Isabella Abbott | Features Editor
The DeLorean needs to take one last trip to the future for Fifth Avenue’s newest restaurant, Back to the Foodture.
Located at 1014 Fifth Ave., the bright lights, movie posters, painted cartoon walls and retro games entice and welcome people in, as do the delightful and kind owners who treat every customer with a smile.
Eddie and Chef Angel Magwood decided to open their second “Back to the Future” themed restaurant after success at their first location in the South Side, which opened back in May of 2021. Eddie says they originally opened because of his wife.
“I actually had to force her into this,” Eddie said. “This restaurant is actually supposed to be for my wife, I’m just here as a background but she actually runs everything, does all the work. This was her.”
“I told her she comes from a long line of cooks…so I said, ‘Hey listen, stop working with somebody, be an entrepreneur. You have a God- given talent, go for it,’” he said.
Although his wife had the idea, Eddie came up with the name and theme of the popular restaurant.
“I’ve always wanted to do a restaurant museum since I was probably 8 to 10 years old, and Back to the Future was one of my favorite movies so I did a play on words. I wanted to do Back To The Foodture,” Eddie said. “Eventually we’re going to get to the point where when you come in here it’s going to look like the Carnegie museum, there’s going to be statues everywhere—dinosaur bones and stuff like that.”
And with help and inspiration from the movie, the two of them did just that by basing their menu items on characters and props from the classic science fiction film.
Some of these names include the McFly burger (pepper jack cheese, tomato, lettuce, sliced buffalo chips, ranch buffalo sauce), the Doc Brown burger (mozzarella, tomato, lettuce, salt & vinegar chips, honey mustard) and the Clocktower salad (lettuce, shredded parm and croutons).
Not only do they have menu items based on the classic movie, but they also took ideas from their four children.
One of these ideas is from their youngest child in the Lil Bug grilled cheese burger. The Lil Bug is a massive burger that contains two grilled cheese sandwiches, one piece of Texas toast, two patties, two eggs, two pieces of bacon and two pieces of cheese with extra layers of tomatoes and lettuce and their mayo ketchup sauce.
“The baby always gives me the biggest ideas and his burger is probably right now since we opened the biggest seller,” Angel said. “He came and said, ‘Mom I want a burger with grilled cheese on it,’ and that’s his burger.”
“Really we put our heart and our soul in this whole restaurant,” Angel said. “So even the menu is us our family, our kids.”
The family isn’t seen just through the menu, but they are also visually represented on their timeline photo wall, which runs across the side of the restaurant above their booth tables. The timeline also includes pictures from different current events and movies from the years.
“The timeline goes from 1900 all the way to 2000,” Angel said. “So my great-great-grandmother, she had a restaurant in the Hill District, her picture of her and the restaurant was there.’
“And then we took pictures of Eddie and myself…like we were babies,” Angel said. “When they get older and bring their kids, [they can say] ‘This is what your mom used to look like, this is what your dad used to look like. We want to keep the whole family atmosphere. Our thing is food, family, fun so that’s what we strive for.”
Anyone wanting to relive their past or be introduced to brilliant movie references is encouraged to go in and enjoy an array of delicious burgers and wings paired with games like pinball and air hockey. Families can even bring their kids to the kid section for Nickelodeon cartoons and tons of coloring entertainment.
If there are any huge fans of “Back to the Future,” don’t worry. They run it on a big screen all day long.
During their visit, guests can meet Eddie and Angel and try their Angel’s Revenge hot sauce and Angel Dust seasoning. The couple pledges to treat everyone who walks in like family.
“We come up with some crazy outrageous burger ideas, different salad ideas, we try to suit something for everyone,” Angel said. “We want you to have a really good time and make this another home.”
Back to the Foodture on Fifth is open Sunday to Saturday from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. Follow their Instagram, Twitter or Facebook for menu and activity updates.