Beef-Burger

There’s not a lot to say about this place that hasn’t already been said. It’s classic. An icon for more years than I have been alive! This place is looking a little run down, but still a place that you cant afford to miss out on. They only accept cash, so be sure to bring some with you. You order at a window, then wait at a second window for food, and yet a third window for a drink. They have a fairly large menu board hiding behind the order window, and its a lot to take in. You cant even see it until you get in front of it. Take my advice and stick to the burgers, namely the super burger combo with cheese and you cant go wrong. This is not a place to come try something new. I have ate here more times than you can shake a to go bag at, and its always the same great taste. Burgers are really good, they are cooked on a cool rotating broiler thats been cooking burgers longer than I’ve been. well lets just say its been a long time! The ordering line is antiquated and chaotic the place is run down and in the questionable side of town, but they still make a great burger. The dining area is small. You dont go here for creature comforts. This is a classic burger joint. And after all these years they still do it well. No middle aged guys trying to look cool drinking things they cant pronounce here. Its the real deal in the real world.

Not a big fan of this burger place. It is really old and you need a special taste for the burgers. Just wasn’t for me. I have a friend that loves this place and goes there often. Good luck if you go.

After seeing this place my entire life, I finally came in here with my dad and we loved it. The hamburger was made on a spinning grill that speaks of nostalgia. While this place does not win any décor awards, if you just want a good old fashioned burger with that old fashioned flavor, this a great local business to support. The lines can get long at lunch but it goes quickly.

Fred B says it best below. I couldn’t have said a single thing differently to anything that he has said in his review.
Biff (Beef) Burger was a huge part of my childhood growing up in the mid-​1960s. The $ 0.15 hamburger wars was on, and each entrepreneur needed to do something different to make his burger stand different from the others. Biff-​Burger was certainly different than the other units in their special sauce that each patty was dipped in, a sesame-​seed bun, as well as the Roto-​Broiler cooking equipment.
Not living in the immediate Greensboro area, every time I find any reason to be nearby requires a stop to stock up on a bag full (Cheese Biffs, heavy sauce) to savor then and also to take home for the next day.
Mr. Ralph, thank you so much for your long devotion to your business and keeping it available so that folks like myself can go back and relive a memory from one of those childhood days of 1965−66−67 again.

Fed my family of 6 for right around $ 20. Can’t beat that, and the food is exactly what you’d expect. I’m not into fine gourmet dining, and sometimes, a good ol’ greasy burger with good fries/​onion rings hits the spot. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal here.

Steeped in nostalgia and a 54 year run in the same location, Beef-​Burger delivers when you are in the mood for a non-​chain fast food burger.
I’ve passed by this place many times over the years and today, I finally took my first visit to Beef-​Burger not knowing what really to expect. The location is on a rougher stretch of West Lee St. however, there are some improvements being made in the area.
Upon approaching the location the first thing I noticed was all the litter in the parking lot. The lot was very dirty with food wrappers, spilled ketchup, left over bits of food and drink cups. I wasn’t to thrilled at this and to further the prospect, there was a panhandler just outside the door. I almost turned around and left but, decided to take one for all the Unilocalers out there.
Once inside, I am a little more relieved. The first thing I noticed was the dining area colors are bright yellow and white — a run down but, clean white I might add. Folks, let’s just get this out in the open right now — you’re not going to find any fine linen napkins in this establishment. The sole purpose of coming here is to eat a burger.
Bring cash because checks and credit/​debit cards are no good here. They do have an ATM machine though.
When you walk in be sure to take your time and look around at everything on the walls and behind the counter. This place is so good the ATF eats here along with LEO’s from all over the country.
Pepsi is the anchor beverage at the soda fountain here.
You won’t find any fancy burgers with trendy, hip names here. I ordered the super burger combo with cheese. That included fries and a medium drink. Out the door for under $ 6.50. About the same price you pay at a national chain for a burger combo… and actually a little less depending on what chain we are comparing but, does the food hold up here?
In short, yes it does. The burger itself was not very thick but, it was full of flavor. On my initial bite, it reminded me of five guys but, the further I got into it, the more it took on a flavor of it’s own and then the next thing I knew, it was gone!!! The fries were unremarkable to me — neither good nor bad. Most likely on my next visit, I will just get the burger and forego the fries because they really weren’t all that great.
While eating, I noticed a stream of customers coming through for lunch. I could here the counter help talking to them and asking why they ordered something different today and then it hit me that all these people are regulars at this place. It made me feel like I was part something. I know that sounds silly but, I really did catch bit of that 54 year history earlier today.

