a little bit of chuck and brisket mixed in. Every patty is weighed to a hearty 5-6 oz. so it's not an unnecessarily enormous meal but plenty big enough to fill you up, especially with all the toppings. Chef Spike believes that sauces are really what make his burgers stand out, so his Chipotle BBQ sauce, mayos and "Good Stuff sauce" are made with extra care. There are about eight special burger flavors to pick from and any can be made as a grilled chicken sandwich. You can also find a turkey burger, a portobello sandwich and salads on the menu.

Fries are made with red bliss potatoes (bit sweeter) aged six months and double fried. They come plain or topped with fresh thyme, rosemary and sea salt. I am a big fan of the herbed fries and all the dipping sauces available (for free!). Technically I "tapped" the sauce dispensers just as the place opened so I guess I can lay claim to having the first taste of Good Stuff's Philly sauces - chipotle, old bay, sriracha and mango mayo.

Smokehouse Burger with Applewood Bacon, Sharp Vermont Cheddar, Fried Vidalia Onion Rings and Chipotle BBQ Sauce - a popular pick in D.C. and what more than half our table ordered, too

Good Stuff shakes are also a must-try. Below is the Milky Way Malt. Usually these things give me a real sugar headache but this one I couldn't put down. The custard is churned at a really low temp and for longer than usual to create a distinct texture/thickness. Took a minute for me to get it through the straw but then every sip was perfect. Supposedly the Toasted Marshmallow shake really tastes like a "campfire in your mouth."

The Philly outpost is covered with locally-themed decor as well, like the big hanging bell you see here, a bit of a twist from our Liberty Bell. Fun fact: the 18th Street location actually came to Spike & team through Twitter - he put out a tweet one day a few years ago saying they were looking for good spaces in Philly and someone responded offering to connect him with this spot. The power of social media!

Lots more photos of the grand opening on our Facebook page, check 'em out and definitely stop in to Good Stuff for a burger and a shake soon.