Since May is National Burger Month, we were inspired to list a rundown of the most ridiculous burgers we’ve seen and tried in the metro. Which of these is your favorite?
VYNE’s Foie and Mushroom Burger (P550)
8th Level, W Global Center, 30th St. corner 9th Ave., BGC
(63 917) 633-5882
From the creators of HYVE and SKYE, comes VYNE, a new entrant at Bonifacio Global City’s burgeoning gastropub scene.
Aside from being known for its eastern (we love VYNE’s Thai scallops) and western tapas, VYNE has also become a destination for burger lovers.
Foie and Mushroom Burger
Somewhere in the main course part of the menu is their Foie and Mushroom Burger (P550) loaded with 200 grams of beef, mushroom ragout, foie gras, and blue cheese in between brioche buns with prosciutto and a dollop of apricot jam on the side. VYNE admits, quite unabashedly, that this massive burger is worth a whopping 2,500 calories—pretty much the RDA of a normal adult in a day.
Zark’s Burgers’ Jawbreaker (P250) and Tombstone (P500)
Branches: 2nd Level, Archer's Nook Bldg., Taft Avenue; President's Ave, BF homes Paranaque; and 318 Katipunan Avenue
Taft: 09237372517 / BF Paranaque: 09237372515/ Katipunan: +63 9321982707
Back in 2009, Zark’s Burgers was Taft’s best-kept secret. It was a mere 20-seater hole-in-the-wall along Taft Avenue. Inside, they serve monster cheese burgers at student-friendly prices (prices of quarter pounders here start at P95).
Zark's Ultimate Burger, a quarter pounder (P130)
Raves about Zark’s spread like wildfire. Its biggest come on: the Jawbreaker challenge, in which you have to finish a 1.5-pound three-patty burger, with two slices of Spam, bacon, and overflowing cheese sauce on top, plus a handful of hand-cut fries and a tall glass of iced tea—all within five minutes to get it for free. Pictures of the finishers started filling their wall of fame.
Not long after, they launched their monstrous Tombstone burger: a two-pound beast covered with cheese sauce and served with fries. This again sent droves of brave burger lovers to the store. Their Tombstone challenge (finish in 10 minutes and it’s free) poster comes with a warning: this might kill you on the spot.
From a tiny hole in the wall, Zark’s Burgers has now expanded to Katipunan and BF Homes. It will also open a branch in McKinley Hill soon. We’re going to save our loud ‘yay!’ for when Zark’s decide to open in Makati.
BRGR: The Burger Project—The Burger of Your Dreams
Branches: 122 Maginhawa St., QC; 51 Scout Rallos St. QC; and 38 Jupiter St., Makati
In BRGR, you'll be given a clipboard with a checklist. The process is simple, much like an exam. First, you are to choose what type and how many burger patties you'd want in your burger. One burger can have as much as three patties. Below that are options for buns, cheeses (eg. Bleu, Mozzarella, Gruyere, Cheddar) toppings (eg. bacon, chili con carne, pepperoni, guacamole, tomatoes, egg, kimchi, etc.). There's also a checklist for the sides. Finally, you'll be asked to name your burger as they total how much you'd pay for.
Four cheese burger with Bleu, Mozarella, Gruyere, and Cheddar cheeses
There's actually no point in recommending a certain burger combination since only you can make a burger that can best please yourself. It's always good to note though that unlike other burger places, BRGR uses hand-rolled beef patties that are always excellently grilled.
Sausage and sauerkraut burger
B&B Burgers and Brewskies’ Call the Nurse Burger (P290)
Forbes Town Center, Burgos Circle, BGC
Burger mashup with apples, figs, singkamas, and bacon? How about adding a thick layer of mac and cheese into your burger? If belly busting unique eats delight your carnivorous appetite, then load up on creative burgers at B&B Burgers and Brewskies, a new burger joint where you can expect anything but the ordinary in your sandwich.
Case in point: this Call The Nurse burger.
