Like burgers 漢堡 reviews

_It is a small little cafe tucked away in Neihu. Like a lot of other burger joints it has a lot of classic burger paraphernalia like 50's pictures and ads, but they also have a wall with a variety of American license plates which is pleasantly unique. This is one of the best burger cafes that I've ate at in Taipei. It's even better than a lot of burger joints in the USA! Unlike other burger cafes in Taiwan, Juicy Burger's beef patties are cooked medium instead of well-done to harvest the delectable juices -- that is why it is called Juicy Burger. For all those foreigners complaining that they can't find a good burger in Taiwan, look no further.

I have ate the 10 oz. double cheese & beef pattie burgers a few times and thought it was simply delicious. The only thing that I would improve upon it is shaping the patties in a less round formation so you can eat the hamburger without making a complete mess, but it's certainly worth the hassle given the juicy scrumptious reward one can derive from such endeavors.

I notice a lot of burger places in Taipei making these round baseball patties that are almost uneatable without using freakin' utensils which is a big no no for hamburger etiquette. I think it is because Taiwan is more caught-up with presentation than anything else. The single pattie burgers at Juicy Burger are definitely big enough and easier to eat so it isn't a problem.

The fries are great; they are served hot and crispy with the perfect amount of seasoning. You can pay NT$40 and get endless amounts of their sodas and teas or just get one of their excellent milkshakes. They also have great omelets and other American breakfast meals that I haven't tried yet because I'm so drawn to eating their burgers every time I visit. When I'm craving a hamburger, Juicy Burger is the first place that pops into my head -- a must try!

1885 Burger Store has a variety of gourmet burgers which are definitely better than most offered in Taipei. 
You can choose which type of bread bun you want for your burger: ciabatta, wheat, or white. They are all good, but it is splendid how they offer an upper-scale Italian bread (ciabatta) which is not very common for burger joints. The fries are perfect; served hot and crispy with the perfect amount of seasoning. I have found that Taipei doesn't have a hard time offering excellent fries. The milkshakes are delicious as well, and I almost ordered another one after I sucked mine down. Milkshake flavors: Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, Green Tea, and Hazelnut.

They also have American style breakfasts, but I haven't tried them because I'm always drawn to their burgers, fries, and milkshakes, which are very satisfying and never disappoint. They are one of the best places in Taipei to get a burger. 

_AN Burger is close to the Zhongshan MRT station in one of the quiet alleyways. Their restaurant is a lot like their burgers, not needlessly flashy, but just right. It is a pretty popular place with the locals so you should definitely make a reservation during peak times.

Like I said, their burgers may look a little plain, but don't judge them until you have tried them. The beef patties are cooked medium to well-done so you can still see a hint of redness and a lot of beefy juice once you bite into it, making for a pleasant taste. The burger comes pretty bare regarding sauce so you can put the amount of ketchup and/or mustard that you want on it. When you order a burger you can choose a side to go along with it: fries, salad, or garlic mashed potatoes. I have had all three and they are all exceptional; the fries are crispy and seasoned just right, the salad is fresh with the perfect amount of dressing which tastes good, and the mashed potatoes have a very definite garlic creamy taste instead of barely being able to taste the garlic.

I've ate here three times so far, ordering a different burger each time and always being pleased. The people who accompanied me each time always enjoyed their burgers as well. This time I ordered the Beef N' Bacon Burger (With Special BBQ Sauce). There was no BBQ sauce on the burger. I asked the waitress and she said that the bacon is cooked in a BBQ sauce. So keep in mind that when it says BBQ anywhere on the menu, you're not actually getting any. They need to correct the menu. My burger with invisible BBQ sauce was still good, but I really felt like having a BBQ burger that day. Their desserts and milkshakes are just pretty good. I really liked the milkshakes at The Diner and 1885 Burger Store.

They have a monster burger challenge. You have to make a reservation for it, and when you arrive you will be presented with a waiver that states terms and conditions like: you have to finish the burger (1kg  meat pattie), mash potatoes (800g), fries (a mountain of), deep fried brownies (4 small cubes), and a coke (1.8L) within 45 minutes without going to the bathroom or getting help from anybody else to win a stack of $1 American bills totaling 300 USD. If your stomach blows up or you die in any other sort of fashion, AN Burger will not be held liable for any wrong doing since you were the one who chose to inflict such abominable abnormalities against your own body. You can also enter the contest with a total of four people, but the amount is just 4x bigger.

