10news top 10 never disappointed all
year long we've had fabulous winners and
we have been going to really cool places
that you've told us about to discover
the best of everything our region has to
offer yeah and this month is no
different we asked you to tell us who
has the best burger in our area and you
told us to head to collinsville to check
out a place that will take you back to
the days of Elvis we asked and you voted
we wanted to know who has the best
burgers in the area and you took us here
to collinsville so we're at fenders
drive-in and we're gonna check out the
burgers
[Music]
I'm here with Stacey Connor the owner of
fenders drive-in first congratulations
thank you an honor to have the best
burger in our area right so tell us a
little bit about fenders and how you all
got started and your theme and where you
came up the back well 13 years ago we
moved here from Pennsylvania I was a
school teacher in Martinsville and my
husband worked for Arrington engines and
after a few years of not being able to
find a place like home
to eat to bring our kids I talked to my
husband into opening fenders and this is
our kind of version of a 50 style he's
into fixing up old cars
we love that 50s music that's so great
and when I was fifteen I worked at a
Tastee Freez so we incorporated a lot of
the Tastee Freez
okay that's because it says uh you have
burgers hotdogs and ice cream right
right and so you had worked at a
restaurant kind of before it's just
amazing to just want to start a
restaurant well I've worked in
restaurants through college when I
worked at the Tastee Freez for four
summers get through high school okay and
this is your first time owning a
restaurant yes and how has it been so
far how long have you all been open
eight years we just celebrated our
eighth anniversary birthday whatever we
get a lot of people coming in on their
lunch hour most of the ones that come
during their lunch hour they know that
we're not a fast-food restaurant you
know we don't cook your food until we
get the ticket we also get our meat
fresh every morning a butcher local
butcher cuts it for us or grinds it for
us I asked you you said your most
popular menu item is just a plain
cheeseburger and cheese so you have some
other menu items you said the fender
bender yes
it's a cheap grilled cheese on the
bottom than a hamburger let ketchup
mustard pickle onion and then you have a
center bun and then you have a bacon
cheeseburger and lettuce tomato
mayonnaise oh my gosh that sounds
delicious
and then you hat was at the hot rod we
have a hot rod burger that's with
jalapenos our own fender sauce that has
some hot sauce on it and pepper jack
cheese you all have good onion rings I
hear we cut our own onions we buy the
biggest onions and then we cut them cut
them ourselves we make our own onion
ring batter and they're the size of
donut we call them onion donuts serve it
yeah what do you think it is about your
burgers that have made it so popular I
think the freshness that's fresh that
day
just being friendly to the customers and
you know we have a lot of customers that
are regulars and they come in to see the
girls they come in to see us and it's
like a family yeah family wrestling and
what does it mean for you all to win
this we feel awesome it's very humbled
that we were even I don't even know how
we were chosen but it's all based on
votes it's awesome well congratulations
that burgers as big as your head Britney
no like this oh it's like a beautiful
this really it oh my god man
[Music]
I'm gonna focus congratulations spenders
on being voted the best burger in the
area
[Music]
I want it again right now don't relive
it be sure to head to Fender sometime
soon not only for the burgers the onion
rings right old-fashioned milkshakes and
banana splits I mean you name it they've
got it there yes definitely you can find
more on their Facebook page just search
for fenders drive in and tell them the
date I'm sent you