Flipping Burgers Ain’t So Bad

We’ve all had at least one teacher that tells you to get a good education so you won’t be stuck flipping burgers.

But is flipping burgers really that bad? Sure it gets stressful from time to time, but that’s what makes it fun. The adrenaline rush from the beginning to end of a restaurant shift is real. Having a good relationship with all your coworkers also makes the job way more fun and enjoyable.

I’ve been working at a local restaurant called The Pub at Lake Monticello for about two years now. When I first got the job, I was only interested in the money and how close it was to my house. But that quickly evolved into a job that I really enjoyed going to every day.

When I was first hired at The Pub, I started working as a dishwasher. It wasn’t the worst job ever, but I knew it wasn’t what I wanted to do. I was a dishwasher for about five months before I even considered working “on the line,” which is where the food is made. My boss was in need of more people on the line, and he wanted to start training me, so I started training on the salad station on days that weren’t too busy, and I was able to learn without being completely stressed out.

After about a week or so, I had already learned the salad station pretty well, and it just got easier over time. I was working at that station everyday for about three months and had practically mastered it, so I could make everything that station needed in a short time.

After working at the salad station, I moved further down the line to the fryer station. In my opinion, the fryer station was the easiest station to work. It was very simple because all you really had to do was drop things in the fryer, let them cook, then plate them. But when the Super Bowl came around and everyone wanted a dozen wings all at the same time, it could get a little stressful.

This brings me to where I am now: the grill station. I’ve been working the grill for about the past four-five months and it’s honestly been the best station I’ve ever worked so far. Working the grill has taught me so much about cooking multiple different food types. The grill station is split up into two parts at The Pub; the left side is the grill that we use for things like burgers, grilled chicken, etc. The right side is a flat top grill that is used for things like cheesesteaks and sandwiches. Though this station is probably the most stressful at times, I would argue that it’s the best station in the house.

What I’m trying to say, overall, is that being a line cook or “flipping burgers” for a living isn’t a bad or hard thing. Most line cooks will start making anywhere between $15-$18 an hour, which roughly comes out to a $30k-$40k+ salary. If you can learn how to deal with a full restaurant, learn the menu, and can handle being under stress sometimes, it’s a job I would definitely recommend to teens.