In its earliest days of business, R House was regarded by many locals as one of Marion County's best kept secrets. Now, after winning the title of best burger in Mississippi two years in a row, it's safe to say that the secret is out.
For anyone wondering just how a small country store on U.S. 98 West could steal the hearts of burger fanatics far and wide throughout the Magnolia State, owner Keith Riley said he and his staff owe a lot of their success to the happy customers who proudly sing their praises. After all, some meals are simply too good to keep to yourself.
"The way those burger competitions work is that customers get online and vote for their favorites, and then (the Mississippi Beef Council) sends out secret judges to the five restaurants that receive the most votes," Riley explained. "You'll never know that they're judges. They come at different times, and they come and go just like regular customers. They may sit down and eat or just get it to go, then they judge your food and submit the results in February."
Through four years of serving up their now famous burgers, R House has become an annual contender for the award. It placed top-5 in its first year of eligibility in 2019, won first overall in both 2020 and 2021 and placed top-5 once again in February of 2022. Now that the word is out, Riley said he's been blessed with the opportunity to serve customers from all over the state who are curious to see what this burger is all about.
"It just kind of took on a life of its own," he said. "We've had people drive all the way from New Orleans, Starkville, Meridian and so many other places just to come here and eat because they'd heard about it. I don't think any of us really expected things to take off so quickly, but I guess that's just what happens when you have a great staff that puts a lot of effort into making a great product. We're really proud of the service we give, and I think it shows in the quality of the things we serve."
If you ask Riley, the key differences between a good burger and a great burger come down to the quality of the ingredients on the grill and the quality of the staff who prepare and serve them. Through all of the challenges that the food industry has faced in recent years, Riley believes his restaurant has been blessed with the best of both.
"Everything's fresh. The meat is fresh and high quality, and the tomatoes we use on the burgers — those tomatoes right over there — they were growing in a field in Alabama just last week," Riley said. "We don't have some big industrial freezer or anything like that. We do our best to prepare everything fresh, and I think that's what really makes it a quality product. You really can taste the difference."
For any first time customer, it won't take long to notice that distinction. The burgers from R House are served fresh off the grill and cooked to perfection, with sour dough buns, just the right amount of cheddar cheese and dressed with produce straight out of the garden. Even the fries at R House are made with their own unique twist that somehow makes the experience that much more memorable.
"Of course, that only happens if you have a really good crew, and I think we're really lucky to have that, too. People who really pay attention to what they're doing and care about the quality of what they're serving," Riley said. "You know, through 2020 and everything that came with Covid, times have been tough for the restaurant industry. It's not always easy to find good help these days, but we've been blessed to have a great crew here ever since we started, and it really makes a difference."
Although many come for the burgers, they find plenty of other reasons to revisit. The rustic diner is also filled with homemade jellies, honey, artisan meats and various gift items for customers to browse through as they wait to be served. While doing so, they're likely to receive a warm greeting from Riley or his staff, which he says is one of his favorite aspects of the business.
"To me, it's a really fun business. I thoroughly enjoy getting to come in and work with these guys each day, and it makes a difference when you truly enjoy what you're doing. I get to talk to a lot of great people, and I've made a lot of friends throughout Marion County over the last four years that I had never known before," Riley said. "We've got some who have gotten to where they come just about every day, and then we get those who only get the opportunity to come every so often. We look forward to seeing all of them. We just enjoy getting to make new friends and share a quality product with them."
