Burgers are sizzling once again on the grill at the tiny white building at the corner of Woodward Avenue and Hamilton Row in Birmingham.
On Monday, Better Burgers opened its doors to customers, serving not only burgers but breakfast sandwiches, patty melts, grilled cheese sandwiches, fries and shakes.
And it’s open 24 hours, 7 days a week.
At 35075 Woodward Ave., Mikos Plumaj, the son of the restaurant owners, told the Detroit Free Press that the space was empty, and there was an opportunity to lease the building.
“Everyone knows about the building,” Plumaj said. “It’s been a staple and iconic here for over 70 years.”
Plumaj said his family has been in the restaurant business for more than 25 years, owning coney islands in Detroit, an ice cream shop in Warren and another kitchen and bar, although he would not disclose the name.
“I believe that it is better to have you know a business in here operating and running rather than just the empty building on beautiful Woodward,” Plumaj said.
Inside, the restaurant seats about 45 people with counter seating and two high-top tables.
At Better Burgers, the spotlight is, of course, on the burgers. Plumaj describes the burgers as between a slider and a normal cheeseburger.
“They’re bigger than a slider but smaller than a cheeseburger,” he said. “We do press them down a bit, but they’re not completely smashed.”
Sliders start out as 3.2 ounces of beef patties, Plumaj said.
The basic to-go cheeseburger comes with ketchup, mustard, grilled onions and pickles. You can add toppings like jalapenos, bacon or even a fried egg for an extra charge.
For more than 70 years, the building housed Hunter House Hamburgers, which closed and relocated on Oct. 31, 2025. Hunter House Hamburgers new space is at 33900 Woodward Ave., between Lincoln and Adams streets in a former KFC location.
“The property has been under dispute for 20 years, and this is our way to make sure Hunter House can last another 73 years,” co-owner Kelly Cobb told the Free Press.
When it reopens, co-owner Kelly Cobb told the Free Press for an October story that the new space will be the same. Cobb also said they own the new building, but didn’t disclose any financial details of the purchase.
“It’s exactly the same. “We are designing it with fine details based on our current building,” Cobb said. “We are bringing the grill with us, carrying it out the door and putting it back in.”
While the new space is still under construction, Hunter House is operating from a semi-permanent heated tent set up on the lot at the new site to serve customers during construction.
While the building is three times larger, Cobb said, the customer area will be the same size.
“The facility is larger and gives the capacity for larger and better service,” he said.
Contact Detroit Free Press food and restaurant writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news and tips to: sselasky@freepress.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @SusanMariecooks. Subscribe to the Free Press. Subscribe to the Eat Drink Freep newsletter for insider scoops on food and dining in metro Detroit.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: New burger joint moves into old Hunter House Hamburgers space
Reporting by Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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