Rex Prehistoric Patties roars open at Fork Forty

What started off as a small idea for an additional restaurant to the Fork Forty food hall, has roared loudly as the dinosaur-themed burger joint, Rex Prehistoric Patties, which debuted in early November. Adjacent to The Best Goose bar and located in the back of the food hall, the new burger place provides great meals to satisfy even the hungriest of people. Buerge, (who goes by his last name only) is the manager of building, the hall, as well as the owner of The Best Goose and Rex, did not intend to open a restaurant when he originally opened “The Goose” bar back in May 2020.

The Goose took longer than expected when it first opened mid pandemic because of the scale and ideas Buerge wanted for it. Rex, on the other hand, took less time to develop. “It was a summer project and I ended up being a month late, which was pretty good,” Buerge said.

The dinosaur-themed restaurant greets people with a massive Tyrannosaurus Rex mural painted on the side of the restaurant, surrounded by burgers and foliage with bright colors to catch the eye of potential customers.

“I wanted a 1,2 punch of bright, loud, and fun with a real-deal solid product,” Buerge said. As an avid and enthusiastic fan of dinosaurs and the blockbuster film, "Jurassic Park," Buerge took what he loved and made it something he could share with everyone. 

“I wanted it to be fun and I wanted it to grab attention and it’s definitely doing that.” Buerge said.  He also sought to make it something that would appeal to the kid lurking in all adults. Buerge and his team of employees give out little dinosaur figurines as a fun addition to their kids' meals.

“I am probably the biggest dinosaur nerd you’ll ever meet," Buerge said. "So I picked a theme that I didn’t have to think too hard about and found someone who wanted to make a menu and that’s kind of where ‘Rex’ came from.” The menu includes burgers and vegetarian burgers, as well as nostalgic dinosaur chicken nuggets. Rex has something for customers of all ages to enjoy.

Parker Black, who created the menu and runs the kitchen, is the burger chef as well. “If the food tastes good, it’s Parker’s fault,” Buerge added.

Rex Prehistoric Patties took over the space of the previous Thai food restaurant, "King’s Kitchen" after it closed its doors in August 2021. Buerge notes a sentimental fact about the restaurant's location, too.

“Rex in Latin means "King," so [the restaurant] is kind of a nod to its roots and a nod to what was,” Buerge said. While the burger joint has just opened its doors, the opportunities for growth are endless with Buerge hoping to gain more foot traffic for the Goose as well.

Be sure to check out Rex Prehistoric Patties near The Best Goose bar in the Fork Forty food hall.

Fork Forty is open daily 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., with some restaurants only open Monday through Saturday. Others like Rex Prehistoric Patties and The Best Goose bar are also open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays.