Lately, Riyadh’s being taken over by a new food craze: Burgers. They’ve been cropping up with no signs of it stopping anytime soon. And in a city where the influx of restaurants is impressive to begin with, you know the situation is dire.
We at Destination Riyadh decided to find out the best burger in the multitude, and in the spirit of giving, we braved the top twelve rated restaurants. Might as well waste those calories on something worth it, yes? We know. You’re welcome.
Without further ado, here are the results we’ve come up with:
The Criteria: In the spirit of fairness, we only pitted classic (no frills, no add-on) burgers against each other.
12- Jan Burger (15 riyals):
Bun Goodness: 2
Quality of meat: 2
Attractiveness: 1.5
Overall: 2
The Verdict: If placed in a gourmet burger war like this, Jan falls short of expectations, its saving grace is the fact that it’s a fancy fast food joint hence, it’s still good if you need a quick fix.
Comment of the Night: “X.” “Messy and processed.”
Value for meal: Pricey for the type of burger it offers.
11- Burger Fuel (25 riyals)
Bun Goodness: 2
Quality of meat: 1.5
Attractiveness: 3.5
Overall: 2.5
The Verdict: Most of us have tried the other items of Burger Fuel and would say they’re good. Unfortunately, the Fuel Basic we tasted doesn’t live up to the standards of its contemporary. Add-ons and their more refined burgers are a better pick.
Comment of the Evening: “It looks like a burger hunk” “Fried sausage burger.”
Value for meal: 25 riyals for this, no. Their other burgers, maybe.
10- Fatburger (20 riyals)
Bun Goodness: 2.5
Quality of meat: 2.5
Attractiveness: 2
Overall: 2.5
The Verdict: When Fatburger opened in Riyadh a year ago, it was one of those places you’d have to wait for a good 45 minutes in order to get a table. Today, they’re popping up in the various food courts; we’d have to say that the “fastfood” approach is now reflected in the burger we tried.
Comments of the Night: “They have pickles” “More fastfood than gourmet”
Value for meal: If it’s in the category of Fastfood basic burgers, the value for your money is worth it.
9- Gourmet Burger Kitchen (33 SAR)
Bun Goodness: 3
Quality of meat: 3
Attractiveness: 3.5
Overall: 3
The Verdict: It’s the first smokey, grill-tasting burger we had on the list and were quite pleased with it. GBK had a distinct taste and we loved it. We found it small for 33 riyals and the jury was divided on whether the look and flavor of it is enough to compensate.
Comments: “Smokey.” “Looks like a supermodel.” “Tastes like فحم.”
Value for meal: We’re still on the fence.
8- Fuddruckers (44 riyals)
Bun Goodness: 4
Quality of meat: 4
Attractiveness: 3
Overall: 3
The Verdict: It’s one of the first global franchise burger joints in Riyadh and has had its success in winning over the Riyadhi’s craving for large servings. Our bite of Fuddruckers reminded us of all the things we’ve grown to love about it, the buttery bun, the juicy meat, and the fresh toppings. The downside, the price that is inflated by the items that you’re required to buy with it, distracts rather than attracts us from indulging.
Comments: “Fluffy.” “Medium rare meat, I like.” “Tasty.”
Value for meal: As the most expensive burger on the list, you should enjoy the “unlimited cheese” and fresh salad bar. Otherwise, burger alone, we’d say they can do better.
7- The Sandwich Company (15 riyals)
Bun Goodness: 4
Quality of meat: 4
Attractiveness: 3
Overall: 3
The Verdict: Though not its main item on the menu, it’s definitely a must-try. It’s simple, the meat is seasoned well and there’s enough spiciness in there that sets it apart from its contemporaries on the list.
Comments of the Night: “Smokey goodness!” “Smoky, cheesy, spicy.” “Charcoal taste.”
Value for meal: It’s large and decent, and for 15 riyals isn’t bad at all.
