Press Burger Opens in Wilton With Tasty "Feel Good" Burgers & Fried Chicken Sandwiches

The beloved New Canaan burger joint, Press Burger, has opened its second location in Wilton with even more delicious and creative eats. Co-owners Seth Leifer and John Gallagher set out to continue Press Burger’s mission as a delicious and fresh form of fast food, while expanding beyond its classic burgers and fries with new sauces, fried chicken sandwiches, the carrot dog (you’d be surprised by how good it tastes), and more. As Leifer puts it, Press Burger is the Cava, Sweetgreen, or Chipotle of the burger world, a type of “cleaner, finer, fast casual.”

The Double Warrior Burger (TOP): American Cheese, Bacon, Potato Chips, House Sauce. In addition to the typical fast food items, Press Burger serves salads as well as milkshakes and banana pudding for dessert.

All food is fried in non GMO sunflower oil, grass fed beef, antibiotic and hormone free, all natural chicken and hot dogs, and buns are served without butter (disapproving my theory that butter makes everything better).

“I have two little kids and we live in Wilton and so we’re always popping out looking for where we can get something quick and quality,” Gallagher said. “Everyone loves hot dogs, burgers, fries, but they’re usually associated with unhealthy oils and everything else so we’re trying to differentiate ourselves from the normal but still serve that feel good food.”

One of Press Burgers biggest and newest innovations are carrot hot dogs. Not only did Leifer and Gallagher want to have options for vegetarian customers, but they aimed to create something that meat lovers who simply weren’t in the mood for a burger would order as an alternative. Thus, the Farmer’s Dog was born: a smoky carrot with dill aioli and pickled red onions.

“We bought a consulting chef in because we had this idea… he thought it was going to be awful,” Leifer said. While I was a bit skeptical, I would absolutely order the Farmer’s Dog again.

“You explain it and almost everyone is like, ok… I’m gonna eat a carrot?” Gallagher said.

“Once you try it, you love it,” Leifer added.

The fried chicken sandwich is as delicious as it is photogenic and a new item on the menu for Press Burger. “It’s fun coming up with different stuff… We’re always testing stuff out,” Leifer said. 

With the new Wilton location, Leifer and Gallagher now have a bigger space to play with. Cool wallpaper, funky art, and the communal layout of the restaurant are to create a welcoming environment for the community. Additionally, a second kitchen creates room for innovation. 

Dropped in the past few weeks, fried chicken has been added to the menu. Served in chicken tender or sandwich form, Leifer and Gallagher wanted to create another alternative to red meat, and because who doesn’t love fried chicken! With this they’ve also made new sauces from homemade barbeque, barbeque aioli, dill aioli, house thousand island, and of course have kept the signature house sauce.

An idea that began during Covid that the partners are now developing is the Press Burger grill kit. Perfect for the summertime, nights at the beach, or even a backyard family barbeque, you can order prepackaged ingredients for burgers and hot dogs from the raw meat to toppings and sauces, as well as grilling instructions to prepare your meal the Press Burger way. 

“You don’t have to worry about buying ex amount of buns, or burgers, or toppings… just tell us how many people… and you just pick up your box, bring it right to the pool or the beach and everything’s in the box ready to go,” Galagher said.

Not only does Press Burger have a menu of specialty items like the K-Town burger (hamburger with pickled carrots and cucumbers, sriracha aioli, sweet red chili), or the reuben burger (swiss cheese, sauerkraut, house thousand island), but the burgers and hot dogs can be customized with the toppings and sauces pictured above. Very Sweetgreen and Cava-esque.

Gallagher and Leifer aimed to fill the burger shaped hole in Wilton with the second Press Burger location. 

“There’s nothing like this in Wilton,” Gallagher said. “It was funny, when I moved to Wilton a few years ago… I asked where I could get a good burger. [There were] two or three local places… they were like yeah you kind of have to go to Norwalk or Danbury… How is that? How do you have to drive 20 miles or half an hour to get a burger?”

I consider myself to be a strong foodie but Leifer and Gallagher might have me beat. Not only are they passionate about the success of Press Burger and its mission, but their pure excitement and love for adventurous food and innovation is infectious. If you’re lucky, a visit to Press Burger will turn into a long conversation between giddy foodies in which you’re sent home with a bag full of delicious eats- or at least that was my experience. 

Press Burger is a place to pair your chili cheese fries with an ice cold glass of kombucha. Or perhaps a carrot dog and chocolate milkshake or large fountain drink. It is truly a place for everyone. 

Press Burger is located at 5 River Road in Wilton and 19 South Avenue in New Canaan. You can check out their website for more information or their Instagram @thepressburger for some mouthwatering shots.