Stacked Serves Juicy Burgers and Good Vibes in Worthington Woods
Learn all about Jordan and Dan Lamatrice's burger diner, plus local food news.
Stacked Serves Juicy Burgers and Good Vibes in Worthington Woods
By Erin Edwards
When looking to open his first brick-and-mortar, Jordan Lamatrice, the co-owner of Stacked Burger Co., says he walked through restaurant spaces in areas known for their foot traffic, such as Grandview and Westerville.
His conclusion? “The rent was just too damn high,” he says.
Lamatrice, who ran Alphabetical Comfort Kitchen inside Budd Dairy from 2021 to 2024, decided to cast a wider net, stumbling upon an unfamiliar-to-him neighborhood: Worthington Woods, located just north of I-270.
Worthington Woods isn’t known as a foodie destination—the southern border of this suburban-meets-industrial neighborhood is home to big companies like Worthington Enterprises, Ametek and Cologix—but Lamatrice staked out the area for a few days and saw opportunity there.
“I just kind of hung out [in Worthington Woods Plaza] and saw what was going on. I ate at the Subway. I grabbed a beer at the Donerick’s, and I noticed a lot of blue collar [workers]. I noticed a lot of families.
“And man, I was blown away by even just the amount of landscaping crews that stopped at that UDF every day, in the morning, in the afternoon, after five o’clock. It was bananas. I was like, well, there’s a lunch crowd right there,” he says. “It kind of just clicked. I don’t need to be in the next hot spot. I just need to be the neighborhood favorite.”
A year and a half later, Stacked—a self-described “modern burger diner” at 1089 Worthington Woods Blvd.—now has more business than the Lamatrice brothers can keep up with, he says.
The diner’s wonderfully sloppy, behemoth-sized burgers on brioche buns are obviously the main draw. Stacked’s burger patties are a bit thicker than those of a classic smashburger, whose super-thin patties come with a lacy edge.
“I like a burger, I’m not gonna complain about it. But I still want to be able to taste the beef and not so much the grill, which is what I notice a lot of times at those smashburger places,” Lamatrice says.
Stacked’s regular menu includes The Stack, the burger that started it all at Budd Dairy, featuring a nicely seasoned 1/3-pound beef patty plus caramelized onions, American cheese, shredded romaine, house dill pickles, ketchup and house aioli on a brioche bun. (If you dare, you can make it a double for $3 a patty.)
Another menu regular is the BBQ Bacon Burger, adding fried onion straws and house chipotle barbecue sauce to the party. Stacked also runs monthly specials, like a recent French onion burger.
In contrast to its outsized burgers, what really sets Stacked apart is the little things—like really warm hospitality on my recent unannounced visit.
Lamatrice also goes the extra mile by making sauces in house—that wonderful garlic aioli is a good example. His housemade dill pickles, which show up on the Stack Burger and the excellent chicken thigh sandwich, are another highlight. They’re so good that Lamatrice started selling them to-go. Pickling was a pandemic hobby he picked up, Lamatrice says.
Sides include serviceable house-seasoned fries (included with your burger order)—or ask for them smothered in housemade Beer Gut Chili, cheddar cheese and sour cream. Onion rings and fried Brussels sprouts also come as sides.
For dessert, Stacked offers nostalgia in the form of ice cream floats as well as lovely little cupcakes baked by one of the staffers.
The restaurant offers a small dine-in seating area, including several counter stools that face the open kitchen. Family photos and burger-joint memorabilia fill the walls. During my lunchtime visit to Stacked this week, I overheard a regular say he had brought in three uninitiated coworkers to try the burgers. Perhaps, they’ll tell three more people.
Who needs foot traffic, anyway?
Notes
Around the Columbus Food & Drink Scene
No foolin’, Grandview’s The Crispy Coop has officially closed for good at 1717 Northwest Blvd. Owner Drew Cleary didn’t give a reason for the decision. The local fried chicken chain got its start as an Uncle Nick’s Greek Fried Chicken franchise before Cleary rebranded to The Crispy Coop in 2020.
Columbus Business First reports that The Lox Bagel Shop is finally adding a second location. Kevin Crowley’s nationally recognized bagel shop, which first opened in the Short North in 2018, is expanding to 2140 Ikea Way in Polaris. Look for an opening later this year.
Martha’s Fusion Kitchen has opened a second location, this one in Hilliard at 4502 Cemetery Road. The family-run restaurant specializes in birria tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas and other dishes inspired by the cuisine of Guanajuato, Mexico. Martha’s original storefront is located at 3331 Maize Road.
Dan the Baker’s run at the 2026 James Beard Awards has come to an end. The James Beard finalists were announced this week and the popular Columbus bakery, which was named a semifinalist for Outstanding Bakery in January, failed to advance. Dan the Baker was the only Columbus semifinalist this year.
From The Foodletter Archive