Saturday 29 December 2012

Chili Cheeseburger @ Oscar's

Hello burger lovers,

The last days of the year are approaching, but the quest isn't over yet. This review is about Oscar's, some might know it by the former name Oscar Wilde's. Situated in the Grund, just next to Mosconi and Kamakura, someone might think that this is the culinary corner of Luxembourg. The bar has been completely refurbished, and runs under a new management.

Oscar's offers several burgers with either a hot beef patty, a regular patty or a veggie patty. I obviously went for the hot one, but added cheese and bacon (other options were blue cheese or an egg). The whole burger, with fries, salad and coleslaw, was 11,75€. A nice deal! 

Evaluation:

From a visual point of view, the burger was a disappointment. The pressed soft fluffy buns (at least they were toasted from the inside) killed my mood instantly. The presentation of the burger wasn't nice at all. The coleslaw and salad seemed just to be smacked on the plate next to the fries. This is something I didn't appreciate since the dressing touched my fries... brrr. The fries were good, maybe a bit too big for my taste but crisp and tasty. The beef was awesome. Honestly I didn't think anything could save this burger, but the most important ingredient, the beef, was spectacular. The beef was spicy, perfectly cooked and the 250gr were just so tasteful. The cheddar cheese was nicley melt, and the lettuce was fresh. The burger sauce, which was under the lettuce wasn't noticeble though. The bacon was thin and was very well seasoned, I enjoyed it.

I was quite surprised by this burger. With a few amendments, f.ex. presentation and buns, this one has the potential of being a really good burger.

The weighted average is 7.10



/k

Oscar's Bar
9, Bisserweg
1238 Luxembourg-Grund
26 20 30 15


Sunday 9 December 2012

Classic Burger @ Urban Bar & Kitchen

Hello burger lovers,

Much has been said about Urban Bar. It's one of my regular spots during lunch time. They have a burger on their menu which I ignored for quite some time now. Usually I order the Inferno Burger or the Spicy Wrap, but lateley I was tempted to order their new Classic Burger. The advantage, for 13€ you get more meat and the same side dishes as if you ordered the inferno burger. I always order Jalapeños as an additional topping (fairly expensive ones for 1€). To compensate for this, I always order a bigger bowl of sauce for the fries (psshhh don't tell).

Evaluation:


I have written lots about the Urban Burgers. In my opinion this classic burger, in combination with my chosen additional topping, is the best of their range. Great meat in a great bun. Fresh vegetables and very good fries. Their sauces, the light garlic sauce as well as the spicy cocktail sauce which is on the burger simply give the burger an additional plus. The meat has a slightly different texture as the patties from Inferno and Double Burger. Of course I don't know the details, but it tastes fresher, less compressed. The only downside is the lack of cheese. But then on the other hand, this is more of a "build your burger" style burger. The toppings are a bit expensive, but are always good.

As I mentionned, much has been said about Urban Bar. Here, or here, feel free to read the more detailed reviews.

Anyway, the weighted rating for the Classic Burger is 7.83 which is catapulting Urban Bar in a top position.





/k


Urban Bar & Kitchen
2, rue de la Boucherie
1247 Luxembourg-Centre
Tél.: 26 47 85 78

Sunday 2 December 2012

Hambourgeois de boeuf @ Boulangerie Paul

Hello burger lovers,

There is a new bakery in town. The well known French bakery Paul has opened its doors in the centre of Luxembourg and offers, besides the usual pastries, several lunch dishes. For 10,60€ you can have their beef hamburger (150gr) with salad and fries.For 0.50€ I added some raclette cheese topping.

Evaluation:

After a short wait, my colleagues and I received our burgers. The buns looked lovely, faluche bread which tasted really good. These were maybe the best buns in my whole quest! The big fries, or rather wedges, were well seasoned, and seemed to be made of good potatoes. The problem was that they were served cold. That's a no-go! The beef itself was dry, even though I had made sure to order it medium rare, but again I've received a well done burger... The dry beef did not have much taste, it seemed as if they didn't season it at all. On top of the burger were lettuce, pickles and a slice of tomato, everthing fairly fresh, no complaints here. The burger sauce was a sauce bernaise, which I usually like (on my steak) but this one wasn't very good. It was very watery, dripping from my burger, and had not much taste.

So where does that leave us? I would say a tasteless burger in very good buns! Dear Paul, my weighted rating is 5.75




/k

Boulangerie Paul
3, Avenue Monterey
2163 Luxembourg (Place d'Armes)
Tél.: 26 20 05 96

Friday 30 November 2012

Article @ Lëtzebuerger Journal

Hello burger lovers,

Please feel free to read the latest article about my burger quest. Thanks Simon Larosche for this nice one!

Lëtzebuerger Journal - Burger Quest





so long,

/klot


Thursday 29 November 2012

Uewer-Sauer-Mega-MexicanBurger @ Café Uewersauer

Hello burger lovers,

This sunday I was finally able to visit Café Uewersauer in Bauschelt. Many people recommended this restaurant to me as their burger could potentially be the best one in Luxembourg. As the Café Uewersauer is high up in the north of the country, and as I drove all the way just for a burger, you can imagine that my expectations were high. Anyhow, after a warm welcome (somebody was expecting me), I've placed the following order: Uewer-Sauer-Mega-MexicanBurger with fries and a salad for 12€, nice name, nice price. By the way, they do have a very nice menu, loads of very interesting dishes.