6- Elevation Burger (38 riyals)
Bun Goodness: 3.5
Quality of meat: 3
Attractiveness: 3
Overall: 3.5
The Verdict: It’s upscale guilty pleasure junk food and we mean that in a good way. This is comfort burger all the way and its supposed to enjoyed in all its sloppiness. It can’t win prettiest burger and is small for its price but it can definitely give you a flavorful kick with its flavorful meat and secret sauce.
Comments: “Nutty.” “Special sauce = Food coma IV”
Value for meal: The tomato’s a little too thin and for a basic burger, 38 riyals may be hard to justify. If you spend a little extra on the add-ons, you’re sure to feel elevated.
5- Burgeronomy (15 riyals)
Special Award: Most Generous Joint
Bun Goodness: 3.5
Quality of meat: 3.5
Attractiveness: 2.5
Overall: 3.5
The Verdict: There’s something in this burger we couldn’t put our hands on, a spice that gave a punch to our palette. Sandwich that with a bun like no other on the list and real cheese– there’s no denying, it’s worth the trip to Exit 7.
Comments: “The bun is the star… buttery, soft, moist, not like any other bun on the list”. “Bun. Love. It’s love”.
Value for meal: It’s a little small compared to the other same-priced burgers, but we highly appreciate the real cheese and pickles so it’s just worth every riyal.
4. Burgy (15 riyals)
Bun Goodness: 3.5
Quality of meat: 3.5
Attractiveness: 3
Overall: 3.5
The Verdict: Out of the entire list, this bags first place for that grill master taste. There’s a hickory kick to it that leaves you guessing if it was cooked using wood instead of regular charcoal.
Comments: “Smokey, had pickles.” “Good.”
Value for meal: Kindly refer to TSC.
3- Johnny Rockets (28 riyals)
Bun Goodness: 4
Quality of meat: 4
Attractiveness: 4
Overall: 4
The verdict: It maintains its rank as a mainstream favorite and we although we tried hard not to not think about it, we can’t help but want a milkshake while enjoying their Rocket single. The point is, their burger amidst of all the good things we’ve come to love about their restaurant, it can standalone.
Comments: “Tasty.” “Oily.” “It’s an all-american burger and we can’t help but love it”
Value for meal: A bit high, but we can handle it.
2- Burger Box (unknown during time of testing)
Bun Goodness: 4
Quality of meat: 4
Attractiveness: 4.5
Overall: 4
Special Award: Best Dressed Burger
The Verdict: A Darkhorse. The other burger joints should up their game. We were the first people to taste their burger in the whole of Riyadh and we were impressed. The painstaking attention to details is hard to ignore. The packaging, insulator wrapped at that was beautiful, the meat was flavorful, had a signature taste to it and the Bun was unique, it can’t be described (we tried). Whether or not they can consistently deliver the same quality upon opening is another thing though. Let’s see.
Comments: “Prettiest packaging ever.” “Butter bread and fresh veg!” “Crunchy.”
Value for meal: We can’t judge yet, but over all it seems worth it.
1. Hamburgini (9, yes, 9 SAR)
Bun Goodness: 4.5
Quality of meat: 4
Attractiveness: 4.5
Overall: 4
Special Award: Prettiest Burger
The Verdict: The word out in Riyadh is that Hamburgini has a mob of about eighty people at a time waiting for their burger. After tasting what all the hoopla is about, we’ll be standing in queue for sure. It’s pretty, it has this authentic taste, the meat was so juicy, its price is unbelievable and all its toppings are fresh.
Comments: “Front cover model.” “Soft, juicy, and tasty.” “Looks pretty good!” “Me likey.” “The best.”
Value for meal: WINS HANDS DOWN. Nine riyals for a fresh meat and iceberg hamburger? Positive steal, Hamburgini. We feel bad for robbing you blind.
Do you think we missed a burger? Want to nominate your favorite? Let us know: @destinationryd hashtag: #DRburgerwar
The Jury: The Editorial Foodies, Ladies of Midnight Frenzy Podcast, a mother of three, a self-proclaimed Burger aficionado, a photographer, a food critic/blogger, a young chef and a Saudi bachelor.