I was talking with Kelli from the band Resounding No, and she mentioned a beloved childhood fast-food joint, Burger Express in Carteret. In researching it, she had stumbled upon a review I wrote which appeared in the New Jersey section of the New York Times way back on October 1, 2000. I asked if the place was still in business. Kelli said it was, that they had moved to a new location, but she hadn’t been visited since. Clearly I would have to dust off my journalist’s cap and return, 18 years later, to exit 12 on the New Jersey Turnpike.
I only had to travel 1.7 miles along Roosevelt Avenue from the old spot to the current address at 215 Roosevelt. No longer was Burger Express housed in a classic low-slung 70s style fast-food outpost; now it resided in an impressive two-story brick building.
But I didn’t have to look too far to realize things hadn’t changed very much. Indeed, the cartoon boy engineer driving a steam locomotive was still the restaurant’s logo. Stepping inside revealed a pleasing mix of a clean, modern, spacious establishment with many down-to-earth, hometown touches, such as a wall saluting Carteret High football (go Ramblers) and other local youth sports. There is a high ceiling, as the second floor only fills the back of the building. They’ve hung up the original BURGER EXPRESS lettering from the old spot’s front sign. And the train theme I’d enjoyed in 2000 was still very much in play, via photos and decorations.
But I wasn’t here to stare at cabooses; I came for cheese fries. In fact, my review had focused so much on that culinary item, it has earned me affectionate mocking from my neighbor, bead artist Jan Huling, ever since. In 2018, I was happy to see that a sign behind the counter proclaimed that this was still “Home of the Cheese Fries.” That’s where I want to live.
The menu has expanded, but several items I’d pointed out before were still here (with prices understandably a bit higher). The Locomotive burger, then $3.84, was now $5.99. You can still get a grilled cheese with tuna (then $3.04, now $5.89), but unfortunately, grits are gone. As a creature of habit, I once again ordered a Big Broiler with cheese ($4.40, up from $2.34), and, of course, cheese fries (then $2.55, now $4.29).
I was very pleased to see that the burger and fries are both still served in Styrofoam clamshells. (They’re recyclable, haters!) The kaiser roll was a bit too much bun for the Big Broiler — it’s understandable why the most popular burgers here contain two patties — but the beef was definitely fresh. And the cheese fries were just as excellent as I’d remembered, still crinkle cuts, still a hearty but not overwhelming cheese sauce.
It was a terrific, satisfying lunch. With the drive-thru window still open 24 hours a day, it’s comforting to know I can come back anytime. I chatted a little with Andy, a trim older fellow in an oversized cap who was keeping the place tidy; I like to think he is the boy engineer all grown up. And I must admit that my favorite moment was the “shock of recognition” I received on the way out, taking a closer look at the Carteret sports wall. Right smack in the middle, my review was still on display, all these years later. Thank you, Burger Express, for a great meal and a big smile.
Jack Silbert, curator