‘Cook with heart.’ New Warner Robins spot offers top-notch burgers & more
Restaurateur Hoyung “Steve” Ju immigrated to the U.S. from South Korea when he was 23 in 1978.
He opened his first restaurant, a deli called Brown Bag Lunchenette, in Arlington, Va., in 1985.
When he turned 70 two years ago, everyone told him he should retire, and he did. But he missed working and the extra cash that comes with it.
“Last restaurant, I sold it, because people, they said, in our age we have to retire ... That means, I thought, I can’t do anything after 70,” Ju said. “I have confidence I can do something ...
“I’m going to work until I cannot move ... I love it, you know. I really miss this kind of work.”
Wednesday, Ju opened My Favorite Burger at 2624 Watson Blvd., Suite C, in Warner Robins.
“I want to sell people what I like, and then my favorite burger become their favorite burger,” said Ju, explaining how he came up with the name for the restaurant. “That’s what I want.”
What to expect at My Favorite Burger
In the same shopping center that houses Sushi Thai and El Metate Mexican Restaurant, the small restaurant seats just under 30 people.
Four window seats are at the front of the restaurant, and six tables for four are along the wall across from where customers can see their food being prepared.
In addition to burgers, the menu includes subs, chicken nuggets, wings, salads, hand-spun milkshakes, french fries, onion rings, fountain sodas, iced tea, cookies and brownies.
Everything is made fresh, except the french fries — the only menu item that’s frozen, Ju said.
He’s selective in his ingredients.
“I like to eat good quality food,” Ju said. “So, I want my customer, my guest, to eat good quality food.”
The hamburgers are made with a combination of ribeye and slow cooked brisket.
“No fillers,” Ju said.
The cheesesteaks are made with slow cooked, sliced brisket. The fried onions are made with freshly-sliced onions and battered tempura style.
Customers may choose from five signature burgers, or build their own burger.
No surprise that Ju’s favorite burger is the My Favorite Burger. The burger includes a double patty, cheese sauce between the patties, a slice of American cheese, two pieces of bacon, pickles, red onions and in-house sauce made by Ju named “Steve’s Sauce.”
Ju also makes the honey mustard sauce.
Customers also may build their own burgers. A plant-based Beyond Cheeseburger and a Beyond Burger are among the build-your-own-burger options.
Customers can “make it a combo” by adding fries and a drink for $4.50 or onion rings and a drink for $5.50. Kids meal options for 12 and under also are available.
“Not everything cooked by myself,” Ju said. “My employees, hopefully, whoever work for me, same thing like me, cook with the heart.
“Nowadays, so many franchises — that’s food factory. I don’t want to be a factory. I want to be a kitchen. I want to be their home kitchen — nice and clean and good ingredients and cook with heart. All good things.”
Why Warner Robins for his new restaurant?
Ju discovered Warner Robins in summer of 2025 while on the way back to Flowery Branch, where he was living at the time, from a trip to Savannah to see the Atlantic Ocean.
The big cities he’d lived in before were crowded and full of traffic, Ju said, and he was tired of it. He appreciated the “beautiful and peaceful” spirit of Warner Robins, where he now lives.
Ju was impressed when he first drove down Watson Boulevard, and he ended up in the space that he first considered for the restaurant also off Watson Boulevard.
“I drove by Watson Boulevard, wow, they have everything,” Ju said. “But it’s a small city, and then they have everything, and then traffic is good and the people are so nice.”
My Favorite Burger offers dine-in and takeout. Takeout orders may be called in. Third-party delivery is expected in the future.
Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. The restaurant’s phone number is 478-236-2190.
This story was originally published June 24, 2026 at 12:29 PM.