BRGR.Co Big on Premium, Innovative Burgers

Last month, I experienced a revelation, one that only diehard foodies can appreciate (if you’re an economist, skip this post, but you’re welcome to ogle the photos below).

Since BRGR.Co first debuted in downtown Beirut, mere steps from my office, we pop in from time to time for a clean gourmet burger experience. Its unique selling points? The Australian Angus beef is unmistakably high-quality. The bread buns are ethereally light, hugging the patty so tightly that the two fuse into a seamless unit. And, of somewhat tantamount importance, the fries figure into the sides, detached from your burger order. So you can bypass them altogether if you’re watching your shape—no need to get tempted by Sir Spud.

It's all about the premium Australian Angus beef

We’ve almost always opted for the 4-oz. “Original Blend,” best served medium-well to well-done and fetching a price tag of 12,000 LL. The 6-oz. “Tender Blend” will set you back 24,500 LL, so to the unsuspecting diner, the 4-oz. number appears to be the better-value deal. Pricing doesn’t follow a linear scale. 

Even if you elect to double up with a supplementary 4-oz. (114-g.) patty, the total comes to 21,000 LL. You’re getting 33% more beef and still undercutting the price of the 6-oz. So, duh, from a strictly economic point of view, the decision is clear.

Fries with grated Parmesan and a dash of truffle oil

It wasn’t until last month, on our inaugural visit to the new BRGR.Co outlet on the rooftop of ABC Achrafieh, that we were swayed to try the six-ouncer (170-g.). A premium blend of the tenderest cuts of beef with little marbling, it is expressly served medium-rare to medium in order to preserve the juiciness and flavor of the meat. This big boy is for the initiated, the beef connoisseur if you will, and the difference is palpable. If you’re after an epicurean experience, you won’t think twice about the dough (pun intended)—it’s justified.

Last week found us back at the ABC Achrafieh branch gorging on two whole-new exclusive burgers. The Rock Shrimp and Angus is a succulent 4-oz. grilled beef patty topped with chunky marinated shrimp and an explosive Cajun aioli all in a toasted brioche bun. You won’t be able to put it down, nor will you care to smuggle in a fry between bites—it’s that delicious.

Rock Shrimp & Angus Burger

The Smoky burger dresses up the 6-oz. Tender Blend with sautéed onions, thinly-sliced Portobello mushroom, and a round of smoked cheddar. But don’t let this be the second act to the Shrimp & Angus. Its flavors are necessarily more subtle, since the centerpiece is the prime cut of beef.

Smoky Burger with smoked cheddar and Portobello mushrooms

If you’ve been good, treat yourself to one of BRGR.Co’s latest desserts. I love the Toffee Date Cake, featuring a walnut-packed, dense spiced cake drizzled with caramel toffee and crowned with a scoop of vanilla.

Toffee Date Cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream

The Banoffee Pie is a cupped treat that will transport you back to childhood. Wafting with fragrant banana in a silky cream blanket, it boasts crushed digestive biscuits to evoke a graham crust, coupled with rich condensed milk. It is cloyingly sweet and best shared.

Banoffee Pie in a cup

For me, being a foodie is more than simply wolfing down scrumptious food. It’s a lesson in learning—about the ingredients, the interplay of flavors, and more notably, the world of difference quality elements make in the final product. 

Some things you just shouldn’t skimp on, and BRGR.Co’s made me a believer. 

BRGR.CO

ABC Achrafieh, L3 (01 322 070)

Beirut Souks, Patriarch Hoayek St. (01 999 836)

Achrafieh, Abdel el Wahab St. (01 333 511)