Written By: Nick Lepore, a.k.a, “Burger Buff”
Photo Credits: © Megan Lawrence
When you cook and eat burgers for a living, you start paying attention to the things most people overlook. Beef gets all the glory…and don’t get me wrong, it should…but the unsung hero of a great burger is the bun. When it’s done right, you’re not thinking about it, working around it, or fighting it. You’re just eating a great burger.
I’ve cooked burgers and eaten burgers all over the world. Different countries, different cultures, different approaches. Smash burgers, pub burgers, roadside burgers, late-night burgers that probably shouldn’t have been eaten but were anyway. And no matter where I am, one thing keeps coming up in conversation—sometimes quietly, sometimes with a little reverence: Martin’s Potato Rolls.
A Bun That Knows Its Role
The best burger buns don’t try to be clever. They’re not there to show off. They’re there to make the burger better. That’s always been Martin’s strength.
The first thing you notice is the taste…or maybe what you don’t notice. It’s lightly sweet, but never distracting. Just enough to round out the salt and fat of the burger without pulling focus. It doesn’t compete with beef. It doesn’t fight the cheese. It just fits.
I’ve had buns that were too sugary, buns that were too overpowering, buns that made the whole burger taste off. A Martin’s bun never does that. It stays in its lane, and that’s exactly why it works.
Photo Credits: © Ryan Johnson
Texture Is Where It Wins
For me, texture matters more than flavor when it comes to buns.
A Martin’s bun is soft, but not weak. That interior crumb compresses when you bite into it, so everything comes together in one motion—beef, cheese, bun, all at once. No slipping. No tug-of-war. No bun ripping away and leaving you holding half a bun with all the toppings slipping out the back. The hinge on the Martin’s bun is great for preventing this, if you build your burger with this in mind.
That balance—soft but resilient—is hard to nail, and most buns miss it.
Martin’s doesn’t.
Built for the Griddle
I cook a lot of burgers on flat tops. High heat, fast cooks, minimal margin for error. Depending on the burger I’m cooking, a toasted bun is sometimes necessary. That bun has to toast evenly, pick up color fast, and not dry out in the process.
A Martin’s bun takes to the griddle beautifully.
A little butter, a little beef fat, and the bun toasts clean every time. No patchiness. No burnt spots. Just an even, golden crust that smells the way a burger should smell. That’s not an accident—that’s a bun designed to be cooked, not just served.
Proportion Over Everything
One of my biggest pet peeves is oversized buns. Too tall, too wide, too bready. Suddenly the burger feels like an afterthought.
Martin’s gets the proportions right.
The sandwich roll size works for smash burgers, doubles, classic builds. The bun doesn’t overpower the patty. It doesn’t feel like filler. Beef stays the focus, which is exactly how it should be.
You don’t have to overthink it or compensate. It just works.
Traveling With Burgers, Talking About Martin’s
Photo Credits: © Ryan Johnson
Here’s the part that really seals it for me.
When I travel—whether I’m in the US, Asia, Europe, or somewhere in between—I’m constantly talking burgers with chefs and restaurant owners. And somehow, Martin’s Potato Rolls always comes up.
Sometimes it’s a question:
“Can you get Martin’s where you’re from?”
Sometimes it’s a statement:
“We wish we could get Martin’s here.”
Sometimes it’s just a nod of recognition.
That kind of awareness doesn’t happen by accident. Martin’s has become a reference point. Even in places where it’s not available, people know it. They’ve seen it online. They’ve heard other cooks talk about it. They understand what it represents.
It’s rare for a bun to have that kind of global reputation.
Consistency Builds Trust
Another reason I rely on Martin’s Potato Rolls is consistency.
Every bag behaves the same. Every roll toasts the same. When you’re trying to replicate a burger over and over…whether for content, for a class, or for service…that reliability matters.
I don’t have to guess how it’ll perform. I don’t have to adjust. I can focus on the beef, the seasoning, the cook.
That trust is earned, and Martin’s has earned it.
More Than Just a Bun
There’s also something I respect about the brand itself. Martin’s hasn’t chased trends. They haven’t tried to reinvent what already works. They’ve stayed focused and let cooks do the talking.
You don’t see Martin’s buns everywhere because of marketing hype. You see it because people who care about burgers choose it. Over and over again.
That matters to me.
Photo Credits: © Burger Buff
Final Thoughts
I’ve eaten incredible burgers on homemade buns, on bakery buns, on buns you can’t pronounce. But when it comes to reliability, balance, and pure burger performance, I keep coming back to Martin’s Sandwich Potato Rolls. It’s not the only bun or “the best” bun, because that’s all dependent on what the burger is and what your goals are…..but it’s been my go to bun for my signature smash burger that has taken me all over the world and allowed me to make burgers my life.
And whether I’m cooking at home, on the road, or talking shop with chefs halfway around the world, Martin’s is always part of the conversation.
That’s not coincidence. That’s credibility.
