Island Burgers & Bites Welcomes Guests to New Space

While well-known convenience stores like Wawa, Sheetz and Buc-ee’s are known for their above-average food offerings, locally-owned gas station stores are not typically top of mind when it comes to “best of” lists.

Not so for Island Burgers & Bites, which began as a burger counter inside the Islander Kwik Mart at the corner of Lake Park Boulevard and Carl Winner Drive in Carolina Beach.

Since that time, Island Burgers & Bites has consistently placed on several of Yelp’s “best of” lists, including Best Burger in North Carolina in 2022 and placing No. 5 on Yelp’s top 100 restaurants in the state.

“It just picked up like crazy from the start,” said Ajay Singh, who co-owns the restaurant and convenience store with his brother, Kanwar Singh.

“But it’s all happened very organically, all by word of mouth from the locals to the tourists,” Singh said of the restaurant’s following.

Last summer, the Singhs purchased the former Hardee’s building located behind the store at 254 N. Lake Park Blvd. with the intention of creating a stand-alone restaurant. The 3,500-square-foot space has been completely remodeled and offers counter service with seating for around 120 guests both inside and on the covered outdoor patio. The space is bright and beachy, with a casual coastal vibe and a variety of seating options.

Singh said one of the things he thinks has made the burgers so popular is the ability to customize them. The single and double burgers are made to order and offered with a slew of free and premium toppings.

In addition to burgers, the menu includes cheesesteaks, chicken tenders, grilled cheese sandwiches and hot dogs. Sides include fries and onion rings, and beer and wine are available. Singh said he plans to roll out milkshakes in time for the summer season, and they will likely experiment with adding wings to the menu in the off-season.

Orders can be placed online for carryout, however, during peak lunch and dinner hours this service may sometimes be disabled to accommodate in-house orders.

“We’ve been absolutely slammed so far,” Singh said. “Even though we expanded our kitchen, and we’re doing some other things to get orders out faster, it’s challenging to keep up with the demand during the peak times.”

Island Burgers & Bites is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and weekend hours may be extended after Memorial Day.