(gentle guitar strumming) - I love it when customers come in and say, "How you doing today, John?"

Yeah, I'll say, "Living the American dream, driving my F250 and cooking hamburgers."

(John laughs) (bluesy harmonica music) I've been open for approximately, almost 10 years right now.

My wife, Lisa wanted to open up a restaurant and she was talking about it.

And one day her brother called and said, he know where a building is for leasing, signed the lease that day.

I was born and raised in Travelers Rest, and I love living in Travelers Rest, 'cause its a small town, down-home people, the people are great, and just a great place to live.

(upbeat music) Here at Northwest Grill, we got good food, not fast food.

We get our beef in, fresh daily and we pat it out and we hand cut our fries, and we cook everything fresh.

Everything's cooked to order.

People was telling me the burgers were good, and I got to saying I'm a Burgerologist, and I consider myself to have the best burgers in the upstate.

(slow country music) If South Carolina had a signature dish, it would be our Northwest Bacon Pimento Cheeseburger, half and half with Mama's coleslaw.

Half and half is onion rings and fries.

My daughter made a TikTok and he went viral.

So we was coming out of North Carolina and she called me, she said, "Daddy, you're famous."

And I said, "What do you mean I'm famous?"

She said, "You're on TikTok."

And I said, "What's Tiktok?"

(upbeat music) You know, there's people come from all over.

Three girls come from up above Charlotte, North Carolina, and it took 'em five hours to get here.

And I said, "Well, what took y'all so long?"

They said, "We get lost."

And they wanted to just come drive all the way down here, just eat and meet me.

And I felt real honored, you know?

(upbeat music) Well, when you first walk in, we like to make you feel like you've just walked in, or like you're at home.

It's just a little small family owned restaurant that you don't see hardly anymore.

Just a little hole in the wall that everybody like.

I love to dance, I like to dance, customers will come in, we do a little dance sometime.

I love Northwest Grill because of the people, the community and working with great staff.

And just enjoy meeting people, talking to people.

Some people I don't even recognize anymore.

Everybody knows me.

They know me as The Burger Man.

(upbeat music)