Z Burger
4321 Wisconsin Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20016
(Corner of Windom Place)
(202) 966-1999
Photos of Z Burger

A horde of new hamburger places are popping up in the D.C. Metro area, and if you’ll pardon the pun, the new blood is a welcomed site for those with an insatiable love of all things burger. One such establishment making a name for itself is Z Burger, the delicious end result of one man’s quest to serve simple and delicious burgers and his perfection of the tasty staples found at burger joints.

Owner and restaurateur Peter Tabibian has been refining his craft for more than two decades, working in “every kind of restaurant you can possibly imagine” and ultimately arriving at the decision to create flavorsome, affordable and undeniably delectable hamburgers. Z Burger is simplistic in its design, which Peter proudly states he created himself.

“I wanted to interior decorate my own place,” he says.

The dining room is a modernized malt shop but without all the campy clutter that can often distract from the menu. The entire establishment is noticeably clean, always a welcomed site when burgers and fries are being served.

One can’t help but be immediately mesmerized by the more than 60 milkshakes and malts Z offers, including all the classic favorites you’d expect along with a ton of wild never before seen flavors. Blackberry Cobbler, Frozen Hot Chocolate, Birthday Cake, Strawberry Cheesecake and Mounds are just a few listed on the menu. The two shakes we sampled at random were the Chocolate Covered Banana and Peach, which were fantastic. I’d get again…if there weren’t 58 others I need to try.

The place hosts a robust American University clientele and Peter is delighted when students come in to take advantage of his promotions geared specifically for them.

“You have to be willing to give free samples away. Not just some, and not just when you first open, but all the time,” he says.

A refreshing sentiment for the thrifty college student and with its reasonable prices (get the bacon burger for $3.49 and the Z Fries for $1.99) the college crowd has plenty of motivation to include Z Burger in their food rotation. They offer a host of add-ons and condiments available at no extra charge, including fried onions, sautéed mushrooms, jalapeño peppers, green peppers and banana peppers. Its easy to get carried away with toppings, but the meat itself can stand alone.

Using a mix of about 50 percent ground chuck, 25 percent sirloin and 25 percent brisket in every burger, Peter has developed a phenomenal patty that’s not overly greasy or heavy, but well built with exceptional flavor. Grilled Hebrew National 100 percent Kosher hotdogs are served as well, with the multitude of fixins for those looking for a dog fix. As Peter will attest too, you can talk goodness all day, but the proof is in that first bite.

“I created my own special bread recipe for the hamburger and hotdog buns that a local bakery prepares for me twice a day. The bun is key,” he exclaims.

Any burger connoisseur worth his weight in curly fries can confirm this, and as the bread engulfing my cheeseburger held up nicely until the last bite, it was evident Peter had studied every appetizing molecule of his product.

The odd man out on the menu seems to be the cheesteaks, served with American cheese, provolone and/or bacon. Peter tells me about his experience taking over a neglected Jerry’s Subs & Pizza franchise in Capitol Heights, Md. and making it the most profitable Jerry’s in the DC area. As I bite into a highly refined Jerry’s-esque cheesteak, I remember why I used to love their cheesesteaks so much as a kid.

An incredibly friendly and jovial guy, one can tell Peter is a natural marketer with a high quality product to back up his claims. When asked about a competitor, local burger juggernaut Five Guys, he has nothing but nice things to say.

“You have to give it to those guys, they didn’t come from a wealthy background or have much capital to work with, they just had a great product and built their operation from the ground up, and they created something special.”

With at least three more Z Burger locations currently in the works (opening in Glover Park, Adams Morgan and Dupont Circle neighborhoods), Peter is creating something pretty special himself.

---- Wolf

Z Burgers Tastiest Shakes & Malts

Amaretto, Apple Pie, Banana, Banana Foster, Banana Oreo, Banana Pineapple, Banana Split, Birthday Cake, Black & White, Blackberry, Blackberry Cobbler, Blueberry, Blueberry Cheesecake, Butterfinger, Butterscotch, California Blend, Caramel, Caramel Apple, Cheesecake, Cherry, Chocolate, Chocolate Amaretto, Chocolate Cheesecake, Chocolate Cherry, Chocolate Covered Banana, Chocolate Marshmallow, Chocolate Mint, Chocolate Oreo, Chocolate Peanut Butter Pecan, Chocolate Raspberry, Coffee, Cookie Dough, Creamsicle, Double Chocolate, Frozen Hot Chocolate, Granny Smith Apple, Grape, Heath Bar, Kiwi, Kiwi Strawberry, Lemon, M & M, Mango, Mango Kiwi, Maple, Walnut, Marshmallow, Mocha, Mounds, Mud Pie, Neapolitan, Orange Pineapple, Oreo, Peach, Peach Mango, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter & Jelly, Peanut Butter Cup, Pina Colada, Pineapple, Pomegranate, Raspberry, Reese's Pieces, Rocky Road, Root Beer, Shake Of The Day, S'mores, Snickers, Strawberry, Strawberry Banana, Strawberry Cheesecake, Strawberry Orange, Swiss Chocolate, Cheesecake, Vanilla, Very Berry, Watermelon.

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