Call The Nurse
Shredded lettuce serves as cushion for the 1/3 pound all beef patty, which snuggles warmly with its blanket of B&B cheese sauce and spiced mustard aioli. As if that’s not enough, somebody had this crazy idea to put in a chunk of seared mac & cheese cut into a neat rectangular shape on top. This pasta-burger hybrid is made extra awesome with a duo of bacon slices glazed with honey and Sriracha. Again, insane!
Burger Bar's The Rising Shroom Burger (P280/single patty, P375/double patty)
Greenbelt, Makati
Burger Bar in Greenbelt has been satiating Makati’s appetite for juicy burgers since late last year. It can be likened to the fictional Pop Tate’s Chock’lit Shoppe in the Archie Comic books where Archie and the gang would usually hang out.
Burger connoisseurs raring to try something new will find The Rising Shroom intriguing. A couple of oyster mushroom tempura puffs sit atop the steak cut blend of mustard-fried sirloin and chuck patty. White truffle creamed cheese and sautéed mushrooms are slathered in between them. The gourmet masterpiece is embraced by a toasted Kaiser roll. If you love the smoky, almost meaty taste inherent in mushrooms, you will revel in this creation.
Mr. Jones’ Homemade Char-grilled 100% U.S. Beef 'Superman' Burger (P495)
Greenbelt 5, Makati
Aside from being an all-day breakfast destination in Makati, Mr. Jones is also home to one of the metro’s biggest burgers: Homemade Char-grilled 100% U.S. Beef 'Superman' Burger. A super-sized meal good enough for sharing, the Superman has two juicy beef patties, double smoked bacon (or more like a thick slice of ham), American cheddar and cheese, sweet balsamic onions, a smokey barbecue sauce, lettuce and tomatoes, and a pickled pepper. Let's not forget the serving of French fries, homemade coleslaw and pickle.
LAB Gastropub’s Lab Burger (P345)
Oceana, San Miguel by the Bay, Mall of Asia Complex
Owned and managed by the Cravings group, The Lab is a pretty-chill, semi-sporty place for drinking with friends. While not exactly a “posh” bar, the place doesn’t scream chain, either.
Here, be sure to get The Lab Burger (P345) a massive and messy tower of mushroom, onion confit, whipped ricotta cheese, mango salsa, quarter pound homemade beef patty, sandwiched in between two thick but soft French toast slices. Sure the location is a long walk from the main mall, but it’s worth it because on a good day, this probably is the best burger you can get in this side of town.
Charlie’s Grind and Grill’s Black Angus Cheeseburger with Cheese Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms (P415)
Branches: Kapitolyo, Pasig (02) 501 0137 and RONAC Center Greenhills (02) 477 5021
At Charlie's Grind & Grill , they up the ante with fresh hand-crafted burgers. So famous and unforgettably delicious are their burgers, that they have gained a strong cult following of customers braving the Alabang traffic to head all the way to Kapitolyo, Pasig, just to get a whiff of that mouthwatering aroma before gorging down their sandwiches.
Black Angus Cheeseburger with Cheese Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
Their bestseller: a burger with pure Angus beef patty, topped with a huge garlic-roasted Portobello mushroom. The shroom is filled with thick slices of cheddar cheese in the middle, and then deep fried with bread crumbs until golden brown.
A bite into the burger will give you the initial softness of the bread, then later on hitting the crunch of the Portobello’s crust. Biting deeper into the magnificent burger, you will be introduced to the cheesy center of the mushroom. Then finally, the very tender, oh-so-perfect beefy patty that just begs for your teeth to sink into it. The entire burger is so tasty; you don't even need to add the ketchup and all other condiments.
You can choose to try out their burgers in a simpler form, minus the Portobello, or go crazier with a double patty.
Did we miss your favorite ridiculous burger? Let us know in the condiments comments section!:) You may also want to browse through our list of burger establishments in the Food & Dining section to discover more burger joints in Metro Manila.
Additional photos from: Zark's Burger's Website
