Arguably the most iconic of American dishes, the burger is a simple offering that can be upgraded in quality, customized in build and mashed up with other flavors and cuisines. For these reasons, the category thrives across price points and service formats, dominating the fast-food segment while still cropping up on fine-dining menus. Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar falls between these two poles, offering a quality-first menu of classics, signature riffs and trend-forward LTOs.

“Our burgers are giant, never-frozen 7-oz. patties seasoned to perfection and served in fresh-baked brioche buns—that’s the platform for everything we do,” says John Masterson, director of culinary for Bad Daddy’s. “I like to vacillate between, ‘Do I want to do something that’s really familiar?’ or ‘Do I want to touch on something that’s a couple standard deviations from the mean?’ That’s my favorite sandbox to play in: How far can I take it with the guests still recognizing the product and having the desire to purchase and enjoy it?”

Founded in 2007, Bad Daddy’s arrived on the scene just as the better-burger craze was beginning to disrupt the long-established category. Masterson has been with the Colorado-based brand for 15 years (assuming his current role in 2023) and has watched it grow to its current count of 39 units across seven states. Still, when compared to fast-food giants, Bad Daddy’s remains a relative newcomer, with the small size, ambition and culinary daring to continue innovating in the space. “I’m grateful because my boundaries are very few and far between, and the parameters are almost nonexistent when it comes to burgers,” Masterson says.

This latitude has generated knockout specials like the Birria Burger (which will be featured in Flavor & The Menu’s upcoming Best of Flavor issue). The LTO was so popular in 2024 that the brand has brought it back for a summertime run, this time accompanied by additional Mexican-inspired items. The Elote Street Corn Dip is a housemade blend of slow-roasted, street-style corn and Cotija crema with a sprinkle of Tajín, served with seasoned chips. “I think 10 years ago, that would have been a really hard sell on the East Coast, but thanks to food trucks and maybe even the Travel Channel, it’s doing really well. After just one week, it’s become our top-performing LTO starter,” he reports. And on the sweet side, the Churro Crunch Shake taps the current frenzy around the fried dough sticks, incorporating cinnamon-sugar bites and dulce de leche into a hand-spun vanilla shake that’s finished with whipped cream and a churro garnish.

Another recent LTO married the burger with an unlikely and equally beloved partner. The Pizza Burger featured thick-cut pepperoni, fresh mozzarella, housemade marinara plus a light coat of pesto on the top bun to “bring in some brightness and freshness,” Masterson says. “I thought it was almost too gimmicky, but our guests craved it. We got phenomenal feedback and reviews.”

Credit: Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar

Through limited-time offers, Bad Daddy’s can introduce less familiar flavor systems, as with the Elote Street Corn Dip (left), and unusual mash-ups, like the Pizza Burger (right).

Naturally, the seasons influence the flavor profiles and ingredients. Late last year, Bad Daddy’s served the Grinch-inspired Roast Beast Burger, an indulgent offering to match the indulgent season: wine-braised short rib, black Angus patty and herb-infused cream cheese with arugula and potato frites on buttered brioche. In autumn, the brand regularly offers a Bratwurst Burger special to coincide with Oktoberfest. The build pulls various components of a deconstructed bratwurst, with peppers and onions incorporated into the patty, a topping of housemade apple sauerkraut, provolone and whole-grain Dijonnaise on a pretzel bun. “It looks, tastes and kind of acts like a traditional hamburger, but you’re getting the elements of sweetness and sour from a bratwurst,” Masterson says. The Bratwurst Burger comes with a melty beer cheese for dipping, and each year the brand tries to partner with a different brewer for flavor variety. “It’s really quite the hit because a bratwurst burger sounds strange, but it also sounds good—and that’s worth a try,” he adds.

Masterson says he and his boss, CEO Ryan Zink, are in a lighthearted tug-of-war over how many seasons are in a year. The culinary director sticks with the traditional four, but Zink claims five, asserting that the holidays are a season unto themselves. Indeed, the latter third of the year packs very seasonally specific flavors into a contracted period. “It’s one of those things where, with brats and pumpkins, you get out of October, and people aren’t as interested, so that’ll be a real quick eight-week run,” Masterson says. “And come January 1, people aren’t interested in slow-braised short rib burgers. It’s back to New Year’s resolutions, and they’re looking for interesting salads or maybe smaller portions with soups and sliders and things of that nature.”