Evaluation:

After quite a wait I finally got my burger. It was served on a plate with fries and a bowl of mixed salad. The fries were a bit to thick for my taste, when serving frozen ones, I prefer the thin ones. Tastewise they were okay, they just could have used some more salt on top. The burger itself was nicely shaped, and the buns were nice aswell. If  you follow my blog regurlary you'll know that the buns are one of my most important criteria. These passed my test, simply by being fresh and tasty. I wasn't quite satisfied with the beef patty though. Even though the quality was good, 100% beef, I got a well done burger instead of the medium rare that I ordered and therefore the meat was too dry for my taste. The toppings of my MexicanBurger were really good. I enjoyed that this burger was spicy (that's what others often claim, but in reality you just get a little spiced up burger). The burger sauce was tasty and topped with shredded jalapeños, a good alternative to entire jalapeño rings. The lettuce was a bit hidden under the beef, right on top of the tomato, which was so watery that it soaked the lower part of my bun and therefore making it very hard to eat (sigh). I would have prefered the tomato on the upper part of the burger. 

The cheese was nicely melt and tasteful (gouda) which made it a real good burger.

All the people that are in the area, please visit Café Uewesauer and order as many burgers as you can eat. You'll get a fresh one for a reasonable price, and they have a huge variety. 

The weighted rating for this one will be 7.43, but I see lots of potential. With a bit of improvement, their burgers could easily be among the top 5. Keep up the good work.






/k

Café-Restaurant Uewersauer
34, rue Jérôme de Busleyden
9639 Boulaide 
Tél.: 26917088

Friday 23 November 2012

visiting RTL's radio show Spogen vs. Biver

Hello burger lovers,

Today I had the please of being invited to RTL's radio show "Spogen vs. Biver". As you can imagine the main theme was my burger quest. Please take a look at the pictures, or listen to the audio file, if you weren't able to catch the show.

Enjoy

RTL I love my burger audio file

/klot





Many thanks to Dan, Luc and Laurent

Monday 5 November 2012

watch out for the stickers

Hello burger lovers,

watch out for the brand new I love my burger stickers. They will shortly be displayed at the reviewed burger joints.



special thanks to Tessy for designing these stickers.


so long,
/k

Sunday 28 October 2012

BBBB @ Beef Bar

Hello burger lovers,

Today's review is about a burger I've had at the Beef Bar. Beef Bar is located at the Auchan shopping mall in Kirchberg. The restaurant is well known for their wide range of meat, from Argentinian steak to burgers you can get nearly anything. It was my first visit, and I was quite looking forward to try their BBBB (BeefBar Black Burger). Priced at 22 € (a drink included) it is the second most expensive burger on my quest. I've had the 170gr, you could also get the 340gr version for 28€.

Evaluation:

The presentation of the burger was followed by a WOW! The buns of the burger were coloured black (the same as my teeth after eating). The burger was served on an elegant slate decorated with few leaves of rocket and a bowl of corn fries. Since i've had no sauce as a side, the fries were a bit dry, but had a nice distinguished taste. The meat, the heart of any burger, was made of angus beef, promising since it is assumed by many that this beef is better than regular beef. In this case it was not true, I don't know about the quality but it was overcooked, very dry and not very tasty. The buns on the other hand were quite an experience. They were black as I already mentioned, (I don't really know how they were coloured, maybe ink?) were crisp and had a fine taste. The cheese was great, nicely melted cheddar cheese with a good flavor. The pickles and lettuce which were on the burger were fresh but there was too much sauce, probably to compensate for the dry meat. At least the sauce was tasty, it think it was made from mayonnaise and onions.

The burger was not bad, but absolutely overpriced. The looks were great, but they don't justify the price. I would recommend the restaurant for a business meeting, but not for burger lovers. 

In finance a BBB rating stands for Lower Medium Grade. Since this burger is called BBBB, I suppose the creators already knew that this one wouldn't be Prime or High Grade. Therefore, and for many more reasons my rating of this burger is 6.80, still Investment Grade, thus not that bad after all. 




 /k


Beef Bar
2, rue Carlo Hemmer (Auchan)
2721 Luxembourg-Kirchberg
Tél.: 27 04 85 95

Sunday 21 October 2012

Burger Tasting @ Mama Loves You

Hello burger lovers,

Among many things that I've experienced during my quest, one trait seems to become more and more important: Dedication.

A chef and/or owner should in my opinion be interested in its customers' opinion, feel the pulse. He should be worried about the quality of the ingredients, the taste of his food, and most of all, he should have the ambition of serving, in this case, the best burger in Luxembourg.

Having this in mind, I was more than happy being invited to an evening of burger tasting and sneak peaks at Mama Loves You, especially because this place serves one of my top rated burgers.

As we were a handful of burger lovers, we talked a lot about the composition of meat, quality of bread and freshness and diversity of toppings. I really enjoyed the discussion, and I am pretty sure that the chef got a lot of input which he can use while preparing or further planning new burgers.

The highlight of the evening was the burger test itself. We got 5 servings of different burgers. All burgers were different, and we were asked to write comments about each burgers. Tom, the chef, prepared those burges minutely and was more than curious to hear what we thought of them.  




I don't want to spoil the surprise for you, and it's not my place to divulge any more details. The result can soon be experienced at Mama Loves You. As far as I'm concerned, I can't wait to review those new burgers!



/k


Mama Loves You
42-44 Rue de Hollerich
1740 Luxembourg-Hollerich
Tel.: 48 28 95

Saturday 20 October 2012

Spitfire Burger @ Restaurant Spitfire

Hello burger lovers,

After a few 'not so good burgers' I was craving a good one. As far as I remembered, several followers of my blog and Facebook page told me good things about Spitfire, plus their homepage states: Spitfire, the new place to be. Spitfire is located at Findel, in the airport-area.

After a warm welcome, I ordered their only meat burger on the menu, the Spitfire Burger. Priced at 18,50€ it's in the upper price range of my reviewed burgers. The price can be explained by the fact that the beef patty is not made of ground beef, but a filet de boeuf (tenderloin). 


Evaluation:  

The burger arrived and it was beautiful. The plate was nicley decorated and the burger looked very fresh. As usual, I started with the fries. They were really good, crisp and tasteful. The one thing which really bothers me on the burgers in Luxembourg is the bun. This one was made of sweet brioche, a combination which I don't like on burgers. I don't appreciate sweetness anywhere near my burger. The filet de boeuf (tenderloin) was indeed very tender and the meat was melting in my mouth while eating. I admit that was a nice experience, but to be honest, I prefer ground beef on a burger. But this one was so nicely cooked that I forgot about my preferences while eating. Kudos to the chef! The burger itself had a nice balance, the sauce went well with the rest of the burger. The veggies were fresh, I liked the green lettuce, others might prefer iceberg. There were cocumbers and pickles on the burger, maybe too much for my gusto. The cheese was of a good a quality, nicely melt and tasteful.
In my opinion this was a real good burger. It was clearly different from others I've reviewed, therefore not easy to compare. I thought that for burger lovers this one might be a bit too expensive. Usually if I spend that much money on food, I don't want it wrapped in bread. Anyway, the restaurant has a very nice menu, serves quality food, and I will surely return to try more of it.

My weighted rating is 7,42


/k

Restaurant Spitfire
675 Rue de Neudorf

2220 Luxembourg 
27 84 88 84 675


Thursday 4 October 2012

Alfa Hamburger @ Alfa Brasserie (Mercure Grand Hotel Alfa)

Hello burger lovers,

after a first good experience at Hotel Legère, I felt obligated to try a second hotel restaurant. The Alfa Hotel, with it's own Alfa Brasserie, is just located opposite Luxembourg's railway station. As I walk by nearly every day, I knew they serve a hamburger on their menu. With 17€ it's quite pricey, hence I expect something really good. I was quite impressed by the size of the dining room while entering the hotel, I didn't expect it to be that enormous from the outside. On the other hand I didn't like their lighting at all, a very unpleasant twilight.

Evaluation:

After an appropriate wait, I got my burger. I was relieved when I caught sight of the buns, they didn't serve the soft fluffy ones. Little did I know that these buns were the exact opposite. The burger was served on a loveless plate, the fries were in a paper cone and as a side we had little bowl of their sauce called alfa, which I could only define as a mix of a cocktail-sauce with mustard. My colleagues and I didn't like the sauce. The fries were not that bad while still warm, but once they had cooled off, they weren't edible anymore and became as stony as the buns. The only toppings of the burger were a slice of tomato and a fried egg. I didn't think that this was anything spectacular. The meat was fresh, and the outside had a very nice grill taste. I was very satisfied with their cooking, I ordered it medium rare, and that's the way I got it. Nevertheless, the meat wasn't seasoned, ergo it had not much flavour. 

All in all I was disapointed. At 17€ it should have been better. The burger was okay, but I wouldn't go back for it. The price wasn't justified. I admit that the restaurant was nice, but on the other hand it was far from being fancy.

My rating for the Alfa Burger is 5.47




/k


Alfa Brasserie (Grand Hotel Mercure Alfa) 
16, place de la Gare, Luxembourg City
1616 Luxembourg
Tél.: 49 00 11

Tuesday 25 September 2012

Cheeseburger @ Snack L'Entre Deux (No Man's Land)

Hello burger lovers,

Due to many requests I went to try put a burger which is technically not on luxembourgish ground anymore. The Snack L'Entre Deux is on the french-luxembourgish border, a 5min drive from Dudelange direction France in an area called No Man's Land. That does not only sound creepy, I can assure you that it indeed was. This notorious place is usually visited by night crawlers, party people and outlaws (just kidding) late at night.

At L'Entre Deux they serve a huge variety of burgers and other snacks. I ordered a simple cheeseburger with fries for 5.50€ 

Evaluation:

After a short wait I got my "burger". It was no real burger, but a baguette with meat, cheese and sauce inside. Optically it reminded me of Que Pasa, the latino snack bar in Luxembourg-City. The bread looked a bit pale, but was crisp and had a good taste (most likely not a luxembourgish baguette ;) ). I didn't like the meat. It was dry, had no particular taste and I doubt the freshness of it. The burger came with grated cheese, something I've never had on a burger. A good idea, but unfortunately the cheese had no taste, and it was cold upon arriving. Sadly there was neither lettuce nor tomato on my burger, this made the whole thing very dry. As a burger sauce I chose Samuraï, which is my favourite sauce, but even this couldn't save the  burger. Regrettably the fries were cold aswell when they arrived (probably due to the fact that we were sitting in a badly isolated room with no heating), which was a pity, because they seemed to have a good taste.

I can recommend this place to people who look for something greasy afer a night out. For burger lovers like me, there are different places to visit.

After a sincere evaluation, my weighted rating is 5.05



/k


Snack L'Entre Deux (No Man's Land)

avenue Liberté
F-57330
Volmerange les Mines

Tuesday 11 September 2012

Schueberfouer-Special

Hello burger lovers,

The Schueberfouer, the well known funfair of the city of Luxembourg. Over 2 million visitors every year from the end of August to early September located at the Glacis in the heart of the city of Luxembourg. Snack stalls and rides are installed on a lenght of 3,5 kilometers.

I've decided to test some of the burgers you can get at the Fouer, as people from Luxembourg or Shoubi as my francophone colleagues call it. 


These ratings won't enter in competition with my regular tests, as you can buy these only during a few weeks a year. Consider it as a freebie I throw in for you. (Because I am such a caring and nice person :p) As I write this, the last evening of the Fouer is coming to an end, hence this review will not be very useful for you anymore, but you can try to remember my critics for your next visit in August 2013.



Cheeseburger @ La Chaumière  

Located right at the entrance I was just dragged to the stand by the smell of the grilled meat. I ordered a cheeseburger for 4.50€. No lettuce, no tomato, just a piece of dry non-tasty meat with ketchup and non-melted cheese. The bun wasn't bad at all, fresh and crisp. Even better than the buns I've had in most of the restaurants I've visited for my quest.

I didn't like the burger at all. Therefore 4.32


-----------------------------------------


Cheeseburger @ Texas-Grill

This burger stand looked very authentic. I can see why people "fall" for it. On the other hand I am not here to judge the decor but find the ultimate burger. I can tell you, this cheeseburger is very far away from being on top. My most hated buns (the soft ones), and in between a tiny piece of dry meat dipped in ketchup and non melted cheese. Thumbs up for the lettuce and the slice of tomato, that's something unique at the Schueberfouer. At the end I paid 4.50€ for a very small burger, with no particular taste. 

A pity, my score: 4.94


-----------------------------------------


Hamburger @ Kugener

Next to their famous Cochon-de-Lait stand, and their expensive cocktail bar, Kugener offers hamburgers. For 4€ I ordered one and hoped for a better burger than I had at the stands before. The buns were quite good, the same as in La Chaumière and the meat was not bad at all, even if it was floating in grease for quite a time. It is a bit boring to have a piece of meat with ketchup between two buns, they should add some lettuce and tomatoes. 

I can only rate what I got, therefore 5.11


-----------------------------------------

Hamburger @ Chalet Au Gourmet

Next to the stand that sells Gromperekichelcher (you usually see the queue from far away) you'll find the Chalet Au Gourmet. I've had the same order, hamburger with ketchup. I was surprised, the burger had a quite big and tasty meat patty. The buns were the same as at La Chaumière and Kugener, so I wasn't unhappy. I paid 4€ and I found it a good value for my money. Of course the burger lacked of vegetables but still, I would give it a 5.24



-----------------------------------------


Cheeseburger @ Blanne Jang

The cheapest cheeseburger I've had was at Blanne Jang. Unfortunately it was the worst burger as well. The beef patty had a funny taste and honestly I've had to throw half of it away. The buns were the ones I described earlier, and they were definitely the highlight of this burger. The cheese was not melted at all, as for all cheeseburgers, this one was a major dissapointment too. 3.84


-----------------------------------------


As most of you might not know, I am not a big fan of the Fouer. I don't like crowded alleys, people not moving or suddenly stopping or writing text messages while walking and not watching, or the smell... and there should be a bouncer (there is just no control). But this is just me, that's why I avoid the Fouer and only visit it if courtesy or tradition expects it. 

What troubles me most is the food. I didn't feel very well after eating these burgers. It is very unhealthy eating greasy stuff while walking. I feel like Morgan Spurlock must have felt while filming his movie Supersize Me. Next year I am surely going to stick to my habit and eat a Cochon-de-Lait (Kebab) ....

Yours sincerely,
Klot





Sunday 19 August 2012

Magic Burger @ Café Belair


Hello burger lovers,

after a first good experience at Café Belair, I went back to try a different burger. As you may recall I wasn't quite satisfied with the toppings on my last burger (Diablo Burger) that's why I decided to try the Magic Burger. I already mentioned the high prices at Café Belair (click here) but I am gladly willed to pay a bit more for quality. The Magic Burger has an egg, bacon, cheese, lettuce, a slice of tomato and pickles as topping. The 250gr meat patty betweed two Ciabatta buns costs 16.50€.

Evaluation:

When the burger arrived I was again surprised how big it was. The meat and buns looked as tasty as the last time. The meat was very fresh and had a fabulous taste. And again the cooking was perfect, my compliments to the chef. The buns were, as I already mentioned, a round shaped ciabatta bread which didn't fall apart due to the moisture. I preferred the toppings this time. The vegetables were fresh, the cheese, bacon and egg were of good quality. The only downside on this burger was that it had no particular taste, there was just something missing. It was the sauce, I had lots of ketchup on my burger. When I pay 16.50€ for a burger, I want, no, I expect to have a homemade sauce on my burger. The fries were homemade, that's a plus, and this time they weren't too crisp.  

The quality of the burger was good. Very pricey, even a bit too expensive for a burger. If they added a  tasty homemade burger sauce, I would have been completely satisfied.

the weighted rating for the Magic Burger is 7.50






/k

Café Belair
99 val Ste Croix  
1371 Luxembourg
Tél.: 26 38 37 61

Sunday 12 August 2012

Jalapeño Burger @ Little Britain

Hello burger lovers,

Today's review is about Little Britain's Tea Room. This joint is located in Capellen, Western Luxembourg, included in a British store. I've never been to this shop before and was quite impressed by the range of British products they sell. It might be a bit more expensive than our local stores, but you get a whole range of products you don't usually find here. As I mentioned, the Tea Room is located in the store itself (next to the book shop), and they serve a wide range of typical British dishes. If you like desserts, go try their carrot cake. Anyway, I was there to rate their burgers, and it wasn't easy to choose from their menu (actually they didn't have a menu on their tables, only written on a blackboard somewhere on a wall and with no further details), they had about 20 burgers on it. I chose the Jalapeño Burger for 10.95€ with fries. 

Evaluation:

The Jalapeño Burger came after a short wait, and it was big. From what I saw on my neighbours' plates, the burgers seem all to be huge. My burger was topped with cream cheese, jalapeños, onions, lettuce and a slice of tomato. The buns were different from all those I have seen before. They were soft, but toasted, and had a very sweet taste which I honestly didn't like much. Plus they were drenched in some kind of chutney I didn't appreciate. The cream cheese with jalapeños was a weird combination, but had a great taste. It was very rich, and I had troubles finishing my burger. I got my meat-patty medium rare, just the way I ordered it. It had a good taste, seemed fresh and was awfully big, it must have been around 300gr. There are no complaints about the freshness of the vegs, at least not for my burger. The avocados on my girlfriend's burger were brown! I know that avocados turn a bit grey when they stay in the open for a bit, but these avocados were simply rotten. I really hope that this was a one time accident in the kitchen.  If I had to rate that burger it would have been an insufficient valuation.

The fries were crisp and tasty but a bit to big in my opinion. 

Due to the avocado incident I don't really know if can recommend Little Britain. I've heard some good critics before, and my burger was good aswell. I will definitely return to try some different burgers, and also check on their freshness. My Jalapeño Burger has a weighted average of  6.91





/k

Little Britain
1C, Route d'Arlon
Capellen
Tél.: 26310856

Wednesday 8 August 2012

New Yorker @ Lou's Diner


 Hello burger lovers,

After a first exciting experience at Lou's Diner, I was heading back to Consdorf to try more burgers. As you might remember, I've recently tried Big Lou's which is currently rated number one in my quest. Click here to see that review. This time I tried the New Yorker. For only 5 € you get a burger with cheese, lettuce, a slice of tomato, bacon, an egg and sautéed onions (which I had removed).

Evaluation:

The burger was very well made. The buns, as I already stated in my previous review, are just great. The cheese was again nicely melt, and the vegs were fresh. The additional egg on top made this burger in my opinion special. The Thousand Island sauce which comes with this burger is really light and tasty and makes the burger so different from others I ate. Like Big Lou's, the New Yorker is not a huge burger, but as you have a lot of quality ingredients on top, it makes you full wihout giving you the impression that you ate too much. You have a slightly smaller and different beef patty than on Big Lou's burger. I have to admit that I prefer the Angus beef, as it has a more intense taste. As I didn't like the fries that much during my first visit, I opted for the homemade! Chicken Nuggets. I cannot rate them as a replacement for fries, but please try them out, and grab the opportunity to taste several of Lou's homemade sauces.

Steve, the owner of Lou's Diner really puts a lot of time and effort in his burgers. He's always adjusting his ingredients and asking the customer for his opinion. I really like this kind of dedication. But it's a pity that Lou's Diner doesn't have an internet homepage. 

Burgers like this make a rating very easy. Fresh ingredients, great taste and a nice price. The weighted rating for Lou's New Yorker is 7.45

If you like burgers and live in Luxembourg, you must go to Lou's Diner.





/k

Lou's Diner
33, rue Burgkapp (Camping La Pinède)
6211 Consdorf
Tél.: 26 78 41 38

Thursday 2 August 2012

Double San Diego Burger @ Fonzie's Diner

Hello burger lovers,

A colleague of mine kept asking me now for quite a while to try Fonzie's Diner in Limpertsberg. What I've read so far about Fonzie was promising, and I was looking forward to his burger. The restaurant is aiming to look like a 50's American Diner, which is the case on first sight. I really liked their black and white chequered floor and turquoise leather chairs, but too many elements like the London clock, the Betty Boop poster or the French hip-hop music with video-clip on the big flat screen didn't give me an authentic 50's vibe.

I ordered the double San Diego burger (10.50 with a diet coke and fries), not only because that's my favourite American city, but mainly because that's how they call their cheeseburger. Beside a wide range of burgers, Fonzie serves sandwiches, nuggets and mikshakes.

Evaluation:

I was very dissapointed when I received the burger. The buns - fail!. Even though I ordered a double burger, it was very small. It had about the same size as a McDonald's Big Mac, and the meat looked and tasted the same. It was very thin, dry and it didn't seem seasoned at all. I wasn't under the impression that I was dealing with fresh meat. I ordered mustard and ketchup as burger sauces, and non of them had a good taste. Maybe I am used to Heinz Ketchup, but this one had a peculiar taste (not in a good way). The thin frozen fries, the ones I usually I like were a bit too crisp. The burger toppings were not that great. The lettuce didn't look very fresh and the slice of tomato was very small. The few small pieces of onion couldn't add a plus to this burger.At least the cheese was nicely melted and tasty.  

Fonzie's Diner was a huge dissapointment in every possible way. I am aware that their main target audience are pupils and students, as the university and a multitude of schools are just around the corner. These people might be attracted by the low prices (burgers start at 3 €). 

As I am a huge fan of quality burgers, and that's what my quest is all about, I had no other choice as to rate this burger with a very low score of  5.55




/k

Fonzie's Diner
139 Avenue du Bois
1250 Luxembourg-Limperstberg
Tél.:  621 239 494

Tuesday 24 July 2012

Cheeseburger @ Booster's

Hello burger lovers,

It was friday evening and I was craving a burger. I remembered a friend's advice to check a quite new sports bar which is located in Howald, not far from my home. It's called Booster's Bar and seems to be from the same owner as Bistro-M in the city centre and the well known Boos K'fé in Bridel.

The interior of Booster's reminds you of an American sports bar. We've counted 8 TV screens which all showed athletics, but later on the staff switched to poker, which didn't make them work faster. That's why I said it reminded me of a sports bar, it doesn't seem to be one. 

Booster's serves snacks, pasta and burgers. I've decided to try their cheeseburger. 


Evaluation:

After a long wait (we were the only customers) we finally got our burgers. First I thought that they forgot the top bun, but then I discovered it under a pile of pickles and tomatoes. The buns were the soft ones I dislike. If you're a regular on my blog, you should know that by now. The cheese was nicley melted and quite creamy. The meat patty was cooked just as I ordered it, medium rare, but didn't have that much taste. The burger sauce wasn't home made, but had a good taste, kind of a cocktail sauce. The vegatebles were fresh, but I didn't touch the side of coleslaw, as I don't like it.

The highlight were the fries. I really liked them, they were thin and crispy, just the way I like them. 

All in all, it was an average burger, in an average sports bar on an average friday evening. My weighted rating is 6.01







/k

Booster's Bar
21, rue des Bruyères
Howald
Tél.: 26 48 33 55

Monday 23 July 2012

O'Burger @ O'Bar

Hello burger lovers,

Recently I went to O'Bar, the French expat's pub at the Place du Théâtre in the heart of the Capital. O'Bar serves a "plât du jour" but also has a small menu where you can find their burger, called O'Burger. For 15 €, which is quite expensive in my opinion, you get your burger with a serving of fries, salad and coleslaw.

Evaluation:


The first thing I saw when I got my plate were the soggy brown fries. Okay, they were home made, but you just cannot serve this. I am sorry, but there must be someone in the kitchen who has no clue how to make fries. 

I tried to hide my dissapointment and focused on the burger. The O'Burger wasn't too small and I really appreciated the pita style bread. It was tasty and didn't soak, a good solution!. The meat patty wasn't dry and had a nice taste due to the seasoning, the quality was okay too. The cheese was niceley melted on top of the patty and was tasty as well. There was too much sauce on the burger, I guess it was some kind of sauce andalouse, which I didn't really like. There was no tomato or lettuce on the burger and I didn't know if I was meant to use the side salade as a topping for the burger. I didn't do it since it came with a dressing.
The only vegetable on the burger were onions. A lot of onions. I don't really like onions! That might be one of the reasons I didn't like the burger. If you like fried onions, this is your burger. For me it wasn't a great experience. The fries., the price, the burger sauce and the onions just didn't meet my gusto. 

Sorry O'guys, but my weighted average is 5.93




/k

O'Bar
13, Place du Théâtre
2613 Luxembourg
Tél.: 26 20 23 24

Friday 20 July 2012

Cheeseburger @ Mr Dixon

Hello burger lovers,

A friend recommended Mr Dixon to me. He tried it recently and was quite satisfied. It's located just opposite of the City Baths. As the weather was fine, which seems to be a rare occaison this summer, I decided to take the lunch on their terrace. The friendly waiter showed me through the menu, which exclusively consisted of burgers (big like). I decided to try their cheeseburger for 10 €, and if i liked it, to come back an other day  and try something more fancy, like the California Burger (with guacamole and bacon).   

Evaluation:

When the burger arrived, it was hard for me to hide my disappointment. On first sight I saw the mellow buns (the more I eat them, the more I hate them) and the square melting cheese. So far I didn't see a big input from their side. 
The burger seemed very small to me, there was almost no lettuce on it, aswell as only one single slice of tomato. The absence of a burger sauce made the whole thing very dry, which forced me to order some extra ketchup. On the plus side I have to admit that I liked their onions. I am usually not an onion fan, but at Mr Dixon they had a nice taste. The highlight of the burger was their meat patty. It was quite small, but had a nice taste. I assume it was a mixture of beef and pork meat, which I like, as it is not as dry as 100 percent beef. The meat was fresh and nicely cooked. 
The fries weren't home made but were far from being bad. They came in a paper wrap, which I found quite nice.  

My friends might be right when they say that I am spoiled. I know exactly what I am looking for when I order a burger. Sorry Mr Dixon but you are very far from being the best burger. I would even say that I was angry while eating this burger. So much wasted potential! I really don't know why they use the cheap buns or cheese, when there is so much quality out there. I usually find 10 € not expensive for a burger with fries, but in this case I find it way too expensive.

But then again, this is only my own opinion. 5.86








/k


Mr Dixon
5, place des Bains
1212 Luxembourg
Tél.: didn't find one

Tuesday 10 July 2012

Big Lou's @ Lou's Diner

Hello burger lovers,

today's review is about Lou's Diner in Consdorf, in Eastern Luxembourg, not far from Echternach. I didn't know this place and I would never have found it without my blog followers who recommended it to me. Cheers!

I've got lots of mails by people stating this as the best burger joint in Luxembourg. Since that is something I've heard quite a lot during the past few months, I wasn't really that excited.  

Well, I've had a nice surprise. Lou's Diner is the first real American style Diner I've seen in Luxembourg. I know there are other places, like 33 by Eric (doesn't exist anymore) or Bagels & Burgers, who try something in that direction but are just not that authentic. 

Among a wide range of burgers I chose the special, Big Lou's Burger, which has a 200gr patty of Angus beef for 7.50€ and fries for 1.50€. You have to know that I ordered the most expensive burger Lou´s menu has to offer, the regular ones start as low as 3€. Given this price, I was already a fan before even trying the burgers.

  
Evaluation:

After a considerably long wait, the four of us got our burgers. They all looked really tasty. I was so hungry that I started right away, and forgot to take a picture (that's why the burger looks a bit wrecked on the photo below, my apologies for that). Anyway, there is only one word to describe this burger. Wow! The buns, made by a local bakery, were really tasty, and even if there was a lot of sauce and moisture on the burger, they didn't get soaked. The beef, American Angus beef, had a great taste and wasn't dry at all. It's been quite a time since I've been to the States, but the good burgers over there had exactly the same taste. I must admit, I forgot that taste, but it all came back in a bite, just like Proust experiences his whole childhood memories when biting into a madeleine cake in Swann´s Way. That's how Marshall Ericsson from How I met your Mother must have felt in the episode "The Best Burger in New York".

Big Lou's is served with a barbecue sauce. I am usually not a big fan of barbecue sauces, but this one was really tasty. Actually the toppings were all really good. There were two layers of cheese on the burger, one layer of cheddar and an additional layer of Swiss cheese. The lettuce was very crisp and tasted excellent. During my whole quest I didn't have one burger which was as good as this one. In my opinion it just had the perfect balance. The only drop of bitterness were the fries. I am very particular when it comes to fries. These ones were too big for my taste. Nevertheless, they weren't bad in any way.

Lou's Diner was a very nice experience. We've had a very warm welcome. I've come to know that it's a pretty new burger joint (march 2012), but I am impressed. I can only recommend this diner to everyone living in that area, visiting Echternach or everybody who is willing to travel far for a good burger.

Keep up the good work! 

The weighted rating is 8.05


 /k

Lou's Diner
33, rue Burgkapp (Camping La Pinède)
6211 Consdorf
Tél.: 26 78 41 38












Thursday 5 July 2012

Whopper @ Burger King

Hello burger lovers,

here's a short review about Burger King's flagship, the Whopper. A year ago Burger King opened a franchise at the Aire the Wasserbillig, and has a worldwide presence in about 70 countries. Again I don't want to start the discussion about the ethical background of this burger chain, or the health issues of fast food in general. So a Whopper it was.

Evaluation:

Compared to Quick or McDonald's flagship burgers, the Whopper looks enormous. It has a flame grilled patty, lots of lettuce, a pickle, a slice of tomato and cheese (don't forget to order that). the sauce seems to be a mix of Mayonnaise and Ketchup. I didn't like the presentation of the burger. It didn't come in a paper box as in McDonald's, but was wrapped in paper. That didn't look very tasty.

The burger itself wasn't that bad, no comparison with a homemade burger but in my opinion better than Quick or McDonalds. I know "les goûts et les couleurs..." but Burger King seems fresher to me, and I am filled after one burger, which is never the case at Quick or McDo.

To make it short, I prefer freshly made burgers but sometimes I need a quickie ;) You can have it your way and you can probably afford it. If I must eat fast food, I try to have a Burger King.

The weighted score is 5.49



/k

Burger King
Aire de Wasserbillig
6601 Wasserbillig
Tél.: 276 971-0 (you don't need a reservation)

Tuesday 3 July 2012

Cheeseburger @ Coyote Café

Hello burger lovers,

here I am, back with a brand new review. This time I tested one of "les incontournables", Coyote Café, located at the Utopolis complex in Kirchberg. Mostly visited for a pre-movie dinner or an after-movie happy hour cocktail, the place is also loved for their all-you-can-eat chicken wings evenings.

But as you have come to know me, I wasn't there for fun, but for severe criticism. Coyote Café offers you a wide range of tex-mex food, and a whole lot of burgers too. I chose their Cheeseburger with fries for 9€.

Evaluation:

After a short wait, the cheeseburger arrived. I was surprised how big it was. When I saw the buns, my excitement vanished. Guess why, they were soft ... Nevertheless the meat patty looked nice, was big, had an attractive barbecue smell, and most surprisingly its taste was excellent. The cheese on the other hand wasn't melted at all and had no particular taste. The lettuce was drowned in a tasty burger sauce. The fries were a sorry excuse for fries. They were too soft, big and pale. The Ketchup I ordered as a side was too sweet and it had an awkward taste which i cannot describe.

To conclude, the burger wasn't bad. I was surprised by the quality of the meat, I honestly didn't expect that. It wasn't my favorite burger though, but compared to other places, you get good value for your money. 

The weighted score is 6.01



/k


Coyote Café
45, Bvd J.F. Kennedy
Luxembourg (Kirchberg)
Tél. : 42.85.86

I love my Burger in the media

Luxemburger Wort (special thanks to Gilles Siebenaler)

Eldoradio

Monday 18 June 2012

Farmer Burger & Hot Burger @ Independent's Café (re-visit)

 Hello burger lovers,

As you can imagine, I visit my favourite burger joints quite regularly. Indie's, as number one and two of my list, is one of my top recommendations for friends, followers and family. I've been there quite often myself recently, and  have to admit that I wasn't that satisfied anymore with both the Farmer Burger and the Hot Burger..

Evaluation:

I already criticized Indie's service, but I am clueless how a restaurant/bar can provide such a bad service to their customers over and over again. Maybe it's just me, but so far they already have forgot three times that I booked a table in advance, which is kind of embarrassing when you have to justify yourself. Once I was being ignored for quite some time before ordering, or I had to order my drink three times, only to end up not get it at all. Several times they didn't follow my order to cook the meat medium rare, but I got it well cooked instead.


All these times I told myself that it's not my place to criticize the restaurant and service, but to evaluate their burgers. But on the other hand, these things are linked to each other. I cannot recommend a restaurant where they mess up or simply forget your orders. 

Don't get me wrong, the burger is still good, the toppings are very fresh and the homemade ciabatta-buns are way better than most of the other bread I had during my quest. During my last visits, I didn't like the meat that much anymore, I think they changed the seasoning which gives it a whole new taste.

Unfortunately the staff still does not tell you that you have to order a sauce for your burger. They really need to improve their service. Once upon a time I was a huge fan of their fresh burgers, but I am not anymore.

7.74 was the former weighted rating for the Farmer Burger but it dropped to 7.41
8.10 was the former weighted rating for the Hot Burger but it dropped to 7.69 


Indie's, I'll be watching you!



/k

Independent Café
6, boulevard F.D. Roosevelt
2450 Luxembourg-Centre
T. 27 47 87 78

Tuesday 29 May 2012

NYC Cheeseburger @ Bagels & Burgers

Hello burger lovers,

There is a new burger joint in town. It's called Bagels & Burgers, and that's what they serve. Situated at the Boulevard d'Avranches it's located perfectly between the Gare and City-Center area.

