The Gourmet Burger Kitchen, located in Marina Mall Gourmet Burger Kitchen is where I'm having dinner. It’s a place where gourmet burgers are served with certain finesse on wood platters. Although the one in Ireland left me unimpressed…I still came back as I am if it’s owned by the same franchise or it’s a completely different company.
Bricks cover the walls; some painted in white and others in grey… look up and a see a wooden ceiling with some white reflective tiles. You’ll find a bar, diner style red leather sofa’s wood floors… and the best part is looking at the staff bringing out food from the kitchen wearing hair nets at all times.
Upon your entrance, you’re welcome with a bowl of peanuts in metallic buckets, an idea similar to that at Five Guys.
The menu is full of colors. Starters, salads, beef burgers, chicken burgers, veggie burgers, specialty burgers, sides and fries, bunless burgers which are served on platters and the junior menu.
I had two burgers to have an idea of the taste and quality. The Taxi Driver, which the waitress recommended as the most ordered and the Four Cheese.
The first impression:
- The plates don’t look too appetizing: The fries look pale, the plates are covered in splashed oil and the portions are not too generous.
Tonight's dinner:
- Appetizers: Crispy crunchy well-cooked fries that needs some salt; Chili fries is the plate of French fries covered with chili sauce and minced meat. Pay attention; this plate is spicy and Coleslaw that’s good, light and fresh.
- GBK Platter (hot wings, homemade onion rings, halloumi bites): A large platter with two skewers of grilled halloumi, large onions rings and spicy chicken wings. The halloumi have nothing to write home about, the onions rings have a strong frying or burn flavor and the wings are spicy but dry from the inside.
- Four Cheese (aged cheddar, smoked cheddar, Swiss, American mustard, pickles, single meat). Juicy patty, fluffy and airy bun, flavorful mustard and four layers of cheese. It’s as good as you expect it to be.
- The Taxi Driver (American cheese, onion rings, Cajun relish, smoked chili mayo, pickles and salad): The large burger looks weird until you dig in. It’s juicy meat; very tender bun, sweet sauce and fresh and crunchy vegetables. Not bad for a burger.
- The Swiss mushroom with grilled mushrooms, Swiss cheese and caramelized onions is as good as it should be, the same tender meat, the same tender brioche bun and the tasty mushrooms.
- The Avocado burger is deceiving or at least not as good as the others. The beef bacon has an unpleasant texture and smell, the avocado sauce is too creamy and heavy while the meat is a bit dry.
The pluses:
- The burgers are tasty, the bun is fresh, meat is premium in quality, juicy and tasty, and the staff is welcoming and professional.
The minus:
- Everyone ordered the meat well done but we received it under-cooked and medium rare. My medium well was juicy but cooked from one side and raw from the other.
- Plates look dirty and empty. They should be filled more and cleaned before service.
Good fast diner food but nothing super exceptional that leaves a lasting impression enticing you to come back.
