Category: Shops

Pictured is the Big Stuff Bacon Meltdown. The burger is made with two beef patties, bacon, cheese, a tomato, onions, lettuce, pickles and Good Stuff Eatery's special sauce.  On the side:   Spike's Village Fries, topped with fresh thyme, rosemary and sea salt.  Quamé A. Hamlin / You Gotta Eat This!

Think of all of the things that you do when you are bored.  I am sure that scrolling through Instagram, or starting a Netflix marathon are at the top of your list, but not for Catherine Mendelsohn, a veteran restauranteur.

“She moved up to D.C., to be closer to her daughter, got bored and started Good Stuff Eatery,” said Good Stuff’s Executive Chef, Max Albano in a phone interview.  “Originally, they were going to open a kitchen store, kind of like a Williams-Sonoma type thing,” Albano continued.

A massive cowbell is one of the first things that diners see as they enter Good Stuff Eatery.  Quamé A. Hamlin / You Gotta Eat This!

Almost seven years after Catherine and her son, Chef Spike Mendelsohn, started Good Stuff Eatery, the budding chain has five locations and it’s clear that deciding against selling high-end kitchen supplies was a positive decision.

“I definitely feel like it’s the quality of the food and we’re very creative with the menu options that we have,” said Albano about the business’ success.

At the end of Good Stuff Eatery's assembly line, orders are available for pickup. Customers are notified via a paging system operated by the cashier.  Quamé A. Hamlin / You Gotta Eat This!

Good Stuff Eatery has seen the most growth in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, where they currently have three locations.  Albano credits that success to the Good Stuff corporate team's ability to, “put all of our culinary knowledge into something that people have been eating forever.”

That consistency and the restaurant’s ability to personalize American classics has awarded Good Stuff Eatery the opportunity to expand beyond the United States.

“We like to serve the nostalgic American.  I’ve actually been to Saudi Arabia since we started talks.  The Saudi population is fascinated with American brands.  They want to eat like Americans eat.”

A couple enjoys lunch as the Washington Wizards take on the Toronto Raptors in an NBA playoff game. Small families, members of the armed forces and children of every age were present, providing a very diverse atmosphere.  Quamé A. Hamlin / You Gotta Eat This!

Eating like Americans eat means extremely filling portion sizes, barely bitable burgers, unrivaled toasted marshmallow milkshakes and a fast casual restaurant atmosphere that doesn’t feel like fast casual.  It’s easy to see why Good Stuff Eatery averages 3.5 stars on Yelp, across all of their current locations, (2,158 reviews).