DJ’s Cast Iron Burgers is now brick, mortar and wheels as a soft opening is officially underway at the food truck’s new Gainesville storefront.
The locally owned and operated restaurant is serving up its signature cast-iron cooked smash burgers from a permanent storefront that opened Wednesday in Hunter’s Walk at 5141 NW 43rd St. Ste. 106 near Possum Creek Park.
And the DJ’s food truck fired up at 5310 NW 8th Ave. isn’t going anywhere as both locations begin a new 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday schedule.
A grand opening for the NW 43rd Street spot is coming in August, giving owners Miguel Cardona and Jose Nieves time to perfect their process juggling the two locations.
Cardona told Mainstreet in an email that the storefront is DJ’s way of thanking the community for showing up—no matter the elements—to get them to this point.
“Our customers have stood beside us as we battled hot summers in the food truck, they have stood in the rain waiting for food, and have even showed up with backup generators when ours have failed,” he said. “So being able to provide them with a much more comfortable establishment is really a big deal to us.”
The long-time friends started DJ’s in 2020 as a food truck that bopped around town, first near Cypress and Grove Brewing Company and the University of Florida campus before landing its NW 8th Avenue location last year.
The business has since garnered a 4.9 out of 5-star rating on Google and was named on Yelp’s Top 25 Gainesville places to Eat for 2025.
Cardona said a permanent place to call home had always been part of the plan because the food truck brings obstacles that complicate day-to-day operations. M&D West African Cuisine also spoke to food truck challenges and goals when it opened a storefront in March.
With the help of friends in real estate, he said a few options opened up but always had bigger compromises than the team wanted to make.
The Hunter’s Walk location came with newer appliances, a smaller dining room for minimal upgrades and proximity to Publix for foot traffic and visibility. Cardona and Nieves secured the building in August and got underway with renovations in November, all gearing up to Wednesday’s soft opening.
“Timing was crucial to the decision, and we were blessed that it was available long enough for us to be ready to take that leap of faith,” Cardona said.
Initially, the new storefront will keep the same menu as the food truck, but Cardona said it could expand with more items in the future.
He said the DJ’s team is committed to maintaining its consistent quality, with house-made ingredients, hand-cut fries, fresh-cut veggies and 100% angus beef that’s never frozen.
DJ’s regulars and newcomers alike celebrated the new location with orders of smashburgers and loaded fries.
Angie Mulkin and Shorty Knowles said they’d been going to DJ’s since it first opened in Midtown. They said the best part about the storefront is the fixed parking.
“This is really nice. You can get in on the way home,” Knowles said.
Cardona said DJ’s is looking to expand the DJ’s team. Anyone with a great attitude who wants to be part of creating a burger and fry experience that is out of this world is welcome to apply.
“Simply put, we want to bring tasty food you can’t find anywhere else, memorable service, and a clean and fun environment to enjoy it all in,” Cardona said.
