Dino’s House of Burgers, a new gourmet burger restaurant located at 7 W. Bridge St. in Oswego, opened on Sept. 21.

Jason Accordino, the owner of Dino’s, said he has been pleasantly surprised with the reception his restaurant has received over the past three weeks.

“I think I underestimated the demand for a place like this here in Oswego,” Accordino said. “We’ve been quite a bit busier than I anticipated we would be, whichis a good problem to have.”

The restaurant has received 4.8 out of five stars from reviewers on Facebook.

Accordino, a Baldwinsville native who has lived in Oswego for the past 10 years, has been using social media and word of mouth to advertise his business so far.

“I’m very happy with where we’re at so far,” he said.

Accordino said he drew inspiration from crazy, gourmet menu items he has seen on TV, as well as his own favorite foods.

His menu offers 13 gourmet burgers, the three most popular being the cowboy burger, the mac ‘n’ cheese bacon burger and the namesake burger, the Dino burger, as well as appetizers, hot dogs, garbage plates, macaroni and cheese, salads flatbreads, desserts and smoothies.

The Dino burger, Accordino’s personal favorite, is the most expensive burger on the menu. It is an 8 oz. Angus beef patty topped with two fried mozzarella sticks and marinara sauce between two grilled cheese sandwiches. The burger is topped with onion rings and served with french fries.

Allyson Stewart, a senior, ordered the Dino burger during her first visit to Dino’s.

“It was a little expensive but it’s worth it because their burgers are so good,” Stewart said. “I’ve recommend this place to my friends already.”

The restaurant is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Accordino wants to stay open until 3 a.m. to accommodate the bar crowd. He said he also wants to begin delivering to the Oswego State campus, but must first hire more employees in order to expand his hours and services.

Oswego State graduate student Emily Karszes was impressed with the mac ‘n’ cheese bacon burger she ordered. Like Stewart, she thought the price was a little high for a college student’s budget, but her meal was worth the money.

“The food was amazing and the atmosphere was very modern and relaxed,” Karszes said. “I liked the variety of menu items and the fact that there are no other restaurants in Oswego like it. It is a perfect location and an ideal menu for college students.”

Accordino, who has worked in the food service industry for over 25 years, still works a day job from 4 a.m. to 2 p.m. as the food service director at Little Luke’s Preschool and Childcare Center.

After his day job, Accordino conducts meetings for the restaurant, takes care of his daughter and still finds time to be involved in the restaurant, working in the kitchen, greeting guests and overseeing operations.

But the hard work and long hours are worth it for Accordino, whose lifelong dream has been to own his own restaurant.

“I’m blessed and just happy to be able to do this,” he said. “Hopefully we’ll be here in five, 10, 20 years from now.”