Burger Burger Burger: When a Charlotte Brewery Chef Goes All In
“It’s not good unless you have to lick your fingers,” Guy Fieri declared after biting into one of the most labor-intensive sliders you’ll find anywhere. At Heist Brewery in Charlotte’s NorA neighborhood (that’s North of Davidson Street for the uninitiated), executive chef Scott Walker is proving that brewery food doesn’t have to be an afterthought.
Owner Kurt Hogan’s journey to opening Heist wasn’t exactly conventional. “I’m a science guy,” he explained. “I was in biopharma for a little bit, then left to go back to business school.” Home brewing on the side eventually became his reality, and when he teamed up with head brewer Eric Mitchell and brought on Chef Walker, something special clicked. As one regular put it: “They have great beer and I don’t think you can find better food.”
The Bacon Jam That Takes Two Hours
The star of the show was the Burger Burger Burger — and understanding why requires following the components. The bacon jam alone starts with raw bacon rendered down in olive oil, then builds with minced shallots, brown sugar, crushed red pepper flakes, honey, and Heist’s own housemade beer. “Let this cook down at a low heat for about 2 hours,” Walker explained, “really bring in the beer flavor, you get that jam consistency.”
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Guy’s verdict on the jam? “I like the hoppiness, you get a little bit of heat in there, a little bit of sweet.”
Then there’s the beer barbecue sauce: sautéed garlic and onion, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, yellow mustard, apple cider vinegar, plum tomatoes, and their blonde beer — all blended and cooked down for 20 minutes. When Walker did a smooth label turn on the beer bottle mid-pour, Guy called him out: “Did you just do a label turn in the middle of the show?”
Every Component From Scratch
The burger patty itself uses a tri-blend of chuck, porter, and brisket. But what really got Guy’s attention was the bread situation. “Buns are housemade brioche buns,” Walker mentioned casually. “Seriously?” Guy shot back. “House — you got that kind of time on your hands, son? All our own pretzels, all our own flatbread. Seriously, you got some issues.”
The finished burger layers herb goat cheese, that two-hour bacon jam, roasted tomatoes, fresh arugula, and beer barbecue sauce on the brioche. Similar to a Lamb Burger at Car Wash-Meets-Laundrom, this isn’t your standard pub fare — it’s a study in how far you can push a simple concept.
Tips From the Heist Kitchen
For bacon jam: Low and slow is non-negotiable. Two hours at low heat develops that true jam consistency and lets the beer flavor fully integrate.
For burger blends: The combination of chuck, porter, and brisket creates a patty with both flavor depth and proper fat content.
For barbecue sauce: Cook out your tomato paste before adding liquids to eliminate the raw taste — Walker specifically mentioned “cooking that out” as a step.
The Triple D Stamp of Approval
Guy brought in some local heavyweights for backup opinions: Greg from the Penguin (now running Pinkies) and George from Crazy Fish, both Triple D veterans. Their take? “Love goat cheese, tomato jam, good pairing with this dark beer too.”
The final word from Guy summed it up: “What you put into one little burger is more than a lot of people put into the whole menu. Flavor, design, attention to detail, creativity — well done.” Just like Award-Winning Smoked Chicken Wings, this is what happens when someone refuses to take shortcuts.
Looking for more spots Guy has visited? Check out our restaurant directory to find Triple D locations near you.