By Myra Bean

The Downtown Square welcomed The Burger Shop with a grand opening on Tuesday, Dec. 11.

It is located next to Jarva’s Jewelry.

Owner T. J. Mah introduces a menu of “nothing fried” in his kitchens. He uses a convection oven to bake everything including original, hand pressed burgers, chicken, fish and shrimp served various ways.

The Burger Shop also offers salads, wraps and specialty sandwiches. You can even get custom barbecue nachos, a jacked up chicken sandwich or a hamburger steak plate special.

His original store is in Hernando.

He is still working on the interior decorating and will open a second kitchen in January. “The last two days have been kind of crazy,” Mah said in an interview last Wednesday.

He hopes to bring in his Cajun cuisine when the second kitchen is opened.

A couple of the tables have umbrellas, and all the seating in the new restaurant is casual. Country decor gives the place a homey feel and the burgers are quickly gaining a reputation as juicy and loaded with flavor.

Joining Mah at the front taking orders is Tonya Hill. Putting the orders together are Ava Allison (Mah’s daughter) and Cory Hodges. Hand-pressing the burgers are Tony Mah (the owner’s son) and Leann McCoy.

Tony said they had pressed out 200 burgers on opening day and was set to surpass that Wednesday afternoon.

A garlic smell hits customers when they first walk into the establishment. Stomachs go to growling as patrons stand in line. The garlic drives people to order the garlic potato wedges as a side.

Alderman-at-Large Teddy Morrow is glad to see The Burger Shop downtown.

“I went in there and all the tables held people who were within walking distance. We needed that down here especially when everybody is so busy,” Morrow said. He said service was quick and the food was good.

“The city has been great for us,” Mah said. They got us up real fast in about three weeks.