Picture this: it’s lunch time and you are walking across the MU in search of a place to eat, and unsurprisingly you find a very long line at Panda Express. You’re tired and hungry. So you have two options, you can accept your fate and wait in line while you die slowly inside with every second that passes or you can go around and look for another place to eat. 

If you decide to look around, you will find a new burger place right next to Panda Express. Its name is Rocket Burger and it’s been open since Sept. 28 of this year. 

So what is Rocket Burger?

“The Rocket Burger concept centers on serving a simple burger and sides where everything is cooked fresh, quickly, with quality ingredients and at an appealing cost,” said Jaime Herrera, executive chef and assistant director of University Housing & Dining Services. “The menu is largely built for speed, serving high-volume during peak meal times to help give students a quick, hot, grab-and-go meal when they don’t have time to wait in long lines in-between classes.” 

Okay so they sell burgers. What else is on the menu?

“The Rocket Burger food profile is based on quality ingredients,” Herrera said. “While we offer limited customization, there are some options for a burger without sauce or cheese or even with a gluten-free bun. We intend to focus on speed of service, great simple food and offerings that include a delicious veggie burger, salad options, and American-style fast food.” 

Rocket Burger also puts special effort in sourcing their ingredients locally and making their menu both vegan and allergen friendly.

“The ingredients used at Rocket Burger are high quality, including 100% grass-fed beef from Oregon, chicken meat with no fillers, fresh produce in our made-to-order salads and a veggie burger chosen for its quality. Our veggie burger also features a house-made sauce,” Herrera said. 

Additionally, Rocket Burger helps the student population by employing a growing number of student workers such as Angel Garcia, who works as a marketing intern at Rocket Burger while studying engineering. 

“Is a good way to take my mind out of studying while getting some job experience,” Garcia said.

Garcia’s job is to up engagement for Rocket Burger, making sure students are aware of the restaurant and that it exists in place of what was an empty space for nearly two years.  

“There are roughly 12 student employees within Rocket Burger and that’s soon to grow. This adds to the over 1,400 student employees currently working for UHDS across our operations,” Herrera added. 

In conclusion, Rocket Burger is a good place to get your food fast and easy while not breaking the bank. It has a decent variety of burgers and American style food with vegan and gluten free options. So, if you have a busy schedule or want to try something new, go to the MU between 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and check out Rocket Burger.