Burger 25 to open third restaurant, in this brilliant location (hint: beer)

Sarah Griesemer, Asbury Park Press
Updated ·2 min read

Burgers and beer — is there anything better?

Come spring, guests will get both at the newest location of Burger 25. Steve and Denise Vetter's third restaurant will open next door to Lakewood's Icarus Brewing, whose new home is under construction and nearing completion on Route 88 in Brick.

"This is a location that we could not pass up," Denise said.

"I believe it is a match made in heaven," Steve said. "We've always welcomed BYOB, and to be next to one of the most popular breweries in New Jersey as they embark on a 20,000-square-foot facility, it’s awesome. We can’t wait to be a part of it."

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Denise Vetter, owner of Burger 25, outside the third location of her family's business. The restaurant will open in early spring on Route 88, adjacent to the new location of Icarus Brewing.
Denise Vetter, owner of Burger 25, outside the third location of her family's business. The restaurant will open in early spring on Route 88, adjacent to the new location of Icarus Brewing.

Breweries in New Jersey are not allowed to sell food, but Icarus customers will be allowed to bring food in from Burger 25, and "we can bring the food to them from the front entrance," Steve said. "And they can come into our location with beer."

Burger 25's menu also will be served at the brewery's planned outdoor beer garden, he said.

The restaurant will seat 99 diners, and "my goal is to make it feel as though you're in an old pub with a flair of Burger 25," Steve said.

Known for its tasty burgers, hand-spun milkshakes and collaborations with local restaurants and bakeries (like lobster-topped burgers and dirty chai milkshakes), Burger 25 started in 2013 when Steve spotted a Toms River store for sale on Craigslist.

He planned to open an ice cream shop, Denise said, but the location was next to an established ice cream store. They decided on burgers instead.

It was a good decision, and in 2020, it was time to grow. Burger 25 moved to a larger location, the former Wolfie's Deli & Restaurant in Toms River.

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The Smack burger, Buffalo fries and onion rings at Burger 25, which has restaurants in Toms River and Ship Bottom and a third planned in Brick.
The Smack burger, Buffalo fries and onion rings at Burger 25, which has restaurants in Toms River and Ship Bottom and a third planned in Brick.

"It's become more than we ever imagined," Denise said at the time. "When the community invests in you, we wanted to invest in them. We wanted to create a bigger, better Burger 25, just make it an amazing experience for everyone."

In 2023, they expanded again, taking over a shuttered Surf Taco in Ship Bottom on Long Beach Island. The Vetters' son, Aidan, helps run the business, which they hope to one day franchise.

More: These Jersey Shore restaurants closed their doors in 2023

Go: 2045 Route 88, Brick; burger25.com. Also at 199 Route 37 in Toms River, 732-270-0025, and 1915 Long Beach Blvd. in Ship Bottom, 609-879-2525.

Sarah Griesemer joined the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey in 2003 and has been writing all things food since 2014. Send restaurant tips to sgriesemer@gannettnj.com, follow on Instagram at Jersey Shore Eats and subscribe to our Jersey Shore Eats newsletter.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Burger 25's third restaurant is in this brilliant location. Hint: beer