By Misty DUPLESSIS
Foothill residents have long sought a burger joint to grab a quick bite before a movie, have a weekly family dinner outing where everyone could find something on the menu they like or enjoy a fun hangout where quality food is available at an affordable price.
Locals have found that spot at North Shore Burgers, located near the La Cañada United Artists movie theater at 1929 Verdugo Road ‘B’ where there is rarely a shortage of parking spaces.
NSB owners and longtime friends Michael Davitt and Craig Bittner both grew up in La Cañada.
“We felt the area needed a casual place to eat with good food at fair prices,” said Davitt.
At North Shore Burgers, guests can enjoy freshly prepared food, cold beer and friendly service in a casual environment.
Patron Jennifer Nuno has made NSB her preferred burger destination.
“You can choose chicken, turkey, veggie or beef patties. [Everything is] good and the service is quick,” said Nuno.
Davitt said that coming up with tasty recipes took a lot of tasting and testing before deciding it was “menu-worthy.”
“Each of our recipes was created by our chef for exclusive use by North Shore Burgers,” Bittner said. “These include the chili, guacamole, all of our sauces, dressings, marinades and seasonings. We receive our pulled pork and hot dogs from two local, long established Montrose meat vendors.”
The burgers are never frozen and are created with perfect seasonings made just for North Shore Burgers, then topped with lots of locally grown vegetables and presented on buns that are baked daily.
Beyond burgers, NSB also offers a variety of crisp salads and sandwiches including one of their biggest sellers, the Sharks Cove sandwich, a seared four-ounce Ahi tuna steak served with a wasabi aioli sauce.
“We have a vegetarian sandwich that includes a Portobello mushroom, roasted red pepper and eggplant along with caramelized onions and an herb Dijon sauce,” added Bittner.
Mona Luna is a repeat customer who loves bringing her nephew and niece to NSB because of its wide selection.
“They have sliders for kids,” said Luna, adding that the combo meal is fun for sharing. She also likes the rewards program that is offered.
“Every time you make a purchase we put 5% of the sales on the [rewards] card as points. Guests can cash in those points and spend them like money. The same cards are also what we use for the gift cards. The card is very versatile. It’s a neat program,” said NSB manager Terry Everton.
NSB owners also contribute to community organizations including schools, churches and athletic groups.
“We have designated days when we give back 10% of our sales to a specific charity or organization,” said Bittner. “We also support schools and associations by donating gift cards or gift baskets for their fund raising raffles and auctions.”
NSB has daily specials, too. Find out more at www.northshoreburgers.com or call (818) 790-1672.