Al’s Burger Shack is expanding in Chapel Hill — although, not with another restaurant location.
The popular burger joint at 516 West Franklin Street added another business to its operations, with the official opening of Puddin’s Beer Shack on July 29. The bar is at 104 North Graham Street, part of the string of Midway business spaces, and serves another side to the outdoor seating offered at Al’s Burger Shack.
Owner and operator Charlie Farris says the restaurant bought the space last October, when Quantum Soul was still a tenant. Once the crystal and magikcraft shop closed in December, though, a decision needed to be made: lease the space to another business or expand some of Al’s operations into a second building. Farris says moving the bar to its own space and having an “extension” made the most sense.
“The deciding factors were that we get so busy on gamedays, we wanted a bigger draft beer and wine selection, and we needed some indoor, climate-controlled seating for those really hot, cold, or rainy days,” he says. “Now that it is complete, it’s a beautiful, seamless flow from one space to the other.”
Puddin’s Beer Shack will help frame Al’s Burger Shack’s outdoor seating, while offering plenty of indoor seating itself to patrons. (Photo via Anna Barzin/Farris Foods, Inc.)
What’s with the name of the new place? Farris says Puddin’s Beer Shack — like the custard dessert, but said in a southern accent — it is an ode to Lindsay “Puddin” Faucette, the “culinary master” for the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity house in Chapel Hill. Faucette worked there for more than 30 years, serving students and alumni like Farris, who lived in the house for five of his eight semesters attending UNC. He wanted to honor the long-time cook, who would occasionally host the young men at his “shack” off Old Lystra Road for cookouts.
“He was the glue that connected generations of SAEs,” Farris says of Faucette, who died in 2009. “Alumni might not know any of the new brothers at the house, but they would always come back to visit Puddin. On Friday nights before football games, Puddin would stay up pretty much all night and slow-cook a whole pig for us for our tailgates, and many of the brothers would stay up late with him.”
The owner says he expects the new bar will be a popular spot before and during UNC football games too, with televisions inside that will primarily feature “any sporting event you want to see.” While that will be a selling point, Farris adds that the goal is for the atmosphere to be welcoming to anyone interested in grabbing a drink or sitting outside. Puddin’s Beer Shack will have rotating local taps in addition some domestic beers, Farris’ favorite beer (Guinness) and Puddin’s favorite (Miller High Life). Wine and mixed drinks will also be featured. Functionally, it will work like the bar at Al’s Burger Shack always has — with customers able to access both places’ menus and using each for seating.
“When you order beer/wine from AL’s, a bartender from Puddin’s will run it out to you,” describes Farris. “When you order burgers and fries from Puddin’s, the AL’s staff will run it out to you. They should interact seamlessly.”
The bar setup at Puddin’s Beer Shack can serve customers both indoors and outdoors. (Photo via Jada Jarillo/Chapel Hill Media Group.)
Further expansion is on the horizon for the main brand of Al’s Burger Shack. After opening a Leland, N.C. location in 2024 to join the Southern Village and West Franklin Street ones, the restaurant confirmed another location is coming to Cary — at the Teachey Place shopping center off U.S. Highway 64. Farris bought the award-winning burger joint with business partner Jason Kesler in the winter of 2022, and the goal of expansion was central to their vision.
For now, Puddin’s Beer Shack will operate with the same hours as Al’s Burger Shack: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesdays through Sundays.
Featured photo by Anna Barzin/Farris Foods, Inc.
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