To that end, one of the trickiest specials to pull off is a Thanksgiving LTO. “We’ve got a fantastic turkey burger with homemade stuffing and gravy, but the problem is it’s so prep-intensive and demanding of our time to only have peak interest for about two weeks,” he explains. “So you’ve got to be cognizant of operations. They don’t have to love me, but I don’t want them to pick up pitchforks.”

While LTOs drum up consumer interest and keep the menu fresh, Masterson believes the majority of the time, guest preferences lean toward the basics. Bad Daddy’s core offerings include high-quality versions of simple burger builds, like BD’s All-American Burger (ketchup, mustard, lettuce, tomato, red onion and pickles) and the Bistro Burger (Gouda, applewood-smoked bacon, grilled onions, arugula and chipotle-avocado crema). Given the popularity of classic flavors, the brand was confident enough to introduce a new permanent item without first testing it in a limited run. “The Smash N’ Stack Smash Burger is arguably one of my boldest moves, as we typically use the LTO as the springboard for success,” Masterson says. The build comprises two 4-oz. smash patties, sharp cheddar, Monterey Jack, pickles and a housemade burger sauce with a secret ingredient that, he says, brings a lot of umami.

This gamble quickly paid off; since its April debut, the Smash N’ Stack has become the No. 3 top seller. In a way, it’s a culmination of menu adaptation that can be traced all the way back to Covid, when Bad Daddy’s started experimenting with smaller sizes to drive value options. But the initial offering of single 5-oz. patties were not only difficult to cook given their petite plumpness, they also got lost in the sizable bun. Masterson and his team pivoted, introducing the 4-oz. Classic Smash Burger and Steakhouse Smash Burger, both clocking in under $10.

“But what we were finding was many guests were ordering these and asking to make it a double, and that goes back to how do you innovate. It’s the guests who told me, ‘Hey, we love smash patties—thanks for the value—but how do I get two? How do I get three patties on this?’” he recalls. “And I said if we’re going to do it, let’s do it right and keep it super simple: double patty, a little bacon, pickles and a little sauce. We don’t need to distract people with lettuce, tomato and onion—that’s on almost all our other burgers. Let’s keep the ordering simple, keep the flavors simple and still provide the value.”

Credit: Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar

Now a permanent offering, the Pesto Pasta Salad cross-utilizes existing ingredients for a side option that performs as well off-premises as it does at the restaurant.

Just as customer feedback helps guide menu innovation, so does the changing restaurant landscape. Another new addition to the permanent menu (this one making the LTO rounds last year) is the Pesto Pasta Salad, which Masterson says is “better than it should be at a burger restaurant.” While not at odds with the brand’s burger-centric identity, it doesn’t seem like the type of dish that would have its culinary director so excited—until he explains its significance. Like most full-service restaurants, Bad Daddy’s business model and menu development process were upended during the pandemic, and even today, off-premises accounts for 10 to 25 percent of top-line sales. But, as many operators can attest, freshly prepared, hand-cut fries don’t hold their structure like the frozen fries used by many fast-food purveyors.

“I think part of being good at what you do is being humble enough to know that your brand identity needs to shift at times,” he says. “The Pesto Pasta Salad is really designed to travel well; it’s going to be just as good in the dining room as it is in your living room. And our guests have said, ‘That’s what we’re looking for.’ It also fits our prep because we’re cross-utilizing the cavatappi pasta, which is in our mac and cheese, and the pesto, which is in our Sam I Am Burger.”

Up next, Bad Daddy’s has yet-to-be-announced specials in the works for July 4th with more to follow in the latter half of the year. When asked what flavors are piquing his interest, Masterson points to two international cuisines whose Stateside popularity is growing. And as more consumers become familiar with these flavors, it’s likely Bad Daddy’s will find a way to incorporate elements into its own menu. “I would love to combine a slow-braised short rib and a kimchi product for some Korean flair,” he says. “Vietnamese is my favorite cuisine, so I’m working to piece that together and still have wide appeal. As people become more global in their palates, it really opens the door to do more.”