Burger Bar

A few weeks back, one of my good friends mentioned this new burger joint in Makati. She didn't really say anything about it, except that one of our friends ate their a few nights before. Since Gus and I are such foodies, we decided to check out the place. The photos we saw online made our mouths water that they were enough to convince us to go to Greenbelt 2 just to try it out.

If you were one of those people invited at their launch, you probably know which burger joint I'm talking about. Burger Bar. It opened just a couple of weeks back, and I've heard people talk about it already because of their special patties. So what's the fuzz about this place?

Burger Bar boasts of making their own patties, and allowing its customers to customize their burgers by choosing the patty and other toppings they want. It's actually an interesting concept, allowing your diners to choose the kind of beef they want in their burger patty. I grew up making my own burger only by choosing the toppings or add ons I like, but never the patty. That was something new to me.

When Mom, Gus, and I arrived, the first thing we noticed was the way the place looked. Neon sign, old fashioned chairs in tandem colors, booths, and vintage decor. The placed looked like a diner! Mom had a thing for booths so we headed straight for it. One of the waiters immediately handed us a menu and gave us a few minutes before asking for our orders. As always, we had a hard time deciding which burger to try since they had a quite a selection. I was tempted to make my own burger, but with all the toppings I wanted, it would cost more than one of their special burgers with add ons. Since we were all taking forever to decide, I ordered some appetizers first. Sweet Potato Fries and Spicy Wings.

I ordered these two after reading about them in three food blogs. You could say that I tried them out of curiosity (and the fact that the wings were spicy). The Spicy Wings were fried, something I didn't expect. I usually associate spicy wings with buffalo wings that I forget they could be fried, unless the word buffalo comes before wings. I was honestly disappointed, but then again, it was my fault for assuming. Despite my earlier disappointment for seeing wings that weren't glazed with buffalo sauce, I tried them. I don't easily get over things but one bite made me forget my buffalo assumption. The wings were crisp, flavorful, and mysterious. I say mysterious because the wings weren't spicy at first bite. It's like the spiciness was hiding in different parts of the wings that every bite will surprise you. But even if the chicken wasn't spicy all over, there was another mysterious flavor we couldn't quite guess. It was a cross between a subtle sweet and sour flavor, but not like the Filipino dish we eat during parties. It was like the wings were marinated in a honey-lemon concoction. I'm not a food expert, nor am I a chef, but that's how we described it. It was a perfect mixture of sugar, spice, and everything nice. Not your usual fried chicken covered in chili powder. Plus, the dip that came along with it complemented the chicken's flavor. Thumbs up for this!

The sweet potato fries, on the other hand, looked like your regular kamote (sweet potato) fries. The slices were thick with a diagonal end and the color, a touch of golden yellow. I was also a bit disappointed when this arrived because I thought I just spent too much on your regular sweet potato fries. Good thing I was mistaken. Burger Bar's kamote fries weren't like the regular ones I've tasted before. The fries were firm and a little crisp on the outside, but very soft on the inside.

After going through their menu several times, we finally made a decision. Mom and I will share a regular The Piggy Burger (since she knew she wouldn't be able to finish a whole burger) -- single patty with crisp bacon, bacon jam, vegetables and aioli, while Gus ordered The Bar Burger -- single patty with smoked scamorza and gorgonzola cheeses, vegetables, caramelized onions, fresh prosciutto, and sriracha sauce.

Gus's burger came with a side of fries and a glass of cola since he "went" GP Lunch Box. Diners can either GO GP Lunch Box, or R18 Lunch Box with every order of a burger. This means your meal will come with a side of fries and a glass of cola (GP) or beer (R18).

Gus's burger was delicious! I don't know how else to describe it. You could tell the that the patty was made of real beef, not extenders; the cheese and sriracha aioli were good together, and the vegetables and onion rings just sealed the deal. I just wish the onion rings were crispier.

As for our Piggy Burger, I didn't quite like it. It was a sweet burger. I'm guessing it was because of the bacon jam. The bacon strips and burger weren't salty enough. The bland burger patty was understandable since it made the burger taste healthier and beefier, but the bacon? Bacon should always be tasty! :( One good thing about this burger is its size. Even if we had it cut in half, it was still difficult to bite into because it was a bit fat. But I guess this burger just wasn't for me. I love sweets but never on real food. Keep the sweet stuff on cakes and pastries please.

For dessert, we got their Caramel Vanilla Pudding. I was tempted to try the Blueberry Cheesecake, but I've been hearing raves about this so we decided to go with it instead. Presentation was nice, though I would've preferred a better glass jar. The glass jars they used looked like a glass jar with its lid off. You could see the rubber lining of where the lid is supposed to be. As for the pudding itself, it was good. It brought back memories of my dad baking years ago. He used to make pudding that tasted just like Burger Bar's, though Burger Bar's had an added cinnamon flavor to it.

Burger Bar doesn't just serve burgers. They also have appetizers, pasta, salads and sandwiches, and some main courses. You can find the menu of Burger Bar below.

So, how much was the damage? We spent around P1,300 for two burgers, a basket of chicken, sweet potato fries and dessert . Honestly, I think that was a bit too steep for a burger dinner. The food wasn't bad, but the price was too much for the serving. It was a good thing the staff member who served us  was very attentive and accommodating. He was very polite and he took care of everything we needed, always with a smile. Thanks for making our stay enjoyable, Kuya Renzo! I'd go back for the chicken and the service, but I'll probably try the other items on the menu next time. But of course, I'd have to try the other burgers first before I give my final verdict.

Price Range: P300-500/person

3 out of 5 for Burger Bar

Burger Bar
Greenbelt 2 (along the strip where Mary Grace Cafe and Spicy Fingers are)