Comfort Food Bliss

by

Dining

The story below is from our March/April 2023 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you! 

Lazy Bulldog builds on its food truck’s billing of “savory hand-crafted deliciousness” with creative burgers, loaded fries, melts, nachos and more at their new bistro.

Whether you sit at a low-slung two top, a high-top or the kitchen counter, you’ll feel right at home at Lazy Bulldog Bistro. Partly because chef-owner Brandon Stinnett greets both regulars and first timers with an easy smile and quippy greeting. And partly due to the restaurant’s intimate size where you can hear burger patties hissing on the flattop and fries burbling in hot oil.

Even if you didn’t grow up frequenting diners, the experience at Lazy Bulldog evokes a certain kind of Americana nostalgia, complete with a menu that reads like a comfort food dream. There are the creative burgers and loaded fries on which Stinnett first built his reputation with the Lazy Bulldog Food Truck, plus an expanded menu that includes melts, nachos, wings, tacos and more. With Lazy Bulldog Bistro, Stinnett is making good on upholding his brand’s billing of “savory hand-crafted deliciousness.”

Besides Stinnett’s enthusiasm and genuine warmth, there’s a reason Lazy Bulldog Bistro has the feel of a roadside café or neighborhood diner. Although he attended culinary school in North Carolina, Stinnett didn’t work in a kitchen until he launched Lazy Bulldog Food Truck in 2019. Instead, to support his family and save up for his someday restaurant, he followed in his father’s footsteps driving tractor trailers up and down the east coast. Stinnett frequently stopped for meals at diners, which inspired the on-the-road meals he cooked for himself using a propane camping grill. He started writing down recipes for his spins on traditional diner fare like burgers and sandwiches, while dreaming of opening a fine dining restaurant.

After nearly seven years on the road, Stinnett was ready for a change of scenery and picked Roanoke, where his father lives. Although Stinnett hoped to first open a brick-and-mortar, his finances pointed to a lower risk investment, like a food truck. Although Roanoke had a burgeoning food truck scene leading up to 2019, Stinnett saw a need for a burger/sandwich truck. He launched Lazy Bulldog Food Truck in March of that year with a roster of creative burgers—many of which were gleaned from the recipe book he wrote back in his truck-driving days—and the business took off.

The Lazy Bulldog Food Truck’s following grew so much, that Stinnett decided it was time to open a brick-and-mortar location. In January 2022, he opened Lazy Bulldog Bistro; due to staffing issues, it didn’t get up and running until June 2022.

Stinnett expresses immense gratitude for two key employees, Jordan Holland, head chef and catering manager, and Brittany Nelson, general manager. Not only have their experiences and contributions streamlined operations across the bistro, catering and food truck businesses, but the dynamic has remedied the burnout Stinnett experienced after three years of running the food truck as a single dad of two.

Although Stinnett has put down restaurant roots with his bistro, the scrappy food truck ethos remains a backbone of his work ethic and hospitality philosophy. The small kitchen replicates the food truck set-up to maximize the modest space and simplify workflow, while the open layout mimics the food truck window. “It’s kind of like working in a food truck in the bistro kitchen where everyone can see. I can talk to everybody. It’s a real cool atmosphere,” Stinnett says. The food truck vibes extend to other facets of the dining experience, including bottled drinks and plastic ware. But make no mistake, this is not fast food—everything is handmade and made to order. 

Let’s start with burgers. There’s a dozen or so options, each anchored by a hand-ground beef patty seasoned with Stinnett’s signature seven-spice rub. Stinnett cooks all burgers until medium, so once they arrive at your table, they’ll have reached his platonic ideal of doneness (though he’s happy to oblige diners’ doneness preferences). Burgers come with a small basket of fries, craggy-crisp outside and fluffy within, as well as a stack of napkins, which hints at the ensuing juicy, messy deliciousness that’s paramount to a satisfying burger experience. 

If it’s a classic cheeseburger you’re after, opt for the popular All-American, topped with American cheese, bacon, red onion, lettuce tomato, ketchup and mayo. But the clever, over-the-top combinations are where Stinnett’s talents really shine. The I’m So Bleu Burger packs two beef patties and a medley of assertive additions, including blue cheese crumbles, thick-cut bacon and jalapenos, all crowned with a fried onion ring.

You can’t go wrong with the OG namesake burger—it’s Stinnett’s favorite and fashioned after the ones he makes at home. A patty is topped with Colby Jack, both Canadian bacon and thick-cut bacon, a fried onion ring and a juicy tomato slice that helps cut through the richness. Signature sauces are another hallmark of Stinnett’s creations; here, a lashing of Lazy Bulldog’s tropical leaning BBQ sauce lends a welcome tangy-sweet burst.

It’s true that the burgers made Stinnett’s reputation, but he’s aiming to do more with the bistro. Spurred on by a wave of attention he received from The Roanoker’s reader-voted 2022 Dining Awards, including Best New Restaurant, Best Place for Lunch and Best Place to Visit 24/7/365, he turned his attention to putting creative spins on other comfort food classics.

“I needed to have more things on the menu for other people, so I’m not just catering to people who like burgers. That’s why I decided to pull in the craft sandwiches, the craft salads and the different appetizers,” Stinnett says. “If anybody comes into my restaurant, they’re guaranteed to be able to find something they will enjoy.”

The menu is divided into three sections: Hand-Crafted, Savory and Awesomeness. Hand-Crafted lists a dozen or so burgers (plus a Little Bulldog’s kids’ menu); Savory showcases Nach-O Regular Nachos, Wings N’ Things and Loaded Fries, such as the vegetarian-friendly Mediterranean Delight; and Awesomeness includes tacos, salads and artisanal melts, including a butter-garlic steak melt that Stinnett says is threatening to overtake the burgers in popularity.

Although nachos are technically a shareable appetizer, we won’t blame you if you order the shrimp nachos as your meal. It’s the kind of head-turning dish that incites order envy and inquiries of “what is that?” from fellow diners. A mountain of tortilla chips comes piled in an uncovered aluminum takeout container (lucky you if you have leftovers to take home) and scattered with plump, juicy fried shrimp with crispy, lacy edges. The airy crunch is owed to a tempura batter (a nod to Stinnett’s mom’s Japanese heritage) that’s seasoned with a kicky house made Cajun seasoning blend. The nachos are plated with classic accompaniments—creamy-cool avocado, fresh diced tomato and onion, and pickled jalapenos—but it’s the cascading drizzles of Sriracha aioli that really pulls it together.

The service is just as thoughtful and crowd-pleasing as the menu. “Everyone that comes in gets treated like family,” Stinnett says. “I wish there was an award for best greeting because I would totally win that. I treat them like my own mom’s walking through the door.” I’d argue that he’d get an award for farewells too—one lunch he declared a Sunrise Burger on the house for a diner celebrating his birthday, shouted hearty thanks to a regular takeout customer and offered “hope to see you again soon” wishes for each patron.

This spring, Stinnett plans to continue refreshing the menu with desserts. They’ll be overseen by Holland (whose self-proclaimed forte is desserts, but it must be noted that her savory cooking is on point, too). Nothing’s been finalized yet, but she’s toying with seasonal riffs on churros or other hand-held treats that are fun to eat. Looks like Lazy Bulldog will have to amend its tagline to “sweet and savory hand-crafted deliciousness.”

The story above is from our March/April 2023 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!