Vito's Burger Joint — Vito Rosato, owner of Vito’s Burger Joint. (Nathan Watson / Bham Now)

A new burger joint recently opened its doors in Birmingham’s Lakeview district! Located in the former Sneaky Pete’s space at 3507 6th Ave S, Vito’s Burger Joint is now serving up cheesesteaks, chicken sandwiches, franks and—of course—a stellar hamburger.

We met with owner Vito Rosato to learn more about his new restaurant.

New restaurant, same friendly faces

If you’d ever eaten at the Sneaky Pete’s franchise next to Carlile’s Barbecue on 6th Avenue South, you’ll likely recognize the team behind the counter at Vito’s Burger Joint. Owners Vito and Tricia Rosato operated that Sneaky Pete’s for over three decades and recently decided to exit the franchise to create their own restaurant.

“I’ve been here so long that I know all of my customers by name. On Fridays, I’d have a group of guys that always wanted burgers, shrimp and fried catfish—food that’s not on the menu of the franchise, so of course I’d cook what they wanted.

Soon, my regular customers started asking, ‘Can I order that?'”
Vito Rosato, Owner, Vito’s Burger Joint

When his agreement with Sneaky Pete’s came up for renewal a few months ago, Vito decided to exit the franchise and open a new restaurant under his own name.

“We’ve only been open as Vito’s for a couple of months, but the reception has been crazy. We’ve had a tremendous positive response from both our longtime customers and new faces, and we couldn’t be more thrilled.”
Vito Rosato, Owner, Vito’s Burger Joint

What’s on the menu at Vito’s Burger Joint?

Open for breakfast and lunch during the week, Vito’s Burger Joint offers a little bit of everything—franks, smoked sausage, cheesesteaks, chicken fingers and more. In fact, if a customer wants something that’s not on the menu, all they have to do is ask—if he has the ingredients, Vito will make it.

But the standout item on the menu is Vito’s signature Classic Burger.

“A couple of years ago, a group of guys who run Boozer Built, a vintage Toyota restoration shop down the street, told me they wanted to compete in Carrigan’s ‘Big Birmingham Burger & Bourbon Bash’ contest, and they wanted me to make the burgers. Although we couldn’t win the contest—we were a mechanic shop, not a restaurant—we did win the people’s choice for the best burger!”
Vito Rosato, Owner, Vito’s Burger Joint

What makes Vito’s signature burger special?

“Most of your typical burger places buy the same pre-made ground beef in long tubes. I don’t buy that—I go to Evans Meats and Seafood on Finley twice a week and they grind it fresh for me. From there, we season it, weigh it out and form the patty then cook each burger to order.”
Vito Rosato, Owner, Vito’s Burger Joint

In fact, nearly everything at Vito’s Burger Joint is cooked to order—the only things that come pre-cooked are the weenies for franks.

“We cook everything to order, so it might take a couple of minutes longer than something you order at a fast food joint—but the quality is a lot better. Most people don’t seem to mind!”
Vito Rosato, Owner, Vito’s Burger Joint