_In Taiwan it is just another fast food joint, but to a fresh foreigner it MIGHT be a new interesting fast food place, so I thought I would include it. This Japanese fast food company has over 100 locations in Taiwan. MOS Burger is less unhealthy than its fast food counterparts.

Their most unique items are the rice burgers; rice instead of a bread bun. I've tried them and think they are just OK. I think their burgers with bread buns are better, but I am biased because I am use to burgers with bread and am not an Asian who must have rice so many times a week or I'll lose my mind. If you want to try one of the rice burgers, I recommend the Yakiniku Rice Burger. Yakiniku means grilled meat and in this case it is beef accompanied with onions and a nice light sauce. If you like spicy food, add MOS Burger's spicy sauce packet while you munch away on it to kick it up a notch, as I like to do.

All their burgers come in a broad cone-like packaging so you can eat it without getting your hands messy. Their fries are mushy and almost salt-less and the wedge fries aren't any better, so I would recommend getting their crisscut fries which are crispy and seasoned instead, but even they aren't great.

I recommend their breakfast items; they're a lot better than McDonald's. If fact, if it wasn't for their breakfast items, I would just think MOS Burger was OK. Breakfast is served from 5am-10:30am. Sandwiches, egg burgers, a fish burger, tea and coffee -- a good selection to start the day off with. The hot Banana Cafe Latte is delicious; I was blown away at the mix of banana and a sweet cafe latte mixed together. I'm going to try the Melon Cafe Latte next time, but I don't know if I should get it cold or hot -- I'm thinking melon would be better cold. You can see the list of breakfast items in one of the pictures below as well as the normal menu, both in English and Chinese. Even though it is a Japanese company, this is the same thing as a western breakfast; it isn't a traditional Japanese breakfast.

_I have never been to a Hooters in the USA so I can't say how it differs, but I'm assuming it tastes about the same as here in Taipei. I was craving those deep fried sauce dipping platters that I have had before at T.G.I Friday's in the USA. At Hooters it turned out to be just so-so tasting; I should've gone to T.G.I. Friday's where they are better. Hooters' burgers are just OK. All the food just seemed OK. Maybe we didn't order the right things. Let me know if you have had something at Hooters that you really liked.

I don't think people go there for the food ;)

_The restaurant itself is welcoming, has a nice atmosphere and friendly staff. There are a lot of different burger choices ranging from usual to unique. They certainly do a good job with their marketing pictures online, which really made me excited to try out their burgers. The versatility of the burger set was nice, being able to choose the type of pattie you wanted on any burger: beef, chicken, fish, pork sausage, or veggie pattie. Then you choose two sides and a drink.

I tried the Hack Burger and The Three Cheesy (Burger). For dessert, I tried the Classic Tiramisu and the Cheesecake (with mint chocolate chunks). The Hack Burger consisted of a beef pattie, two chicken fingers, cheese, and bacon with a honey mustard sauce. After the first bite, I could immediately tell that there was something wrong with the beef pattie after drawing no beefy taste from it at all. I looked and prodded it and assessed that it was very far from being fresh; it was stiff and completely juice-less, having been pre-made and stored in a fridge or freezer for too long. The chicken fingers on top the beef pattie tasted better, but still not great. The chicken pattie for The Three Cheesy (burger) was not as bad, but still lacked the chicken flavor it should've had; probably spent a little less time in the fridge or freezer than the beef. It was suppose to have mozzarella, Swiss, and Gouda cheese, but it just tasted like cheap, tasteless mozzarella cheese. Needless to say, both burgers were a complete failure. Afterwards, I talked to one of my friends who had ate their about a month before and he had the same problem with his burger.

The Classic Tiramisu was completely horrible. It tasted like yogurt that had gone bad a day ago. Why it tasted like yogurt in the first place beats me -- there was no chocolaty taste at all; completely inedible! The Cheesecake that had mint chocolate chunks and a side of raspberry sauce was pretty good, but I wouldn't really call it a cheesecake, being that there was no cheesy taste, just more like a cake. It also didn't seem that fresh.

Looks like I found another good burger place in Taipei. Evan though they specialize in burgers, they have an extensive list of American breakfasts for a burger place: 4 types of Pancakes, 3 types of French Toast, 3 types of Eggs Benedict, 3 types of Omelets, and more. On my second visit, I went to the other Evans Burger Shida location, No. 27, Lane 13, Pucheng St., Da'an Dist., and it was better because the beef patties were bigger and cooked medium, making for a better, juicier beef taste. I highly recommend this location over the other three. You may have noticed that Taipei chain stores are notorious for being very different; one of the locations could even be very good when another is bad. I wish all Taipei chains focused on keeping their brand the same at every location.

