How This Cherished Burger Spot Won Hearts in Durham, NC

What happens when fine dining expertise meets simple perfection in a food truck? 🍔

Magic happens—and that magic has a name: Only Burger.

For over 16 years, this Durham institution has been serving hand-crafted burgers that prove you don’t need a complicated menu to create something extraordinary.

From its humble beginnings as one of the Triangle’s pioneering food trucks to its beloved Shannon Road brick-and-mortar location, Only Burger has maintained one unwavering focus: burger perfection, one fresh patty at a time.

How Only Burger Won Locals’ Hearts

The story begins in Fall 2008, when Sam Poley and Tom Ferguson launched a mobile burger truck that would help define Durham’s exploding food truck scene.

The concept was beautifully simple: sell only burgers—plus fries and drinks to enhance the experience—but execute them at an exceptionally high level.

Enter Brian Bottger, who joined as the third partner and eventual owner.

 

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With 25 years of fine dining experience working front-of-house at prestigious Triangle restaurants like Enoteca Vin, Pop’s, Nana’s, and Il Palio, Bottger brought a chef-driven approach to mass-appeal food.

His philosophy? Even “regular” food becomes extraordinary when executed at the highest level.

The food truck crushed it from day one, parking strategically throughout the Triangle and building a devoted following through social media.

Twitter followers tracked the truck’s every move, lining up wherever it appeared—outside the Durham Farmers’ Market, at Duke University, near Wine Authorities.

 

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Word spread about burgers made with 100% chuck beef, freshly ground daily and hand-pattied to order, creating juicy perfection on a hot grill. 🔥

In 2010, Only Burger competed in the Food Network’s “America’s Favorite Food Truck” contest, ultimately finishing as runner-up to Big Truck Tacos from Oklahoma City.

The national exposure cemented Only Burger’s reputation far beyond Durham.

By November 2010, demand had grown so intense that Only Burger opened its first brick-and-mortar location in Shannon Plaza at 3710 Shannon Road.

The restaurant maintained everything fans loved about the truck—fresh-made-to-order burgers, hand-cut fries prepared daily, and hand-breaded onion rings using egg and Japanese panko.

 

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But it also expanded the menu with tasty specials like housemade chili and bacon-wrapped mac-n-cheese bites.

Awards poured in: The Independent Weekly named Only Burger Best Burger in Durham County, Best Food Truck in the Triangle, and Best Fries in the Triangle for three consecutive years (2011-2013).

Features in the New York Times, Durham Magazine, Martha Stewart Living, and Raleigh News & Observer followed.

In 2016, Only Burger opened a second location at American Tobacco Campus with lines out the door on opening day.

 

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The Shannon Road location has remained a Durham staple, where customers consistently praise the massive, moist, well-seasoned burgers and note how “the burgers at this restaurant are always huge” with outstanding flavor.

What sealed locals’ loyalty was the commitment to quality ingredients—humanely-raised, antibiotic and hormone-free beef—and the dedication to making everything fresh, never cutting corners to deliver the finest burger possible. 💪

Food Highlights

 

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The Texan: This monster creation features both a 1/3 lb burger patty AND a house-braised brisket patty, topped with an onion ring, pickled jalapeños, brisket jus, sriracha mayo, and pepper jack cheese for $14.65. It’s a Texas-sized flavor bomb that combines two types of beef for maximum meatiness. Customers call it incredibly filling and worth every penny. 🤠

Carolina Burger: A true North Carolina classic, this beauty tops a 1/3 lb patty with housemade beef chili and coleslaw, onion, mustard, and American cheese. The chili comes on the side for takeout orders so your bun stays perfectly toasted. This messy masterpiece is “half the fun” according to regulars who say it captures authentic NC burger culture. 🌭

Bacon & Blue Burger: Featuring lettuce, tomato, red onion jam, melted blue cheese, and bacon, this gourmet combination creates bold flavor profiles that food lovers rave about. The sweet-savory onion jam perfectly balances the tangy blue cheese and smoky bacon for $11.70. 🧀🥓

FGT Burger: The Fried Green Tomato burger pairs a 1/3 lb patty with a crispy fried green tomato, grilled egg, and pimento cheese. Reviewers describe it as having “crispy fried tomato giving it a nice texture” while the pimento cheese melts into almost a gooey sauce. Many call it the breakfast burger of dreams. 🍳

The Good Fella: Perfect for spring and summer, this Italian-inspired creation features basil aioli on top of fresh bruschetta with melted provolone on a bed of crisp iceberg lettuce. The fresh flavors make it lighter than most burgers while still delivering serious satisfaction for $11.90. 🇮🇹

Hand-Breaded Onion Rings: Durham locals consistently vote these as the best onion rings in the city. Dipped in egg and buttermilk, then tossed in Japanese panko, they come out incredibly crispy and crunchy. Try them with the housemade sriracha mayo! 🧅

Hand-Cut Fries: These aren’t frozen—they’re cut fresh every single day and cooked to crispy perfection. Customers love that they’re “hand cut and cooked just right” with ideal texture and seasoning. 🍟

Atmosphere

Only Burger’s Shannon Road location keeps things casual and welcoming.

The small interior has limited seating at tables, but there’s also outdoor seating available for nice weather days.

This is a fast-casual setup: order at the counter, grab a number, and wait for your food to arrive fresh and hot.

The vibe is unpretentious and neighborhood-friendly—this is a place where staff is “very friendly and professional” and genuinely cares about your experience.

Service is notably quick, with many customers reporting their burgers ready within 10 minutes of ordering.

You can also order online for easy pickup to skip any wait.

The space reflects Only Burger’s philosophy: simple, straightforward, and focused entirely on quality.

There’s no trendy decor or Instagram-worthy murals—just a clean, comfortable spot where the food does all the talking.

Expect it to get busy during lunch rushes, especially with nearby office workers and Duke students who know what’s up. 🎓

Bottom Line

Visit for 16+ years of burger mastery, those award-winning hand-cut fries and onion rings, the legendary Texan burger with double beef, fine dining expertise applied to comfort food, and burgers made with hormone-free beef.

This is Durham’s OG burger champion! 🏆

Address: 3710 Shannon Rd, Suite 118
Durham, NC 27707

📞 (919) 937-9377
🕐 Mon-Sat: 11:00 AM–8:30 PM (Closed Sun)