Burger Shack

Opening a restaurant is notoriously difficult. Statistics show that the majority of all new eateries close within three years. But that didn’t stop Dara and Luke Moody from pursuing a dream that has created the immensely successful and popular Burger Shack in Downtown Benton at 107 S. Market Street.

Dara and Luke were both born and raised in Benton. Dara graduated from Benton, Luke from Harmony Grove. “We met while I was working at Sonic, and he got my number, and the rest is history. We have been married for sixteen years this November 11th. We have four amazing kiddos: Aubrie (thirteen), Emmie (ten), Nora (seven), and River (three).” They share a strong faith, one that guides their lives and choices. The decision to open the Burger Shack was no exception.

“We opened the Burger Shack on April 16th, 2006,” Dara recalls. “I was signing up for college, and Luke said God told him to open a restaurant, so I put college on hold and decided to jump feetfirst into the restaurant with him. We were so young when we opened that people would frequently ask us if our parents owned it.” 

As the name of the business says, the restaurant offers hamburgers and cheeseburgers of various sizes from regular, double, jumbo, and double jumbo. Throw in a chili cheeseburger (regular or open face) or a patty melt, and even the most finicky eater will find a burger to fit his or her appetite.

If your appetite is large, The Big Moo is for you. It has three jumbo patties with mayo, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and six slices of bacon, topped with American, Swiss, and pepper jack cheese.

In addition to burgers, customers can choose from chicken tenders, Frito chili pie, smothered tamales, or loaded nachos. The sandwiches on the menu include ham and cheese or turkey and Swiss, club, BLT, grilled cheese, crispy or grilled chicken, cranberry pecan chicken salad sandwich, or a grilled chicken melt. The Shack also serves hot dogs of regular and foot-long dimensions with all the toppings, including chili. Salads include a house salad; crispy chicken; ham or turkey; grilled or Cajun grilled chicken; and a club salad.

Appetizers include jalapeno poppers, fried pickles, onion rings, cheese sticks, and cheese fries with or without chili. Popular side dishes available are French fries, Cajun fries, side salad, tater tots, house chips, fried squash, fried okra, or onion rings.

If you have any room left, dessert options include a slice of homemade pie or cake, ice cream in a cone or cup, sundaes, shakes, floats, or malts.

The Moodys also offer a different special four days a week. These include the following: Tuesday, homemade meatloaf; Wednesday, chicken fried chicken or country fried steak; Thursday, chicken spaghetti; and Friday, fried fish.

“Our menu has slowly evolved over the years,” says Dara. 

“The plate lunches have been consistently the same over the years. Our best-selling plate lunch is probably Luke’s homemade meatloaf, and our chicken spaghetti is a close second. But our patty melt, grilled chicken melt, and chicken salad sandwich are all close! I feel like because Luke cooks so consistently, people enjoy returning because they know who is cooking and that it will be done right every time.”

Getting ready for customers each day requires attention to detail. “Our preparations differ, mainly because every bit of food that is prepped is prepared daily by Luke,” says Dara. “[Each item] is cooked to order by him also. There aren’t multiple hands doing this, so there is a lot of consistency and pride in the food we prepare.” Each hamburger patty Luke forms by hand. “We are not a fast-food restaurant, but we strive to make fresh food as fast as possible. And we encourage calling in dine-in orders ahead of time, for those in a hurry.”

Attention to customers is also a focus. 

“As far as customer service goes, we strive to make every person feel as though they are a part of our family and that we value their choice to dine with us,” says Dara. “We hope that everyone who chooses to dine with us leaves full of food and good times and is eager to come back. They remind us and encourage us to continue serving great food and hospitality in a Christian/family atmosphere without compromise. We see the Burger Shack as being that family place where generations of people come in and enjoy.”

Luke says, “To see our downtown grow and expand the way it has is incredible. We still remember vacant buildings with plywood over some of the windows. It’s exciting to see a historic part of our community and state be revived and restored. It’s great to be a part of it. It’s wonderful to be able to live out our faith and dream of having a restaurant in such an amazing place.”

After sixteen years in business with faith and family at the heart of their focus, it looks like the Burger Shack and the Moodys will be around for years to come. Burger Shack is open Monday through Friday, 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The Moodys invite people to follow them on their Burger Shack Facebook page and Instagram account.