General Manager and Executive Chef Jahmal Gillespie samples some of Core Burger Grill’s menu offerings, which he describes as American comfort food with an upscale dining twist.  Gillespie’s Southern roots inspired the eatery’s menu, but he was also influenced by his time living and cooking in Hawaii, Japan and Southern California.

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Core Burger Grill

As the weather heats up, burger enthusiasts in Orange can now get their burger fix at Core Burger Grill, a new restaurant that opened in February.

Started by Executive Chef Jahmal Gillespie and business partners Daniel Nguyen and Sunny Hussain, Core Burger Grill is an upscale burger restaurant with high-quality ingredients.  The trio originally started the concept in 2020, but the pandemic stalled their plans for a few years.

“All the pieces aligned to where we had a good team, a good staff, and then the greatest part was finding the location,” says Nguyen, who serves as the company’s Chief Operating Officer.  “We were looking at leases before the pandemic started, but then we finally found the Old Towne spot and knew it was perfect.”

The neighborhood’s atmosphere blends well with Gillespie’s vision for the eatery of a small-town, family feeling.

“For my family, the kitchen is a central area for everything from hanging out to talking and drinking, listening to music, and more,” he says.  “The kitchen is a place where people feel comfortable and happy, and I wanted to bring that feeling to my restaurant.”

The menu includes typical American comfort food cuisine, like truffle fries and wings, as starters, as well as burgers and chicken sandwiches for entrees. Core Burger Grill's most popular menu item is the $1000 Burger, a classic patty with American cheese and a housemade Thousand Island dressing.

“Our burgers are created to be a kind of cult following you can’t find anywhere else,” says Gillespie.

Gillespie found that part of the restaurant’s success has been the professional chemistry he and his partners have.  “We worked together and collaborated on something amazing,” he says.  “Creating something from the ground up like this was unimaginable.  I have a lot of pride for what we made.”

Already, the team is working quickly.  They have plans for two new restaurants they will operate through cloud kitchens, which will use online food delivery platforms to run orders and facilitate logistics.  Those include an Italian American diner called Ameritino Cafe and a Texas barbecue named Ghost Town BBQ.  As for expanding Core Burger Grill itself, Gillespie and his team are holding off for now and working on perfecting their first location.

“When the restaurant grows, we don't feel the need to franchise it out,” says Gillespie.  “We want to keep it within our team because we’re a strong group.”

For now, that means continuing to personalize the curated atmosphere in the Orange restaurant that is friendly and hospitable.  Gillespie even made customized songs under the production name “Chef J” that play exclusively in Core Burger Grill.

“We want everyone to know we’re here for the community, and we want to see this neighborhood grow,” says Nguyen.  “Orange is a very community-based city, and we’re thankful to be here.”

Core Burger Grill
1610 East Chapman Ave., Orange, CA 92866  /  714-744-4100
(No longer in business, in Orange.)