There is just something about the few remaining old school restaurants in the Greensboro area that draws me back, partly nostalgia, partly a taste that I still crave, and still appreciate after all this time. Beef Burger just celebrated its 54^th anniversary, and actually was selling the regular burger for 54 cents yesterday — I missed that, but it started the craving when I read about it.
So, today I went by, grabbed a Regular hamburger, soft drink, and a bottle of their sauce. The burger tasted as good as ever, making me realized I’d waited far too long to drop in. There are a lot, and I mean a lot, of options on the menu here, but you ought to try at least one regular burger with just the original sauce.
I bought the bottle of sauce because I have several bottles of Boar & Castle Sauce, and soon I’m gonna fry up some thin burgers, and load’em up with the sauces, separately of course. Might even have a cold bottle of Cheerwine.

Ehhh… the food was okay. This was my first time here… the lady behind the counter did not wear gloves when handling the food and the money… then she had the nerve to get an attitude when a customer asked her to put on gloves. On top of that we did not get our complete order. Don’t think I’ll be running back there.

A Greensboro staple. If you come here the «beef burger sauce» is a must. Don’t judge the outside by its cover, underneath lies great food and good people.

Took a trip to Beef-​Burger recently. We were there for a late lunch on a Saturday but there was a good crowd in line and already seated. The service here comes with the gruff, terseness of a folks who’ve done this work for a long time and care little about the warm and friendly side of things. It’s not off-​putting but I think it should be recognized.
Certainly the prices here can’t be beat. I got a hot dog, a cheeseburger, fries, and a milkshake. The highlight was the cheeseburger. The way they cook it and the sauce added to it make for a real nice burger. The hot dog didn’t have anything terribly memorable about it. Fries were fine.
Milkshake was good but the whole beverage area is kind of a mess and I hated that someone who wanted a mountain dew had to wait for my shake to be prepared.
I would return to Beef-​Burger but I would need to be in the right mood.

The allure of the beef burger eluded me. But the charm of this old-​school joint did not. Between stage shows at a recent bodybuilding competition, my coach advised me to down a fast food burger and fries (an attempt to sodium load and increase vascularity). Always the type to support a local business before a Burger King, I hopped on the Unilocal app to see what options were nearby. Beef-​Burger was pretty close by. We pulled up into the parking lot to a faded-​paint façade. But could see cleary inside, where several people sat on a bench across from the cash register waiting for their paper-​bagged burgers to go. Down the right side of the building are a few weathered diner-​style booths and a wall lined with old-​school arcade games… some working, some not. Judging by the other reviews, this place has been around since the 60s, and not much has changed about it… which is pretty amazing. I could forgive the torn seats and dirtied yellow accent walls just for the cool dose of historic local flavor. The burgers were just 99 cents and arrived on a simple bun, with no toppings, but smeared with their «secret sauce» (vaguely tomato-​y, barbecue-​y). The patties are thin (kind of wimpy) and not too satisfying (in my opinion), but they are not that different from what you would find at McDonald’s. French fries came in a cup; the thick-​cut kind, with no salt (or maybe lightly salted). Basically: basic, easy, and cheap!

My family were looking around Greensboro since we are moving there for my new job. My wife and I are always looking for the «hole-​in-​wall» joints that have great food and we were not disappointed.

This is it. The last great working man’s burger joint. If you are looking for a medium rare, flattop seared, goat cheese covered, runny egg leaking $ 12.00 mass on toasted brioche then this isn’t the place. Not by a long shot. This is Ralph’s place, his spotless Silverado parked out back a sign that things will be running smoothly today.
Pull up to the fixture on Lee St and you should know that you are about to experience something exceedingly rare today. The classic neon sign is often emblazoned with this weeks special, or a salute to local law enforcement. Step in and smell the intoxicating fragrance of hot fry oil and flame kissed beef. Let your eye wander around the walls, special items are handwritten on loose leaf paper and attached with Scotch tape. A window of cheap plastic toys in neons and chrome invite and distract the kids. The menu board is a back lit plastic, individually lettered masterpiece of long lost classics like the Chuckwagon sandwich and all forms of fried vegetables.
Have your mind made up when you get to the counter, you don’t want to back up the long line composed of individuals from every financial bracket in the county. If you are unsure, two choices will leave you smiling. Either 3 Biffs with cheese and a Cheerwine or my go-​to, the Special with cheese add bacon and a Cheerwine. The Biff is the earlier time and place hamburger, a thin smoky beef patty dipped in a sweet and sour, onion specked sauce on a white bun. The special is the stepped up version, slightly larger patty with pickles, lettuce, tomato, mayo on a sesame seed bun. Make sure to enjoy your bagged crinkle fries with a ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ mix of ketchup and ladled Texas Pete in a paper cup.
Eat inside or take your bagged meal down the road to the train yard on Oakland and think about a different time. Beef Burger is the one place in Greensboro that makes that all possible.
BTW, there are restrooms contrary to some reviews, you have to go out back and make sure to utilize the slide lock in the single stall rooms.

