At Burgertory, a horror movie-themed “gore-met” burger joint in West Valley City, all of the menu items sound like the punchline to a spooky joke. 

What kind of burger do you serve to someone possessed by a demon? The Exorswiss and Mushrooms, of course. 

What appetizer would the Wolfman eat? Monsterella Sticks—what else? 

And what would a horror-loving vegetarian love to sink their teeth into? None other than The Creature from the Black Legume, a black bean burger served with cheddar, chipotle aioli, pickles, onion and lettuce. 

And to go with all these culinary thrills is a chilling atmosphere to match. 

The restaurant’s walls are plastered with more horror movie posters than you can imagine, for mainstays like “The Shining,” “The Silence of the Lambs,” “Carrie,” “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” “Dawn of the Dead,” “Child’s Play” and many more. Classic metal plays over the speakers, wailing guitars serenading diners as they destroy their burgers. 

Jeremy Sundeaus opened Burgertory at 3197 S. Redwood Road (It’s “Redblood Road” on their website) in April 2023. 

Despite its slightly hidden location, set a bit back from Redwood Road, Burgertory has the support of Utah horror fans. Halloween is its busiest time of year. 

“[It is] quite an accomplishment when I keep hearing [that] the first year is the hardest,” he said. “So we kicked off with a great start. Navigating the seasons has been a challenge but we’ve developed quite a regular crowd now.”

Sundeaus can take credit for most of the clever wordplay on the menu, which features all the classics you’d expect at a burger joint, with a horror movie twist. 

At Burgertory, it’s not just a pastrami burger; it’s The Pastramityville Horror. It’s not just a burger piled high with sauteed jalapenos and slathered with habanero aioli; it’s the spicy Hellraiser. And it’s not just a marinated grilled chicken sandwich with mayo, lettuce and tomato; it’s the Poultryguist. 

Sundeaus said the name Burgertory is a play on Purgatory, a bar in Salt Lake City that closed for renovations in December. Once Sundeaus came up with the name, he kept it in the back of his mind until one night, he was hanging out with his friends and he came up with the Exorswiss and Mushrooms. Then his friends started thinking of burger names, too. 

“It snowballed after that and then developed into an actual concept,” Sundeaus said. “A Hard Rock Cafe but instead of R&R, horror movie themed with metal being played.”

The location was an old Thai restaurant in a strip mall. The interior walls were lined with booths and faux brick, and the ceiling was painted black. Overlarge Edison bulbs hung over each booth. 

After an unholy amount of black paint, Sundeaus turned the interior into a horror movie hall of fame. He hung posters and memorabilia all over the walls. And when those lightbulbs flicker, they jokingly blame it on the restaurant’s poltergeist. 

Recently, Burgertory has continued to lean into its horror theme by rolling out a small dessert menu, which features a terrifying treat called The Hills Have Eyescream, an Uncrustable prepared French toast-style and served with a scoop of ice cream. They plan to add milkshakes,
as well. 

In early July, Burgertory celebrated its first year in business with the release of a new burger and live music. λ