Last November, South Florida restaurant partners Jay Oakes and John Cortes shared plans to bring chef-founder Brian Cartenuto's craft beer and burger eatery north to Palm Beach County. The restaurant is best-known for its burgers, each named after Cartenuto's friends' dogs.
In addition to the signature Tucker Duke (fried onions rings, American cheese, Tucker sauce, lettuce, and tomato), there are favorites like the Bash's Steakhouse. The burger — topped with roasted mushrooms, house-made steak sauce, Muenster cheese, and caramelized onions — is named after Cartenuto's best friend, Kim. The first meal they had together: a steak.
The Woody's Hell Ya is another popular order, a burger paired with a pile of eight-hour-smoked pork, onion, and hoisin barbecue sauce. It's named after one of Cartenuto's former colleague's dog, who used to accompany the chef to an after-hours spot where an old man would shout "hell yeah" to advertise his cheap burgers topped with pulled pork.
Serving up these burgers and more, the Boca Raton Tucker Duke's is slated to open at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, April 30, in the Fifth Avenue Shops plaza, located at 1658 N. Federal Highway.
The 3,200-square-foot space — formerly
"We chose this location because we felt Boca Raton was a natural progression for our company, and we hope to be a welcome addition to the community," says Cortes. "We love this area of Boca Raton and think Tucker Duke's is the perfect fit for the area."
Open for lunch and dinner,
Cortes says the new location will follow the same Southern-comfort-food model as the Deerfield restaurant, featuring all of the most beloved signature items, including appetizers like the PB&J bonbons and burgers like the Tucker Duke.
If you're a Tucker Duke's regular, however, expect some never-before-seen additions at the new Tucker Duke's Boca Raton, including a series of unusual appetizers and blue-plate specials.
That includes an all new section titled "Snacks From the Water," a short list of seafood-based small plates including a house-smoked fish dip, conch fritters served with a pineapple mustard, an albacore
And keep an eye out for the new cast-iron snapper; filed under blue-plate specials, the butter-basted whole snapper is served with charred Fresno chilies, orange segments, roasted potatoes, and grilled rosemary and lemon.
Tucker Duke's Lunchbox Boca Raton will open at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, April 30. The restaurant is located at 1658 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton. Call 561-717-8153, or visit tuckerdukeslunchbox.com.
Nicole Danna is a food writer covering Broward and Palm Beach counties. To get the latest in food and drink news in South Florida, follow her @SoFloNicole or find her latest food pics on the BPB New Times Food & Drink Instagram.