There's a new concept seeing the light in Lebanon lately and that is the up-scaling of what is known as the typical Lebanese street burger. Street Burger a new concept which just opened on a corner street of Mar Mikhael, giving the simple street food burger a stronger and more appealing branding.
Located in the heart of Mar Mikhael, nestled between The Happy Prince and Frosty Palace, Street Burger welcomes you for lunch and dinner in their small corner shop not bigger than a couple of square meters, just enough space to cater guests to their burgers.
The place described:
- A restaurant located on the corner captivates everyone's attention
- Black metallic doors and glass facades gives you an overview if what's inside
- Five black high tables with a seating on the side walk (keep calm and order inside)
- A black counter welcomes you surrounded with stools and two bars
- Black, red and grey and three colors of this space
- The kitchen is on the upper floor connected to earth by circular metallic stairs
- A long bar seating around 20 inside and 15 outside
- Soft musical tunes play in the background
- Decor is simple and has character
The menu is displayed on the wall behind the counter:
- Beverages: local beer, imported beer, soft drinks, small water, red bull, espresso
- Desserts: The chocolate cake for 5,000L.L
- Fries: Ultimate fries, cheese w fries, BC fries, Animal fries
- Cheese & Toppings: American cheddar cheese, blue cheese, Swiss cheese, portobello mushroom, guacamole, caramelized onions
- Signature Burgers: Double double 2x2 burger (260g), 3x3 burger (390g), 4x4 burger (520g), illegal burger, my protein burger
- The Main Event Burgers: Classic American, classic cheese burger, mushroom burger, BBQ chicken burger, famous salsa burger
While waiting for my order, I looked around contemplating the little details. I liked the different cartoonish faces decorating the wall. Funky portraits of people eating burgers. They could be your new friends as you decide and sit at the bar. This way you face people rather than a blank wall.
Time to eat:
Burgers are served on metallic trays covered with Street Burger printed paper and served with fries and Pepsi. Provided by Prunelle, Street Burgers opted for a brioche style bun without sesame seeds covering. Filled with American sweet pickles, a piece of lettuce, a thin tomato slice, yellow cheddar cheese and the street burger sauce.
The Animal Fries: I just ate a single bite and couldn't go further. I felt like I was dipping my fingers into a mayonnaise jar. The fries are soggy and not tasty... This recipe must be reconsidered.
The Portrait of a Burger:
- The Illegal Burger: In my opinion, for a street burger, the bun doesn't fit. With all my appreciation for Prunelle which provides bread for almost all diners in town, a brioche with no sesame seeds does not fit here. Filled with an overdose of mayonnaise, the burger is too fatty spilling from all sides. Even though the meat is stuffed with cheese, all I could feel from this burger is the strong mayonnaise flavor that even lingers in your mouth for sometime afterwards. Premium bacon used, but I would have preferred it to be crunchy.
- The Double Double 2x2: Thicker than its cousin but has the same mayonnaise issue and a bun that definitely needs a solution: too thick and too dry for a street burger. The bread fills your palate blocking all ways of appreciating the other ingredients constituting this sandwich. As for the meat, I'm confident that it can be much better. A bit chewy, the 130g meat is too thin so it lacks juiciness. I'm not sure I appreciated that lemony taste in the meat, which leaves an unpleasant aftertaste that stays a while.
My opinion of a change and improvement:
- Change the bread. Choose a simpler and more Lebanese one. Sophistication doesn't have a place in here. A thinner bun with less condensed bread will be more appreciated
- The meat, even though not frozen and homemade didn't impress me... at all. There is something to be improved in the recipe
- The lemony after taste of the meat is too unpleasant which leaves an alert sign in my head "don't try this again"
- Less mayonnaise is to be used everywhere! Less mayonnaise in the burger and less mayonnaise on the fries. The food is too fatty
- The fries didn't impress me at all. What is s special about them that it costs 5,000L.L? Frozen, without their skin, non crunchy and the portion is too small. Be special, be generous
- I might be wrong but why are the prices so high? In such a small place with no restrooms and expenses 10 times less than any diner in Lebanon, the prices are high. Isn't it street food? Affordable street food?
- Add a sink somewhere to wash our hands
- What can a none burger eater - for example a guy coming with his girl friend- eat? More choices are to be added to the menu
The best ever: The chocolate cake from Prunelle is awesome! A three layered dark chocolate sponge cake covered in a mouthwatering chocolate cover. Adequately sweet and produced from premium ingredients, this cake is to die for. PS: Street burger has a 520g meat burger. It is not constituted of a single piece of meat but 4 portions 130g eachStreet Burger is an interesting concept that requires some fine tuning. Reorganize the fillings, master the meat creation, reconsider the bread and work on changing your prices. The idea and concept are here but are not well structured for Lebanon. I like the logo and concept and believe it will work great if they work on the above points.
