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The OG Cobra Burger (Photo by Eileen Mellon)
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The Cobra Slice from the food truck Zorch Pizza (Photo by Eileen Mellon)
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The King Cobra burger features four beef patties. (Photo courtesy Cobra Burger)
“We want to go at fast food a different way,” says Adam Musselman, co-founder of the smash-style burger pop-up Cobra Burger.
Along with friends and co-founders Joshua Franklin and Melville Johnson IV, the trio informally launched Cobra Burger in the summer of 2017 from Musselman’s Jackson Ward backyard, inviting family and friends, along with customers of the now shuttered J.M. Stock Provisions.
“They were the very, very first Cobra Burgers, and they were way too f------- big,” Musselman says with a laugh. "We didn't even charge people; it was all out of pocket, we just wanted to see if it would work."
It did.
Two months later they graduated to The Veil Brewing Co. for their debut public event. It would mark the first in a continuous streak of sellout engagements.
“The only time we didn’t sell out was when we went to a Veil event in Washington, D.C.," Musselman says. "If we sold out, they couldn’t sell beer."
While currently searching for a brick-and-mortar space that they hope to open in 2021, Cobra Burger recently landed a weekly two-night residency at Hatch Cafe. The eatery opened at 2601 Maury St. inside food-business incubator Hatch Kitchen at the beginning of September, and on Friday and Saturday nights the menu is dedicated to all things Cobra.
“We're actively looking for a brick-and-mortar, and this is a good stepping stone,” Musselman says of the move, noting that they have been members of the South Side commissary kitchen since 2019.
“We don’t want to do just one [restaurant],” adds the Ohio native.
Their vision for the future of the business includes multiple locations, a flagship store in the city and house-made Cobra cola on tap. While the owners don't take themselves too seriously, their desire to offer a homegrown dose of the classic burger, fries and soda combo is very serious.
In recent years, a number of Richmond ventures, including Longoven, Nate’s Bagels and ZZQ, have graduated from the nomadic pop-up lifestyle to permanent spaces. Pop-ups offer a certain fleeting excitement, and with over two dozen appearances between Saison and The Veil, along with a collaboration with Zorch Pizza, Cobra Burger has gained a cult-like following.
“We do tend to have a line and draw a crowd,” Musselman says. “We’ve been lucky with Cobra to cultivate this goofy, good food. We take it seriously, but ... we have a good time.”
Their straightforward, take-it-or-leave-it approach, from stoner humor to heavy metal Instagram videos announcing their pop-ups, blended with a super simple menu, are all part of Cobra Burger’s appeal.
“I like to think it’s our general vibe, it’s supposed to be fun and stupid and tasty,” Musselman says.
The founders of Cobra Burger also doubled as the owners of Cardinal State Butchers, a Bon Air butcher shop that closed its doors this year due to the impact of COVID-19.
“We were looking at a killer year, and, just like [it did for] lots of other people, it just changed," Musselman says. "We decided the best move was to close it up and reconfigure what we're doing."
Part of the reconfiguring included a renewed focus on Cobra Burger. Aiding them along this pop-up journey has been a crew of regular workers including Matt Kuhn and Isabel Perea, both on staff at Cardinal State Butchers, as well as Bobby Maddox.
So what, exactly, is a Cobra Burger? Two Harris Farms beef patties, American cheese, Cobra bread-and-butter pickles and pickled red onions, shredded lettuce, and the signature Cobra sauce on a potato bun. Other varieties include a solo patty, or “Junior” size, and “The King,” four towering patties — all served with pickled French fries.
Midsummer saw the debut of the “Garter Snake,” a vegan sandwich made with an oversized fried grit cake, Rooted Delights’ local vegan cheddar, shiitake mushroom bacon, shredded lettuce, pickled red onions and a smoked tomato jam, served on pandesal buns from Angie’s, a Filipino Bakery in Virginia Beach.
“It’s a sandwich I want to eat, vegan or not,” Musselman explains. “It feels like junk food, and it’s a burger and fries, it should feel like junk food.”
Since launching operations from Hatch Cafe, Cobra Burger has introduced regionally influenced offerings including a Midwest-style loose-meat sandwich, similar to a sloppy Joe, to the menu. Diners can also expect other specials such as an “Ohio” burger, topped with tartar sauce and dill pickles, and a fried chicken sandwich to roll out in the future.
Another big focus is sustainability. “We’re big on eliminating waste," Musselman says, adding that Cobra recently began using 100% compostable to-go containers. “We’re working really hard on our end to get away from any plastic."
While Hatch Cafe is currently not offering in-house dining, there is a large lawn area with outdoor seating, and customers can order takeout.
In the near future, Cobra plans to pack and distribute its pickled red onions and bread-and-butter pickles for sale at retail locations, markets and restaurants around the region.
“We want to take [Cobra Burger] as far as it can go,” Musselman says.
Cobra Burger operates at Hatch Cafe Friday from 5 to 9 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 9 p.m.
