“First off, they unfortunately broke one of the cardinal sins in making a burger, not melting the cheese on the pattie. Then to rub salt into the wounds, I saw another patrons burger come out 15 minutes later with the cheese perfectly melted and oozing onto the plate. That aside the beef was cooked really well, with the right amount of juice that (combined with the mayo) created a delicious compliment. It was a shame about the cheese as this burger has the potential to be the best on or around Chapel St. I never have been nor will I ever be, a fan of fancy big cuts of chips, they’re just not fluffy on the inside when they are that big!”

“This burger had no real standouts, however still delivered a good feed. The bun was fluffy, sweet and soft, but did brake one of the most epic burger rules – “thou shall not use bun with larger radius than pattie”. That aside the pattie was seasoned well and cooked to a good standard. The mayo and cheese worked well, with the cheese adding a nice saltiness helping it to stand out. For once there wasn’t a whole lot of greenery, which is good. The fat chips were cooked alright, but I’m still not convinced I like them. Helpful tip I picked up from D – cut fat chips longways, that way it cools quicker and are easier to eat.”

“Such a real shame that this thing came out with un-melted cheese. Not only would’ve that help melt my heart, but there would have been some “tight pants” in the house. My bun was spot on; it was glazed well and even though there was a little too much of it, I wasn’t left with a whole lot of it on my plate once I’d gotten through the pattie. Speaking of which, was nicely pink in the centre, quite tasty and had a significant amount of “rissole-ness” to it. The cheese tasted a lot like an aged cheddar and really was excellent. It had a sharp, distinct flavour that isn’t the norm for a burger in these parts of Chapel St. I did enjoy this but screw you guys for giving us some serious food envy with everyone else’s burger looking a billion times more awesome.”

Freshness Burger – 1F 2-3-16 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku,
Tokyo, Japan (東京都新宿区新宿2-3-16ﾗｲｵﾝｽﾞﾏﾝｼｮﾝ1F)

In 1992 Mikio Kurihara spotted a house “For Rent” in the Tokyo suburb of Tomigaya. This, he thought, would be the perfect place for a burger joint. Inspired by the diners, roadhouses and grills of Tennessee USA, Kurihara began to build a brand that would be driven by one sole desire: to provide the freshest, juiciest hamburgers in Japan. Freshness Burger’s slogan “Freshness FOOD . Freshness SERVING . Freshness PEOPLE . Freshness PLANET” now echoes across over 200 locations throughout Asia. It may not make perfect sense in English, but we’re sure the Japanese get it because they pack these little places to the brim. Their menu seperates their Classic Burgers and Hamburgers (there seems to be a difference) but also offers Hotdogs, Veggie burgers, and a range of sides and drinks. Curious to see how the Japanese interpreted a classic, we ventured in and ordered the Classic Cheeseburger that came on a soft bun with a quarter-pound 100% Australian beef pattie, red cheddar cheese, grilled onion, lettuce, tomato and finely chopped pickles.

“I found this burger oozed a lot of juice and oily goodness. From where though I don’t really know!? The beef pattie was actually a little on the thin side and not as salted as I’d hoped, but still, it was cooked just right. All the other ingredients were as fresh as you’d expect. Unfortunately I had to add a good amount of ketchup and mustard to really give a little extra zing. It was really odd at how hot the whole burger was. It kind of seemed like the whole thing was placed in a steamer or something to soften it all up.

“They definitely got the name right, because this burger came out fresh as a daisy. Actually it was piping hot and I had to wait a while after burning my tongue. Even though there was a generous amount of cheese, I still had to add a decent amount of sauce to make up for the dull piece of beef. Once it had cooled down, it became a very easy burger to eat. It didnt leave a mess but it was too small to fill you up.”

“Quite a basic and enjoyable meal. The pattie needed a bit more seasoning and there was too much lettuce… but the grated pickle was a pleasant surprise! The bun was soft and took on the right amount of juice from the pattie. The sad thing was, it definitely needed mustard and tomato sauce to help boost it to the average rating for me. On a side note, “The Pepsi Nex” as they call it, was terrible and their chips/fried potatoes were average and needed more salt.”

“The first thing that you notice is how incredibly soft this burger is. At the right temperature I reckon you could kneed it into a ball and play catch with it. Everything was, like the name suggested, quite fresh. The “red cheddar’ was OK but I wanted a little more saltiness from it. The whole thing lacked a lot of flavour for me so I drowned it in ketchup and mustard. Really, the greatest impact you get is the hidden chopped pickle that sits under the cheese. Next time I’d go for one of their Hot Dogs or more Japanese-style burgers.”