I tried the Super Tornado Beef Burger, Ham Eggs Benedict (vegetarian), Evans Roast Burger, American Cheese Burger, Brownie Ice Cream, and the Spinach Cheese Omelette. The beef pattie for the burger was cooked well-done, but was still very juicy and tasty. The three super large onion rings on top of the burger were mushy and the only thing about the burger that I didn't care for; however, that is the main reason for ordering the Super Tornado Beef Burger, so if I were you, I would get one of the other burgers. It is just another example of how Taipei restaurants focus more on presentation than taste or actually being able to fit the burger in your mouth. It's really silly and I wish Taipei burger places would just made a good burger that fit in your mouth. If you have to cut it up because it's too big, it isn't a proper burger anymore and just isn't the same.

The American Cheese Burger was a very delicious cheese burger without all the extra fanciness. Evans Roast Burger which is just like a roast beef Au Jus sauce sandwich as a burger: strips of roast beef with melted Swiss cheese on top with a side Au Jus sauce. There couple be a little more roast beef in it, but other than this, I was very happy with this selection; tender and tasteful beef with quality Swiss cheese. The Spinach Cheese Omelette was a great brunch choice because you get an omelette, strips of bacon, hashed browns, a little salad, two pieces of French toast with butter and maple syrup, orange juice, and choice of coffee or tea. All of this brunch's items were very appetizing; this is a great place to eat breakfast or brunch anytime of the day.

The Brownie Ice Cream is the only thing that I've had at Evans Burger that I wasn't happy about. You're paying NT$240 for mostly a big scoop of not so good vanilla ice-cream on top a much smaller amount of warm brownie and whipped-cream underneath. The Ham Eggs Benedict (vegetarian) had fake ham meat. It is unusual to be able to get a vegetarian eggs benedict, so I had to try it. It was very good for a vegetarian version and I'm happy I ordered it. The fake ham meat came pretty close to the real thing.

T.G.I. Friday's is a good place to go for general western food and alcohol beverages in Taipei. They have a little bit of everything except for pizza, so almost all your western food needs can be quenched here. I use to visit T.G.I. Friday's every now and then back home in the states mostly during happy hour, and drank and ate appetizers and samplers while chatting with friends.

On this visit I tried the Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Quesadilla, Jack Daniel's Burger, Friday's Chicken Sandwich, New York Cheese Cake Dessert, and the Tiramisu Dessert Drink. I enjoyed everything that I tried. The Parmesan Chicken Quesadilla was superbly filled with quality Monterey Jack Cheese, chicken, and a tomato-basil mix. The sweet balsamic glaze drizzled on top mingled with all the ingredients, creating a smashing success.  The Jack Daniel's Burger beef pattie was pretty good, but when you dump all the Jack Daniels sauce, which is in a side container, on the burger, it creates a sweet unique burger experience. Even though the menu said that all patties are cooked well-done unless otherwise specified, my beef pattie was cooked medium which was great. I like my beef pattie medium, but I never special order because I want to review the menu item as is, to help out the most general populace. The Friday's Chicken Sandwich had some Cajun spices that created a nice spicy dance with the marinated chicken, three strips of bacon, and melted Jack cheese.

I knew I could rely on T.G.I. Friday's to offer a real American style cheesecake for my dessert: dense, powerful rich cheesy taste, and a crumbled crust. There was also strawberry mousse on top and strawberry and mango sauce on the side in a modern art drizzle style. These little additions made it so I could have different cheesecake taste experiences with one dessert; the strawberry mousse on top was particularly enticing. The Tiramisu drink was a blend of chocolate, Amaretto, and vanilla ice-cream; a classic Italian dessert gone liquid, as the menu stated. This drink was absolutely exquisite to the last drop; the crunchy chocolate bits in the vanilla ice-cream with amaretto, topped with whipped-cream, really tasted like I was drinking a very good tiramisu dessert.

My favorite item at T.G.I. Friday's is the full meal Chicken Quesadilla, but I didn't see it on the menu or on their Taiwan website, but I had it a couple months ago at the Sinyi District location. I really hope they didn't omit it from their selection.

