Elsie’s Burgers & Shakes is open in Gloucester City, bringing back an old-fashioned countertop café/restaurant experience to the Riverfront area.
Saturday was the soft-opening and while I couldn’t make it to that event, I’ve been told they sold almost 300 milkshakes, and the kitchen was rocking all day long with delicious smashburgers, mac & cheese, cheese fries and more!
My wife and I stopped in on Sunday when Elsie’s was closed but was able to catch up with owners Rich and Cindy… who also own the popular Holy City Publick House in town, just a few blocks away. (Facebook)
Elsie’s Burgers & Shakes is named after Cindy’s mother who was a well-known beloved waitress in the area, working at diners such as Brooklawn and Gateway.
Elsie’s is a step back in time to an era when quality of food and customer service was everything! Elsie was our dear mother and mom-mom who dedicated her life to care for others. We are an old fashion counter-style sweet shop with handmade smash burgers!
Rich and the team really did an amazing job with the buildout of Elsie’s which has an old time smalltown cafe feel to it, offering amazing ice cream, fresh coffee and a full menu that starts as early as 5:00 AM during the week for an incredible breakfast.
Elsie’s Burgers and Shakes is located on King Street directly across the street from The Bank Bar and the PB Cosmetology school.
The Holt Logistics docks are just blocks away also… which when added all together has Rich and Cindy hoping for a regular customer base from early morning workers, the Cosmetology school and of course the incredibly awesome Gloucester City community which knows how to support their local businesses.
Rich is a lifelong Gloucester City resident himself and is one of the town’s biggest cheerleaders. I had an awesome time chatting him with about all of the amazing things at Elsie’s, but he can’t help but share his excitement for the positive changes taking place in Gloucester City, and wants to help the community grow even further, particularly the underutilized Riverfront area.
While he has significant kitchen experience with his Holy City Tavern and Elsie’s is a natural extension of his businesses, it was clear to me Rich opened Elsie’s for the people of Gloucester City… and hopes it’s another positive push towards the rebirth of the riverfront area of town.
To that point, Rich has teamed up with Gloucester City coffee company Holy City Coffee which has big fan base particularly for their cold brew coffees… and a really innovative menu which you can order from at Elsie’s. (Facebook)
Rich has also connected with Camden County resident Spencer of Scoop D’eville Ice Cream (Haddon Twp), to supply the ice cream for Elsie’s Gloucester City. (42Freeway Article)
Seating inside is at a small counter here for about a half dozen people so during busier times much of the business will be taken out… although coming soon is a full outdoor seating area which will be located in the adjacent garage space (remodeling to start soon)!
Elsie Burgers & Shakes Gloucester City
Elsie’s burgers is located at 10 S Hing St, as mentioned directly across from The Bank Bbar. Parking is available on the street although there are some area lots that you may be allowed to park in.
Located in a one story freestanding building, Elsie’s is not an overly large place but Rich and the team have done a great job to maximize the building inside and out, as well as introduce a lot of old-time character to this space with the beautiful redesign.
Walking through the front door your eyes are immediately drawn to the beautiful counter area which is configured like a small bar seating 6 customers.
Behind that is a really attractive display of candy filled jars… and even the elsies logo featuring a cow just fits perfectly into the space.
With the temperatures reaching the upper 90s this week absolutely the milkshakes are gonna be a popular option for customers!
Sure you can get a standard vanilla or chocolate milkshake but Elsie’s offers really inventive and delicious options such as The Ta-Da which features cake batter ice cream, cake batter, sprinkles, whipped cream, and topped with a mini cupcake.
Butter Up offers chocolate ice cream with peanut butter, Reese’s pieces and cups, whipped cream and a chocolate drizzle!
But they also offer build your own ice cream sandwiches, homemade cookies and more
The signature item for the lunch menu Elsie’s are the Smashburgers which are 5oz special blend burgers served with Elsie’s amazing cheese sauce, burger sauce, lettuce, tomato and house pickles.
You can go simple with a classic Smashburger or try one of their half dozen or more specialty recipes including the Bacon Jam Burger which adds peanut butter and homemade bacon jam
Other lunch options include grilled cheese, Cincinnati chill (chili over spaghetti) or how about a Deep Fried Turkey Club!
Other top items are sure to be the grilled beef hot dog at only $2.50, or the boardwalk style sausage sandwich. You can even get a classic corn dog.
And for those who knew and loved Elsie, yes they have her signature coleslaw recipe as well as her incredible Jewish apple cake.
I mentioned Elsie’s opens early during the week and and just this morning they had their first breakfast.
Links and Location
Elsie’s Burgers and Shakes (Now Open!)10 S King StreetGloucester City, NJ 08030
Hours: