Americans have managed to take the most basic of ingredients (minced meat) and turn it into the ubiquitous hamburger that now spans every corner of the world.
A few years of eating out in the Kingdom and you could be excused for thinking that all we enjoy here is Asian, Lebanese and Italian food. But if you look deep, you’ll also see that we have a penchant for the good old-fashioned hamburger. From a basic fast food staple, delivered through a drive-thru to a serious designer concoction served in their own couture lounges, we even have burgers that care for the planet and your health. Bahrain indeed has the burger scene covered.
Whether you believe the numerous franchisee owners who claim to have invented the ‘burger’ or if you believe in evolution whereby first cavemen slapped hot-cooked pieces of meat between vine leaves, so as not to burn their fingers, one thing is for certain; the first printed American diner which listed ‘hamburger’ was an 1826 menu from Delmonico’s in New York.
It takes more than meat to make a perfect burger, though. A burger after all is one food which is the sum of its parts; not just about a patty or a bun, but the whole enchilada. Great beef, perfect burger, tasty fresh bun and toppings that give crunch and texture are what make a burger perfect.
Having scoured Bahrain and its numerous burger joints, I’ve come up with the eight memorable burgers which should stave off the hunger pangs when the need arises.
Bennigan’s (Juffair)
The Australian Burger; named after an entire country and you’d better be certain you have a true grasp of the culture. Bennigan’s have certainly done their research. A tall juicy, well-seasoned burger topped with pineapple, beetroot, rashes of bacon, lettuce, relish and fried egg had me reminiscing down memory lane; the burger our family ate when I was a kid.
Served on a wooden plank it has an unpretentiousness of quality; when you know something is amazingly good, why dress it up with fancy plates. For those seeking something larger, although I’m not sure why, Bennigan’s also offers their ‘Ultimate Big Irish’ burger which is a full-pound of belly-busting mastication — two juicy patties, four slices of cheese and an additional bun so as to soak up the moisture of it all.
For small appetites, I also recommend the ‘Pub Bites’; three mini burgers in beef, chicken and southern-coated chicken.
Fuddruckers (multiple locations)
Tumbleweed Burger; several years’ back I tried the ‘Tumbleweed’, after I had seen a real one that day blowing across the sand dunes! It amused me then, and still does to this day as the fried onion strings piled high on top of this burger truly look like its namesake.
Fuddruckers rocks in the burger category because, depending on how hungry you are on the particular day, you can size your burger accordingly. One-third of a pound, half a pound, two-thirds and full-pound burgers; adjust your meal to the way you feel. Tumbleweed gives me both a sweet flavour and juicy burger in one, which is topped with sautéed peppers, fried onion strings and a delicious burger bun, too.
Meals are served in baskets filled with fries and space for your own toppings, which you choose from their fresher than fresh salads bar. How can you ever complain when you create the burger yourself!
Fat Burger (Bahrain City Centre)
The Quad; at a time when everyone else is talking skinny and health food, one company is thankfully talking about all things fat! Started in 1952, Lovie Yancey made burgers so big and juicy they had to be called ‘fat’! 60 years later, Fat Burger has just entered Bahrain and would seem to be doing all the right things.
The Quad is ‘massive’ gastronomy; at BD5 per burger, this does not disappoint. Four all-beef patties made from fresh 100 per cent pure USDA lean halal beef, grilled to perfection before your eyes and served on a toasted bun with lettuce, onion, cheese and more. For those seeking less there are the single, double and triple Fat burgers. But, why start small in a place called Fat?
Just be careful if you order “Fat burger and skinny fries” as you will get it repeated by the entire Fat team for all to hear. 
Turkey, chicken and veggie burgers, skinny fries, fat fries, chilli cheese fries and onion rings; these are succulent burgers with the freshest of toppings cooked in a store reminiscent of a roadside burger stand than a diner. What’s more, there’s also hot dogs and hand-scooped, real ice-cream shakes.
Burger Wisconsin (Budaiya Highway)
The Full Monty; a great-looking outlet with a product to match! Burger Wisconsin touts itself as the home of the hamburger and indeed there are some that say that Charles Nagreen was one of the originators; yet his meat patties, flavoured in the style of his home town of Hamburg, date long after the first menus featuring hamburgers. Still, for Bahrain, he may as well be the founder of the hamburger for his accomplishments are gorgeously-sized and perfectly seasoned, with a number of choices including the ‘Build Your Own’ section.
The ‘Full Monty’ holds nothing back and delivers a burger full of flavour and value. Double beef patties, beef bacon, melted cheese and garlic mayo; if this is not enough, then you simply have to try the ‘add-ons’. There’s lime coriander mayo, caramelised onions and Camembert, Indonesian satay sauce or blue cheese from which to choose.
|
