After making a name for barbecue, spices, and sandwiches, restaurateur Casey Jovick recently turned his hand to smashburgers with Jovick Brothers Burgers (4993 Loughborough), which opened August 22 in the Princeton Heights space that formerly housed CC’s Vegan Spot. Here’s what to know before you go.
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Diners can build their own burgers from a long list of options. Choose the desired number of 4-ounce patties with a perfect char and juicy bite. Then specify a cheese preference: American, Swiss, or pepper jack. Move on to dressings: lettuce, tomato, pickle, mustard, mayo, ketchup, or honey mustard. Then there are the toppings: grilled onions, cheese curds, onion rings, and more. A lightly toasted potato bun from Companion holds it all together.
There are also a number of specials. The Macklind Burger includes an unusual ingredient: creamy peanut butter. “I put the peanut butter on the bottom bun, then put the hot burger on top,” says Jovick, who tops the meat with double bacon, shredded lettuce, mayonnaise, and red onion. The Carolina Cowboy is a double cheeseburger topped with onion rings and Carolina Gold barbecue sauce. Other specials included the Beso Del Diablo (or “kiss the devil”)—a double burger with pepper jack cheese, mayo, tomato, and a hot sauce—as well as The Destroyer, a triple patty with triple bacon topped with fried cheese curds, pickles, lettuce, tomato, onion, and chipotle mayo.
Beyond the burgers, the menu offers three grilled chicken sandwiches. Two vegan offerings round out the sandwiches, including the Toadstool (with rosemary mushrooms, peppers, onions, and cashew cheese) and The Big Baller (with plant-based meatballs, house marinara, and vegan mozzarella).
Jovick also serves assorted grilled jumbo glizzies (a snazzier word for hot dogs, wieners, frankfurters, or links). Purists can order the Plain Dawg on a toasted potato bun for $5 or upgrade to the Classic with ketchup, mustard, and the sweet pickle relish for an extra $1.50. Fancier glizzies include the Chicago, the time-honored Coney Island, a chili dog, and an all-out Hoosier Dawg (topped with bacon, cheddar, pulled chicken, red onion, and barbecue sauce).
Certain sides are cooked on the same grill as the signature smashburgers. “I do the tots on the flattop,” says Jovick, who adds shredded cheese and bacon bits on the grill, so the cheese melts into the tots.
As for sweets? Pastry chef Rebecca Kearney is also developing a rotating menu of homemade desserts.
THE ATMOSPHERE
The casual space seats about 24 inside, with an additional 20 seats on the small patio. The interior features white walls with red trim, the same shade of red that brightens the façade.
Hours are currently 4–9 p.m. Monday through Saturday at the new restaurant, where customers can order at the counter. On our visit, more than one person said, “I’ve been waiting for you to open.”
THE BACKSTORY
Owner Casey Jovick has generated a following with Jovick Brothers Deli in Westport and with his popular line of Jovick Brothers spice blends. He’s worked at some of St. Louis’ most beloved delis and barbecue joints. Although Casey Jovick does indeed have a brother, he’s not involved in his business. “Jovick Brothers just sounds better,” he says.
Although he began his career as a union butcher, Jovick soon moved to the restaurant side at Pappy’s Smokehouse and Sugarfire Smoke House. He then became pitmaster and manager at Macklind Avenue Deli which was devastated by a fire at the deli in 2018. He moved on to LeGrand’s Market. Then, in 2019, he parlayed his knowledge of spices and rubs into a new venture, Jovick Brothers Spice Blends. Along the way, he’s also collaborated with other chefs and pitmasters, including Mel Meyer of Tiny Chef and Pizza Bear, as well as Jason Bockman of Strange Donuts
Jovick works hard to innovate, to keep his business growing. “You have to stay relevant and visible in the blossoming St. Louis food culture. It’s all about the new,” he says. “One dimensionality doesn’t work for anything creative,” he says.