Bongos is a low-lit, relaxed restaurant with cool art work and a down to earth decor that reminds me of a lot of the hostels that I stayed at while traveling through Australia and Southeast Asia. There is even a large section of used books that you can buy; I don't think you can swap them like in hostels, though. You will find a lot of expats here as well as local Taiwanese who are looking for something different and unique (for them).

I tried the Chicken Quesadilla, Turkey Torpedo (sandwich), Chicken Fingers, Gouda Cheese Burger, Nachos, and Poutine. I enjoyed everything. The Chicken Quesadilla came in three large pieces with a sour cream and a salsa dipping sauce on the side. It could've had a more cheesy taste to it, as the other ingredients sort of drowned it out, but the other ingredients were good and I still enjoyed it. The Chicken Fingers came with dipping sauces too, and were complete pieces of tender chicken with no bones inside; how pleasant and delicious. It is hard to get good nachos in Taipei for sure, and Bongos I can say, is one of the exceptions; great corn chips with the perfect amount of quality cheese and other toppings with three dipping sauces: sour cream, salsa, and guacamole.

The Gouda Cheese Burger had quality Gouda cheese and the beef pattie was pretty tasty. Another good burger find in Taipei. The Poutine (fries covered in melted cheese and gravy), a Canadian creation, had quality cheese and gravy, making it a proper poutine. The Turkey Torpedo could've had more honey mustard, mayo, or more sauce of any kind on it, but it did have loads of turkey deli slices which was great, and is something that you can't get at other restaurants anywhere in Taipei, it seems.

Bongos is a good place for Tex-Mex and Burgers. They have a lot of other delicious looking items that I wanted to try, but will have to wait until next time. Some of these items are: Chimichanga, Burrito, Mushroom Alfredo, Spinach and Artichoke Dip, Falafel, and the Hummus and Tziki. The latter three are very hard to find good versions of in Taipei, and by judging Bongos other menu items I tasted, I would say there is a good chance that they would be worthwhile at the least.

7-11 has tons of snacking, quick meal, and drink options. I read on Wikipedia that Taiwan has the most convenience stores per square inch mile than any other country in the world. They are everywhere and sometimes right across the street from each other, making a visit to a convenience store very convenient. 7-Eleven in particular also offers all kinds of other services that will blow your mind: you can pay your water, electricity, gas, cable, or mobile phone bill, parking tickets, motor-bike liability insurance, photo development, digital image printing and copying, MRT and bus-fare cards, fax, express mail, stamps, envelopes, send mail, receive mail, vacuum cleaner rental,  and other crazy things I don't remember. Nielsen ShopperTrends says that 80% of urban household shoppers in Taiwan visit a convenience store each week.

Their drink selection is unmatched with so many options for tea and coffee that you'll be overwhelmed until you find out your favorites. They have cold drinks, hot drinks, and drinks from a coffee or tea roaster such as matcha green tea or latte. The snacking and meal options are quite plentiful as well and a lot of 7-Elevens have seating areas, or City Cafe sections, where one can study, read a paper, eat their 7-11 food or drink, and chat. My favorite snacks/meals at 7 (which is the short name that Taiwanese have given 7-11) are their seaweed rice triangle, grass jelly dessert, hard boiled eggs soaked in black tea and spices for hours (茶葉蛋), grilled chicken thigh and spicy chicken filet burger. They usually ask you if you want your burger warmed up in their microwave, if not, be sure to ask them as it will taste so much better warm. 7's burgers are just as good as McDonald's, I think (I don't think that much of McDonald's). Actually, I prefer 7's Cheese Egg Hamburger, or any of their burgers for that matter, over McDonald's disgusting plastic tasting breakfast items.

You can get a sticker booklet at 7-Eleven and for every so many Taiwanese Dollars you spend (NT$69 at time of this posting) you get a sticker. When you get 10 stickers, you can get one of the current promotions. A reoccurring favorite of mine is buy one personal size Pizza Hut pizza, get one free and buy one Cold Stone ice-cream item, get one free. You can also save up more stickers and get 7-Elevens current promotional toy or item (one of the videos on the more detailed 7-11 page talks about this).

I recommend 7-Eleven for its convenience and diverse selection. Of course, drinks and meals are better in specialized places, but when you don't have the time or just want the convenience, you can pick-up a pretty good tea, coffee, hamburger, or other drink/meal/snack item.

Like burgers 漢堡 reviews