BRGR.CO: Leave Your Price Reservations at the Door

Possibly the number one complaint lodged by customers of BRGR.CO is its high prices. Scroll through scores of Zomato reviews, and it seems everyone’s in general agreement that the burger house is unjustifiably overpriced for what you’re getting. In fact, the suggested price per couple is 80,000 LBP (US$ 53).

Let’s glance at the menu:

The 4-oz. original blend weighs in at 12,000 LBP (US$ 8), and you can double the patty for an additional 10,000 LBP (US$ 7). That’s a half-pound burger for US$ 15, equivalent to what Gordon Ramsay’s selling his bunned beauties at Las Vegas’ Planet Hollywood BURGR.

The 6-oz. Tender Blend goes for 25,000 LBP (US$ 17) and is best served medium-rare to medium to preserve the juiciness of the beef. Note that the meat blends diverge markedly in the 4-oz and 6-oz. patties, hence the price differential.

Should you choose to upgrade your burger to include sautéed Portobello mushrooms and onions with sliced smoked cheddar, the price bumps up to 21,000 LBP (US$ 14) for the 4-oz. format and 32,000 LBP (US$ 21) for the six ouncer.


6-oz. Tender Blend with Portobello mushrooms and smoked cheddar


Additional cheeses from mature cheddar to Gruyere command 3,000-4,000 LBP (US$ 2-3), and sauces like honey mustard and guacamole are charged between 1,500 and 4,500 LBP (US$ 1-3).

I can understand how a burger’s price could easily start to snowball. Start with a 6-oz. burger, slap on provolone, caramelized onions and truffled mayo, and your burger will tip the scale at 34,500 LBP (US$ 23). Unwarranted?

Arguably, no.

The thing about BRGR.CO is you will not meet a more impassioned operation whose unique selling point is its premium-grade imported meat. Everything’s been carefully curated, from the juicy, sweet slice of tomato in each burger to the avocados constituting the guacamole (yes, there’s now homemade guac on the menu!).

You cannot compare BRGR.CO to Classic Burger Joint, an exercise many so often undertake with uncharacteristic zeal. One is gourmet, the other is casual. True, both serve silverware. But the difference in beef quality is remarkable.

Perhaps in an effort to abate critiques of this price-comparing game, BRGR.CO introduced “trays” to its menu in the spirit of CBJ’s platters. For 19,750 LBP (US$ 13), you can have a 4-oz. burger with mature cheddar, fries, and homeslaw, which is a substantial reduction from what you’d pay if you ordered those items discretely from the menu [12,000 LBP (4-oz. beef patty) + 3,000 LBP (aged cheddar) + 5,000 LBP (homeslaw) + 6,000 LBP (fries) = 26,000 LBP]. 


Mature cheddar burger, fries and homeslaw populate the new tray for 19,750 LBP


Compare that to CBJ’s cheeseburger platter for 18,500 LBP, with American (processed) cheese. The price gap is less than a buck. Props to BRGR.CO on this smart move.

Other newbies on the menu include crispy corn tortilla chips with pico de gallo (10,000 LBP/US$ 7). Add guacamole (small: 4,500 LL/US$ 3; large: 8,500 LL/US$ 6), though I’d fine-tune the recipe to incorporate coriander and garlic for an extra kick. 


Corn tortilla chips with homemade guacamole (large size) and pico de gallo


The golden chicken fillets (19,000 LL/US$ 13) are fresh-battered tenders with honey mustard and sweet chipotle dipping sauces. You’ll almost immediately notice that these aren’t your frozen variety chicken nuggets – they’re undeniably fresh and plump.


Chicken fillets with two dipping sauces


I like the new structure the menu takes on, easily highlighting your chicken, veggie, fish and hot dog offerings (I hear the Coney Island Dog is unmissable). 

Santana and Caesar burgers flesh out the chicken roster, followed by a battered Portobello veggie burger, fish and chips and BRGR.CO’s acclaimed lobster roll. There are five fries options, namely the popular Parmesan-Truffle Fries (but at 19,500 LBP/US$ 13, these are admittedly expensive).

Desserts are decadent – you won't find cookies or Rice Krispies here. Instead, how about Minnesota Fudge Cake (15,000 LBP/US$ 10), a miniature chocolate bundt topped with a scoop of vanilla bean and drenched in caramel with crushed Lotus biscuits to boot? Makes a burger look innocent by comparison, doesn't it!


Minnesota Fudge Cake with caramel sauce and crushed Lotus biscuit



My advice when you elect to visit BRGR.CO? Embrace the fact that you’re here for premium beef and a premium burger, and leave your price reservations at the door. The entire experience will just taste a whole lot better.

 Besides, with the new burger tray, there are price points to suit every budget. 


BRGR.CO
Beirut Souks
01-999836
ABC Achrafieh
01-333511

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