Magical and old school! Love this place! Great hamburger with special sauce! Also, they have cheerwine on tap. 5 Biffs HEAVY!

Extremely good! Looks like a dump, but trust me it is a gem. Menu is extensive and wonderful. Got to get biff special. So good. Extremely packed at lunch but after 2 it’s all good. Old school burger and a Greensboro landmark

I love me some Beef-​Burger. I get the special everytime and it never fails to satisfy. Drink and Fries are included so no being hungry afterwards. It’s great value and food. They do not take plastic (credit cards/​debit cards). Anytime I have cash and go down High Point Rd I stop in. They do not really attend to the dining room as a restaurant should but the food is worth the visit altogether.

Beef Burger, (featured in a quick cameo role in the movie Bull Durham), is a 1960’s classic and one of the few real gems in Greensboro. The only great 99 cent hamburger I know of on this planet. The Biff or Beef burger special sauce is magic. Don’t let it drip in the car though that stuff is atomic. The interior which some have stupidly claimed needs updating is what make this such a jewel.
The menu is a big as every fast food joint you can name put together so I can’t say much about all that stuff. I just know the Beef/​Biff burger — the big Special burger, and of course the Cheerwine ;-) what more’s a feller need? Remember «If youre drunk, eat somewhere else»!!
Go here love it. It may not be there next time you think about it. It’s also one of hamburgersquare.com’s favorites.

The burger is fabulous but the inside of the place needs remodeled very bad. It looks dirty and old. I understand the building is very old but it’s time to clean that up!
Their menu has a great variety but the burger is where it’s at, and their crinkle cut fries are delicious. Burger are broiled and buns are perfectly toasted.

As a kid, I practically lived downtown. Unfortunately, there weren’t many food options there in those days. But when my parents would give me a couple of bucks to head out in search of food, I could find something within a good, long walk. Typically, this involved heading in the direction of arcade games (usually Galaga, on which I had the top scores at perhaps half a dozen establishments around town).
There was Moore’s downtown, Elizabeth’s Pizza if I felt like making the trek up Summit, and then, of course, situated beside one of my other favorite hangouts from those days — the army/​navy surplus store — Beef Burger was also a regular destination, with a small array of video games, deliciously unhealthful, infrared-​broiled burgers dipped in the old Biff Burger chain’s spiced blend of tomato, mustard and pickle, and tasty shakes and curly fries. (Greensboro’s first Biff Burger was located on Bessemer, and later became one of the city’s early and longest-​lasting Chinese restaurants, the now shuttered China Sky.)
I still try to make it over there for a Super Burger when I’m in town. The menu is sizable, with many items likely added over the years and uncommon among typical burger joints these days. As shown in one of the photos posted here, there’s a sign asking drunken patrons (which, given the proximity to the university and location on Greensboro’s skid row, is probably a frequent issue at night) to go elsewhere. I would extend this advice to dieters, as well (in case you’re not familiar with how the Biff Burger roto-​broiler functions — as your greasy slab of fatty beef is cooked, all those exquisite cow drippings fall onto your bun being toasted below).
It’s not a place where one should eat every day, but one to enjoy as that rare treat with a side of nostalgia and a Cheerwine. The food isn’t spectacular, but it is pretty damned close to being the same quality it was 30 years ago. How many other spots can make such a claim?
Overall, ⁶⁄₁₀.

Im giving this 5 stars because it is authentic and a CLASSIC. If you are looking for a place where locals go for real good burgers this is the place. I loved sitting down for a meal with local construction workers in the florescent safety vests and other hard working local folk.
I had the special: super burger with cheese, onions, pickles, tomatoes and lettuce with mayo. All very fresh and great flavors. It came with fried and a medium drink for just for $ 5!!!
The walls are covered with specials and mementos from what appears to be the 1970’s…many faded and tattered which adds to the charm.
I should have ordered 2 burgers because as I write this Im hungry again — looks like I will have to stop on the way to the airport.