Houston’s – 10250 Santa Monica Blvd, Century City, California, USA

Houston’s originally opened it’s Los Angeles doors in 1977; their name paying homage to founder, owner and current CEO George Biel’s home state of Texas. But by the time you read this, they may have already converted. In the recent years Houston’s has been taken over by the Hillstone Restaurant Group where it sits alongside about 45 other restaurants and 11 different brands. Slowly but surely the Hillstone name is taking over, but according to them, for the better. For as long as some local Californians can remember Houston’s has been delivering some of the best burgers going around. Hillstone is doing its bit to try and keep it that way, really driving home that they’re still a family owned business, seemingly worried about causing cracks in their foundations.
The decor is classy but without being pretentious. You’ll notice dimmed lighting and dark woods whilst traditional American booths line the back wall of the restaurant; perfect for dates, business dinners or just a casual burger review. I grabbed myself the Cheeseburger that came with fresh-ground chuck, cheddar, tomato, lettuce and onion on a house-made bun. On the side you’ll get an enormous portion of thinly cut fries with a choice of three dipping sauces: mayo, mustard or ketchup.

“I’d been mooching off a friend living up in the Hollywood hills all week, and when it came to burger talk, she insisted Houston’s was one of the best. All I had been told so far was that it was a pretty old school steakhouse sort-of-joint, but I immediatley had fears that it wouldnt live up to the hype since earlier in the week I’d had the pleasure of dining at one of LA’s finest and notorious steakhouses, Mastro’s. (Amazing steaks and creamed corn to die for – do it if you have the chance).
We sat down in our booth and I already felt kind of horrible – not because of the restaurant or the usual hangover – but because my two lovely dining partners had just begun some ridiculous cleansing detox diet that day… Suckers! When my cheeseburger (and their salads and rice) came out I wasn’t overly impressed. It looked like any other hamburger going around. Once I had put in all the appropriate ingredients it took a step straight up. The first bite was so juicy, so saucy and really one of the best cooked patties I’d eaten in a while, with just the right shade of pink throughout. The cheddar was good and so was the bun, but like any good burger should, the pattie really stole the show making me regret adding in all that extra lettuce and tomato. There really wasn’t anything crazy unique about this, some may even call it boring, but it was just a Traditional American burger done right.”

Gourmet Burger Kitchen – 160 Portobello Rd, Notting Hill,
London, W11 2EB, UK

GBK was founded in 2001 by 3 Kiwis. Since then it has rapidly expanded to over 50 restaurants in the UK, and now includes international locations such as Ireland, Turkey, Greece, Dubai and Oman. With a diverse menu that even has one burger using mango and ginger, head-chef Peter Gordon uses a new and innovative approach towards traditional burger recipes. This particular Adventure however, tackled their classic Cheeseburger, which uses aged cheddar atop 100% Aberdeen Angus Beef with salad, mayonnaise and relish.

“These guys really take pride in their burgers. I could really taste the freshness of all of the ingredients. However, when the price is taken into consideration you think you’d be getting something a little more special. The beef was evenly cooked and well seasoned, and the crunch from the Spanish onion rounded out quite an enjoyable burger. They have so many options on their menu, I really want to get back there to try them all. I’d best start saving my pennies now then…”

Haché – 329-331 Fulham Rd, Chelsea, London, SW10 9QL, UK

We thought we’d include an exert from from Haché’s website that decribes them to a tee…

haché [adj] (pronounced ashay) vt minced viance, derives from the French ‘to chop’

“We set out to produce the best and most innovative burgers to be found anywhere. Restaurants depend on consistency of quality, so we make life as simple as possible by serving only the best of everything.”

The Haché burgers are served on a fresh Ciabatta bun with roquette, beef, tomato, sliced sweet red onion, special Haché mayo and two slices of premium melted mature cheddar cheese..

“I’ve never been a huge fan of big crusty buns like Ciabatta for a burger, but this bun soaked up all the juices perfectly and kept everything together, trapping in all the flavours. The beef was excellent and I loved how the house mayo and cheddar cheese worked together in adding a nice creaminess that took the burger to another level. All in all, the behind the scenes research and development combined with a fancy restaurant environment have really paid off. When it came to ask for the bill it came out with a small bowl of Smarties which was a really nice touch to finish off a great meal.”

Manhattan’s – Plaza Alta Vista, Junco de la Vega #411, Monterrey,
Nuevo Leon, Mexico

Some years ago whilst studying in Mexico, this was where I would order some quesedillas and ice tea, defeated after a long night/day out. Frequented mainly by University students from the UDEM, Manhattan’s is like TGI’s with a neon twist. I tackled the Rockefeller BBQ Burger, which came with a Subway-like “parmesan on top” bun, onion rings, bacon, BBQ sauce, Cheddar and Monterey Jack, and a side of jalapenos, all accompanied by thick-cut steak fries.

“My first thought was, “What is this on top of the bun!” Supposedly it was cheese. The first few bites were average and the beef wasn’t standing out from the ingredients the way I was hoping it would. All I could really taste was just BBQ sauce and a bit of crunch. The bacon and onion rings added a subtle saltiness, and as for the chips, I would have preferred shoestring fries. Then I decided to add the jalapenos! It was incredible. These spicy little bastards ran riot, and took what at first seemed an average burger, and turned it into something special.
I don’t know how, but they ended up cutting all of the flavours apart. I could finally taste the beef, (which wasn’t profoundly excellent), but it still somehow took a step up! My first “a la Mexico” burger, and it was pretty damn good.”