How This Mom-and-Pop Hidden Gem Burger Joint Won Hearts in Summerville, SC

With over 32 years of family restaurant experience, Matt’s Burgers is the kind of hidden gem South Carolina burger spot that reminds you why mom-and-pop joints will always outlast the chains. 🍔

This family-owned and operated Summerville burger joint hand-rolls every patty daily from fresh-ground chuck mixed with fried onions right into the meat—a scratch-made approach to burger-making that produces juicy, deeply flavorful results no fast-food counter can touch.

From the legendary Bomb chili sausage cheeseburger to Spanish Fries loaded with fried jalapeños and jammy onions, Matt’s Burgers delivers the kind of no-frills, all-flavor Summerville comfort food that locals call the best burger in the entire Lowcountry.

How Matt’s Burgers won Summerville’s hearts

Every single day the kitchen hand-rolls all hamburgers and hamburger steaks from fresh ground chuck, incorporating fried onions directly into the meat—a foundational technique that gives Matt’s patties a distinctive savory depth and moisture.

The restaurant’s dive bar-meets-neighborhood-diner character is a massive part of its charm—cozy, unpretentious, and unapologetically itself, with a tight indoor dining room, a handful of outdoor tables, and a free books corner that keeps the atmosphere warm and community-focused. 📚

Locals and military families stationed at nearby Joint Base Charleston have discovered Matt’s and kept coming back for years—even decades—a testament to the kitchen’s unwavering consistency year after year.

Beyond the burgers, the housemade chili has developed its own legendary status—the same chili that smothers the Bomb burger, tops the Chili Cheese Fries, and appears across the menu as a recurring star that food lovers on YouTube have called the best chili cheese fries they have ever tasted. 🌶️

Food writers and locals alike consistently call Matt’s a true Lowcountry burger gem—the kind of place every small town deserves, where the burgers are simple, satisfying, and cooked with genuine care that no franchise playbook can replicate.

This combination of fresh-ground daily patties, housemade chili, community-first warmth, and decades of family dedication has made Matt’s Burgers the most beloved mom-and-pop Summerville restaurant.

Food Highlights

• Matt’s Special Jumbo: The beloved signature burger featuring a ⅓ lb fresh-ground chuck patty with American and hot pepper cheese, Cure 81 ham, and crumbled bacon, dressed with mustard, pickle, mayo, fried onions, lettuce, and tomato. 🍔

• The Bomb: The most talked-about on the entire menu—a chili sausage cheeseburger topped with American and hot pepper cheese, then smothered in 8 oz of housemade chili and dressed with mustard, pickle, and fried onions. 💣

• Big Daddy: A frequently photographed jumbo creation that earns its name through sheer, satisfying size—a massive fresh-ground chuck patty fully dressed in Matt’s classic style. 🏆

• Sausage Cheeseburger: A fan-favorite Matt’s Specialty featuring ½ ground chuck and ½ ground sausage topped with American and hot pepper cheese, dressed with mustard, pickle, fried onions, lettuce, and tomato—a bold, distinctive patty blend.

• Chili Cheeseburger: A comfort food essential featuring a ¼ lb fresh-ground chuck cheeseburger smothered in 8 oz of housemade chili, dressed with mustard, pickle, and fried onions, then topped with American and hot pepper cheese. 🌶️

• Hamburger Basket: The perfect entry-level Matt’s experience featuring a ¼ lb fresh-ground chuck patty dressed with fried onion, mustard, pickle, lettuce, and tomato, served with French fries.

• Bacon Cheeseburger: A consistently ordered crowd pleaser featuring a ¼ lb fresh-ground patty covered in crumbled bacon and American cheese, dressed with mustard, pickle, fried onions, lettuce, and tomato on a classic bun—a perfectly executed family-owned Summerville burger.

Atmosphere

Matt’s Burgers delivers a perfectly unpretentious, dive-adjacent greasy spoon experience that regulars call part of its undeniable charm—a cozy, tight indoor dining room with a handful of outdoor tables and a free books corner that gives the space a warm, lived-in neighborhood energy. 📚

The indoor space is intentionally small and cozy—during busy service periods, the wait is always worth it, with kitchen efficiency keeping food hot and fresh even when the dining room fills with the loyal regulars and curious newcomers who pack South Cedar Street daily.

The restaurant’s free-flowing sweet tea, kids-friendly menu, and generous parking make Matt’s equally perfect for a solo lunch, a family dinner, or a post-work burger run—a community gathering spot at the heart of downtown Summerville that the neighborhood simply cannot imagine losing. ☕

Bottom Line

Visit for daily fresh-ground chuck hand-rolled with fried onions for patties unlike anything in the Lowcountry, The Bomb’s legendary chili sausage creation that has no equal in Summerville, the housemade chili that elevates every dish it touches, and Spanish Fries loaded with jammy fried onions and jalapeños. ✨

Address:

102 S Cedar St, Summerville, SC 29483

📞 (843) 871-1990

🕔 Open Mon–Sat 11 AM–8:30 PM (closed Sunday)