A burger joint in Buckingham with freshly ground smash burgers and a knack for nostalgia is gaining traction in the community after opening late last year.
Jon’s Joint serves classic burger joint fare in a casual, eclectic dining room filled with pop culture references. Created by childhood friends Safa Farighi and Amaan Jan, the restaurant has racked up hundreds of positive reviews since opening at 250 N. Glebe Road, where Ravi Kabob 2 used to be.
With five signature smash burgers, chicken sandwiches, loaded fries and homemade ice cream on the menu, the restaurant is all about that “classic American dine-in burger style,” Farighi told ARLnow. Plus, everything — including the beef sourced from a farm near Brambleton — is halal.
“Our goal was like, ‘Hey, let’s make everything fresh,'” Farighi said. “Fresh is good, even if you’re eating fast food.”
Farighi and Amaan Jan, both in their mid-20s, grew up in Woodbridge together. Amaan Jan’s father, restaurateur Naeem Jan — affectionately called “Uncle Jon” — is the joint’s namesake man and owner of Eerkins Uyghur Cuisine in Fairfax.
The duo came together in 2022, when Farighi approached Naeem Jan for advice regarding his longtime dream of opening a burger joint. He came out of the conversation with a business partner.
“[Naeem] was like, ‘you know, this is god’s plan,'” Farighi said. “‘My son, your good friend, has the same vision as you … Why don’t you guys do it together?'”
They purchased the empty Buckingham joint in early 2024 and spent seven months installing new equipment and renovating, giving it the nostalgic atmosphere it carries today.
Across the walls are vintage car art and references to iconic pop culture and media from Farighi and Amaan Jan’s childhoods, including the likes of “Pokemon,” “Naruto,” “The Godfather” and “Super Mario Kart.”
“We always thought, like, ‘When we open a restaurant, what can we do on the walls to make the customer feel the vibe?'” Farighi said. “This matches my childhood … I grew up, you know, playing ‘Pac-Man,’ grew up watching basketball.”
Just before opening this past November, the friends spent two weeks meticulously perfecting smash burger recipes.
“It was me and Amaan in that kitchen making burgers, non-stop,” Farighi said. “I believe we made over 1,000 burgers for first two weeks, until we were confident to say, ‘All right, let’s open that door.'”
It’s the kind of passion and effort that Farighi credits for the positive reviews and customers who keep coming back. Despite temperatures nearing 100 degrees yesterday (Monday), patrons were in and out of Jon’s throughout the late afternoon, sharing burgers and sipping on milkshakes.
“It really matters, you know,” Farighi said. “Your service, your food and your vibe; that’s where it brings more people, brings more sales.”
Menu highlights include the jalapeño burger, stuffed with pepper jack cheese and piled with pickled jalapeños and spicy house sauce. Another option, “The OKC,” comes with thin grilled onions and American cheese. Both come on buttered potato rolls.
There’s also fried and grilled chicken sandwiches, with meat that is cut in-house and brined for 12 hours — where all the “tenderness, juiciness and the flavor” comes from, Farighi said.
Although Jon’s Joint has made a splash in Arlington’s dining scene, Farighi and Amaan Jan aren’t done yet: in late September, they expect to open a second Jon’s Joint in Sterling.
