Passion Cafe - San Pedro, Spain

Burger name: Passion Royal Burger
Price: €12.50

Menu description:

Beef burger with bacon, cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onion, mayo & gherkin served on a sesame bun with slaw and fries.

Rating:

Review:

A very nice burger, a bit on the juicy side, but that's easily fixed with a napkin.  The burger was cooked to order, I opted for medium and it was on the rare side of that for me and little more pink than I like.  The 'slaw' was just shredded vegetables however a bit of mayo soon stuck it together.  As usual I removed the salad bits from the burger to avoid any slippery mishaps.  The bacon was very close to perfect for me, a minute longer on the grill and it would have been crispy enough.  Overall it was a good balance of fries and salad and a tasty burger that I highly recommend.

About the venue:
Passion Cafe in San Pedro, near Puerto Banus, in Spain is located in a small shopping area on the south side of the town.  Don't be put off by the location as the food is excellent.

Los Naranjos - Marbella, Spain

Burger name: Hamburguesa con Bacon y Queso
Price: €11.00

Menu description:

Hamburger with bacon and cheese.

Rating:

Review:

A very tasty burger in a fantastic setting.  The burger came with fries as well as tomato and onion.  The burger also had something that looked like thousand island dressing which added a nice flavour.  The burger was also cooked to order and I selected medium.  If you are in the Marbella area and fancy eating at a restaurant with great views over a golf course from the terrace then I can highly recommend this.  This would have been a 5 if the meat had been marinaded to enhance the flavour.

About the venue:
Los Naranjos is a golf club between Marbella and Puerto Banus in Spain.  The terrace restaurant has views over the golf course and the surrounding hills.

Charlies - Marriott, Marbella, Spain

Burger name: Classic Charlies Burger
Price: €12.90

Menu description:

100% beef patty served on a sesame bun with lettuce, tomato, onion, picked and french fries.  Ordered with cheese as an extra topping.

Rating:

Review:

My first burger of a long weekend break in Marbella, Spain.  Craving a bit of winter sun and a weekend of burgers I ordered this at the on site restaurant.  It was an enjoyable burger served with lots of fries.  My normal method of eating burgers is to remove the salad elements and eat these separately and this occasion was no different.  The burger was served in a basket lined with paper hence the photo from above.  If you happen to be staying at the Marriott resort in Marbella then I suggest you give this a try.

About the venue:
Charlies is an on site restaurant at Marriott's Marbella Beach Resort east of Marbella, Spain.

Garfunkel's - Gatwick North Terminal, UK

Burger name: Bacon and Egg Burger
Price: £8.99

Menu description:
A 4oz beefburger topped with grilled bacon and a fried free range egg, served in a soft flour bap with hash browns and a grilled tomato.

Rating:

Review:

I had low expectation from this burger when I ordered it and when it arrived it's appearance didn't raise my expectations any.  I only like bacon on my burger if it's crispy and this bacon wasn't so I removed it and ate it separately, I also did this with the egg as this can cause the burger (or the egg) to slip out when eating it.  The bacon was quite nice, a little on the fatty side for me so I ate this, the egg and the hash browns first before tucking into the burger.  I was pleasantly surprise at how tasty the burger was. If the bacon and presentation had been better this could have been rated a 4.

About the venue:
Garfunkel's at Gatwick North Terminal is one of many places to eat when flying from the airport.  As usual with airport restaurants it's quick with questionable service.

Bill's - Cambridge, UK

Burger name: Bill's hamburger
Price: £11.15

Menu description:
Served in a sesame seed bun with red onion, tomato, lettuce, horseradish mayonnaise and skinny fries.  Addition of monterey jack cheese.

Rating:

Review:

A great burger in a great venue.  The roll was fantastic, one of the best I've had in some time.  Very fresh, soft and lightly toasted.  The burger itself was nicely cooked and tasted good although it did lack the elusive flavour that gives a burger a top rating.  I would recommend eating at Bill's if you are in Cambridge.

About the venue:
Bill's is rustic style restaurant in a side street of Cambridge.  Not easy to find unless you are wandering away from the crowds.

Ruby Tuesday - Tempe, Arizona, USA

Burger name: Triple Prime Cheddar Burger
Price: $11.99

Menu description:

Prime Burgers are the best of the best, made from fresh, 100% USDA Prime beef. Less than 3% of beef is graded Prime.  Topped with aged New York cheddar.

Rating:

Review:

It's been a while since I've eaten in a Ruby Tuesday restaurant so I was curious about how good their burgers still are.  We ate from their Dinner Menu which is served after 3pm and each burger comes with a choice of 2 side dishes.  I chose chips (fries) and onion rings.  The burger was cooked to order, as usual I selected medium, and could have been a 4 burger rating if the bread had been fresher.  You may be able to see from the picture above that it looks a little dry, which it was.  This is always a disappointment when that happens.  The food took a while to arrive and I suspect it spent some time under the heat lamp which caused it to dry out - a shame was the restaurant only had a few guests.

About the venue:

Ruby Tuesday is a nationwide chain of restaurants across the USA.  The one we visited was in Tempe Marketplace just south of Phoenix and Scottsdale in Arizona.

Cheesecake Factory - Scottsdale, Arizona, USA

Burger name: Americana Cheeseburger
Price: $11.95

Menu description:

American and Cheddar Cheese, Crunchy Potato Crisps, Lettuce, Tomato, Grilled Onions, Pickles and Secret Sauce.

Rating:

Review:

I don't recall seeing this on the Cheesecake Factory menu before so it could be a new addition in the last 12 months.  A very tasty and enjoyable burger with a sprinkle of wafer thin crisps (chips to our American cousins).  The secret sauce added another flavour dimension bringing this to a 4 burger rating review.  The chips (fries) were served in a silver cup but I just emptied them onto my plate for easier eating.  As with all Cheesecake Factory burgers this was cooked to order, I chose medium and it was cooked about right.  I may order this again if we return to the Cheesecake Factory before our holiday ends.

About the venue:

Cheesecake Factory is a restaurant chain in the USA with venues in many cities across the country. They are usually very busy at peak times and the portion sizes are very large. If you plan to eat more than once course make sure you are very hungry or are happy to take some of it home with you. The Cheesecake Factory in Scottsdale, Arizona is typical of a restaurant in the chain, nicely decorated and comfortable with a wide range of menu options - especially cheesecakes.

Giraffe - Heathrow Terminal 5

Burger name: Avec Cheese
Price: £10.25

Menu description:

British farm assured beef (170g) with choice of either mature cheddar, american or monteray jack cheese & lettuce, tomato, dill pickle, mayo & our house chipotle sauce.

Rating:

Review:

I ordered mine with cheddar cheese and a side order of onion rings.  I've reviewed a Giraffe burger before and felt that they are above average for airport food and this one was the same.  Nothing special but doesn't have that mass produced look and feel to it.  I enjoyed it as it marked the start of my holiday during which I planned to eat and review a number of burgers.

If you are travelling via Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 and looking for a quick meal then I can recommend this burger as an option.

About the venue:

Giraffe is a busy restaurant located on the upper floor of Heathrow Terminal 5 near the North security area. Giraffe also have high street outlets in many towns and cities around the UK.