Chef gets into the burger biz

When Ryan Davis came to Thompson Falls from Alberta, Canada, two years ago, he saw one thing missing, a burger truck. So he got together with a friend and built one.

Main St. Burger opened this month at 709 Main Street in Thompson Falls, offering a variety of smash burgers, sandwiches, and fresh-cut french fries.

"The real dream is a big restaurant overlooking the beautiful water, serving not only burgers but hot dogs too," he said. However, he wanted to test the waters with a truck and gain the trust of the community first. Coming from an executive chef position, Davis knows his way around the kitchen.

With locally sourced ingredients, Main St. Burger became a reality. Taking inspiration from the fond memories of cooking with his grandma, Davis said he wanted healthy, good quality food at a lower price. Which is why he chose to have locally sourced products.

"I didn't want food coming on a truck. I wanted a great burger with fresh ingredients," he explained.

Making his own buns, Davis gets the flour from Cascade Mills in Washington, while getting his elk from Black Canyon Ranch in Idaho, and bison from Harlow Ranch right here in Thompson Falls.

When asked why not just regular burgers but smashburgers Davis said, "Smash burgers aren't necessarily better than a regular burger, but they are quicker and we want to have that 'shoreline lunch' where it's quick for people to get back to their jobs."

The french fries are cooked in beef tallow and Davis also offers a Nashville hot dill chicken sandwich, a pastrami and cheese, turkey and cheese and even grilled cheese sandwiches.

Main St. Burger is open Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. for lunch and 5-8 p.m. for dinner. For more information, check out their Facebook page.