The ultimate fast food – the hamburger – was introduced to the world around 1900 by Louis Lassen, a Danish immigrant, and owner of Louis’ Lunch in New Haven, Connecticut. The hamburger traces its origins to Hamburg, Germany, but it was in the 1904 St Louis World’s Fair that it made its international debut, when the New York Tribune declared it “the innovation of a food vendor on the pike”. Tempo visited a couple of burger joints closer to home…
Where: McDonalds
What: McChicken
Build: Chicken burger
Comment: McDonalds needs no introduction, and its burgers are among the most widely consumed worldwide. The McChicken is probably one of their best burgers – they’re crispy and tender with cheese slightly melted in a warm bun and served with crispy golden brown fries.
Recommendation: You always know what you get with a McDonalds burger.
Rating: 3 stars
Where: Max Burgers
What: Frisco Meal
Build: Beef Burger
Comment: Max is Europe’s oldest, and Sweden’s first burger chain. Max opened here with a lot of hype, and frankly it delivered. The burgers are tender, juicy and full of flavour. They taste different from other burger chains, possibly because the meat (according to the chain) is sans growth hormones and trans-fats. The French fries are hand-cut and extra crispy.
Recommendation: Max tastes good and good for you as well. Instead of the French fries and soda you can have side salad and apple juice. Check out their dips as well.
Rating: 4 ½ stars
Where: Johnny Rockets
What: The Houston
Build: Beef Burger
Comment: The embodiment of Americana, Johnny Rockets whips out burgers that are juicy though a tad under-seasoned – that’s why you need to make sure you have all your condiments up front to season it to taste. You can add sweet potato fries instead of regular fries.
Recommendation: The burgers are more expensive than most burger joints, but the entire diner experience makes the cost worthwhile.
Rating: 3 ½ stars
Where: Hardees
What: Fish Fillet Combo
Build: Fish Burger
Comment: Hardees, another American fast food chain, offers their sandwiches with curiously shaped square patties. The fish burger may not be good for you, but it tastes surprisingly tasty for those not averse to fried food.
Recommendation: Along with the fish fillet, the mushroom and swiss combo is worth sampling.
Rating: 3 stars
By Diji Shujahi
EDITOR’S CHOICE: THE MEAT CO
With a name like Meat Co, you can’t blame yourself for having high expectations from the meat. The restaurant has a sumptuous menu of everything from tender and juicy Wagyu steaks, to Red Snapper and Salmon Fillet. If you want to zone into burgers, there’s still plenty of choice, including the Classic Burger, the Gourmet Burger, the Cheese Burger, the Rib Meat Burger, and Chicken Burger. I ordered my burger medium, rather than well done, because I’d heard good things about the meat. The burger arrived beautifully placed on the dish, and from the first bite delivered on quality – it was flavourful, and yet felt healthy and light on the stomach – with no unpleasant aftertaste. Definitely one of the best gourmet burgers in town. – Sana