The interior of Bagels & Burgers reminds of an American diner, but is in my opinion not really authentic.

I ordered a NYC Cheeseburger with country potatoes (they don't serve fries!) for 11.60€

Evaluation:

After a short wait, I got my burger, which looked good. Of course I was a bit disappointed when I saw that I got no fries but country potatoes (sadly I don't like them too much). They also added a pot of coleslaw, which I gave instantly to my colleagues who joined me on my quest.

The burger itself had lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, cheese and a mayonnaise-mustard sauce as toppings. The beef was good, but a bit too well done (at least they asked how I wanted it), but the taste was good. The cheddar cheese was nicely melted and wrapped around the meat patty. The vegetables were fresh, but I didn't really like their sauce. In my opinion they should offer a range of different sauces. The buns looked good, but they were the same fluffy ones as usual, and they were not even toasted! As you know, for me that's a no-go!

My conclusion: the burger is okay for a quick snack during your lunch break. But so far in my quest, I only consider it an average burger.

The weighted rating is 6.14





/k


Bagels & Burgers

12-14 Boulevard d'Avranches
1160 Luxembourg
Tel.: 26 29 65 26

Monday 28 May 2012

Tower Burger @ Urban Bar & Kitchen (re-visit)

Hello burger lovers,
  
Recently Urban Bar became my favourite burger spot. Their service, friendliness and food quality impressed me, reasons enough to visit them on a regular basis. You should try their "Burger of the Moment" which changes every other week.

At my first visit I ordered their Tower Burger (15,50€ and 300gr of meat), with Jalapeños as a topping. That time I wasn't quite satisfied with the burger, as you can see in my previous review: click here 

After my review I have been contacted by the owner, and we discussed minor improvements for his burgers. Later I have been reviewing a different burger at Urban Bar which I really liked. Now is the time I grant a second chance to the Tower Burger.

Evaluation:

From a visual point of view, the burger looked perfect! The burger was still hot, which wasn't the case when I had the big one the first time. The meat was fresh, tasted well, but was too well done in my opinion. The cheese was nicely melted, but compared to the inferno burger the taste of the burger sauce didn't really come out. The lettuce was fresh and green, and most importantly this time the tomato was not too watery, which was my main concern last time when it nearly ruined the whole burger. That time the buns were soaked and I criticized them quite harsh, this time they were fine and the burger was easy to eat. I really like their thin crispy fries which come with a delicious garlic sauce.

The thing about the Tower Burger is that it really looks great. Tastewise it's not bad, but it doesn't reach the same awesomeness than a regular burger, for instance. the Inferno Burger. But if you're hungry, go for it!



The old rating was 6.40 the new weighted average score after my re-visit is 6.88


/k

Urban Bar & Kitchen
2, rue de la Boucherie
1247 Luxembourg-Centre
Tél.: 26 47 85 78

Friday 11 May 2012

Diablo Burger @ Café Belair

Hello burger lovers,

recently I visited Café Belair. Many people recommended this place, so yet again my hopes were up. Café Belair is a local Brasserie that offers a huge range of different burgers. They are also known for their variety of wines and beers. I didn't know the place until recently, but added it to my map. This time I ordered the Diablo Burger,  250gr of meat for 16.50€.

Evaluation:

When the burger arrived I was surprised how big it was. The meat and buns looked tasty and I couldn't wait to bury it in my mouth. The meat was so fresh and had a fabulous taste. The cooking was perfect. The buns were very tasty, a round shaped ciabatta bread which didn't fall apart due to the moisture, in my opinion still the best solution. I was a bit disappointed by the toppings though. The cheddar cheese was the regular one that you can buy at your local store, and there were no slices of tomato nor lettuce on the burger, which made the whole thing a bit dry. The hot sauce was quite spicy, but I wouldn't call it was hot, I didn't really like the taste of it. The chorizo which was on top of the meat did not add a plus to the burger in my opinion. The fries were home made, that's a plus, the fact that they were too crispy wasn't good, and I didn't eat them all.

The quality and the taste of the burger were good. It was pricey, maybe a bit too expensive for a burger. I've had some minor disappointments though. Maybe I've just chosen the wrong burger. Next time I will try a regular cheeseburger. I will keep you posted.

the weighted rating for the Diablo Burger is 7.44

/k

Café Belair
99 val Ste Croix
1371 Luxembourg

Tél.:26 38 37 61

CF Big Burger @ Crossfire (re-visit)

Hello burger lovers,

I revisited Crossfire Nordic Bar in Luxembourg. The old rating was 5.76 mostly because I had some major concerns about their meat. Find the old review here

Since Crossfire was the first burger joint I evaluated during my quest, I asked myself if I havn't been a bit harsh in my evaluation. So I decided to grant them a second chance, and try the same burger I had several months ago.

Evaluation:

After a very long wait (the bar wasn't crowded at all!!) I got my big bacon cheeseburger. The Burger wasn't great, but it was better than the one from before. In January I was under the impression that the meat wasn't fresh, this I cannot confirm this anymore. But it was too well seasoned and the pepper taste was quite overpowering. The bacon was very tasty and the vegetables were okay as well. The cheese was quite tasteless but the so called special sauce still wasn't special. The buns were the regular ones, toasted, still not great. The fries were better during my last visit, not that crispy this time.The burger was quite big, a good deal for 11€.

The new weighted average after revisiting in May 2012 and considering the old rating from January is 5.96 

No  burger joint should consider the rating as definite. I will visit and review again :)



/k


Crossfire Bar
15, rue Dicks
1417 Luxembourg
Tel: 49 84 31