'We cook to order.' BullsEye Burgers and Chicken's fresh take aims to hit the spot

Donnell Suggs, The Times, Gainesville, Ga.
·3 min read

Feb. 23—There's more to a burger than just meat and a bun. And there's more to serving chicken than just wings. In Flowery Branch, BullsEye Burgers and Chicken is letting diners do more with the traditional burgers, fries and chicken combos — much more.

BullsEye Burgers and Chicken

Where: 4009 Winder Highway, Suite 250, Flowery Branch

Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday; 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Sunday

More info: facebook.com/BullseyeBurgersNChicken

BullsEye owner Steve Ju was moving quickly between the kitchen where he and a pair of employees were preparing for a weekday lunch rush and a ladder that he was using to turn on the digital overhead menus. Ju and staff recently celebrated a one-year anniversary and, these days, there's less time to prepare between lunch and dinner services.

The restaurant, situated next door to the Great Clips in the Kroger Shopping Center, has its largest crowds at lunchtime, according to Ju, and he wants to make sure everything is ready for them when they arrive.

"It has been one year and we are doing great here," said Ju, who moved back to Flowery Branch from Arlington, Virginia, in 2021. His plan was to retire after years of owning restaurants in Georgia and Virginia, but like most well-laid plans, things changed.

"I messed up my retirement plans," he joked as he greeted a group of customers. "I just couldn't forget Flowery Branch and I always had this town in my mind because of how nice the people are. I knew I wanted to return."

Upon his return to Flowery Branch, Ju noticed a lot of fast food near the shopping center, but not many fresh options.

"I had to go out to eat every day," Ju said of his first weeks back in town while he was renovating the kitchen in his home. "There are a lot of franchise restaurants, but there wasn't any restaurants that I wanted to go to."

So Ju solved the problem the only way he knew how and started planning what would become BullsEye. He has cooked professionally since 1985, when he launched his career by opening a deli in Arlington.

"The space was vacant, it was just floors and walls," he remembered about the 1,200-square-foot space. "I designed the kitchen and everything."

The open kitchen floor plan at BullsEye allows customers to watch their food being prepared.

Of the restaurant's five signature burgers, the breakfast burger offers a unique spin on morning favorites, combining a fried egg, two pieces of bacon and cheddar cheese on a single beef patty.

The BullsEye burger, another popular menu item, according to Ju, comes with a double patty, double American cheese, three pieces of bacon, pickles, red onions and a signature homemade sauce.

For those that might prefer chicken instead of beef, there's the grilled or fried chicken sandwich, both served with lettuce and tomato, while the fried chicken club sandwich features American cheese, bacon and red onions.

BullsEye wings come in traditional flavors like lemon pepper and Buffalo, but also house sauce, sriracha mayo and garlic parmesan.

Seafood lovers can nosh on the panko shrimp sandwich, which comes with four pieces of shrimp and coleslaw, or the crispy panko shrimp platter served with fries, coleslaw and diner's choice of sriracha mayor or garlic aioli.

Stephanie Bautista, a regular and Gainesville resident, said what makes BullsEye Burgers & Chicken one of her go-to spots for lunch isn't just the food, it's the service.

"I like the food, it tastes homemade. I also like the environment; they are very friendly here," she said.

Overhearing, Ju added, "Because we cook to order."