8 Cuts Burger Blends - SM Megamall

I am definitely a burger fan so when my wife suggested we have lunch at 8 Cuts Burger Blends at the SM Megamall, I quickly agreed. This is a relatively new restaurant but we have heard some good recommendations about it from our friends.

We were greeted enthusiastically by the staff and we were seated quickly. We have heard that long lines were more of the norm here during lunchtime, especially on weekends. Since it was a Thursday and some thirty minutes before noon, I think we got lucky that we got a table right away. The name stands for the 8 cuts of beef they use in their different burger patties; chuck, rib eye, short rib, sirloin, brisket, hanger, flank and ox tail.

We were intrigued looking at their menu. It seemed complicated to us. First, you have the option to create your own sandwich, choosing the type of bun, the kind of meat(s) and what you want to go with it. Not being the adventurous type, we settled for the Fishy'wich (fish sandwich) for Cynthia. and good old Cheeseburger for me. For drinks, my wife ordered an Arnold Palmer and a bottomless Iced Tea for me.

The drinks were served first and quite honestly the best word we can use to describe both was "bland". It took a while for our sandwiches to arrive, perhaps it was because the patties were prepared right there at the restaurant - you could even watch them do it.  After about fifteen minutes, our orders finally came. 

Cynthia loved her Fishy-wich and gave it five stars. The cheese and homemade creamy coleslaw made the crispy fish fillets even more delicious. The sesame seed bun was also tasty.

My Cheeseburger, on the other hand, fell a bit short of my expectations (perhaps I have set my expectations a little bit too high?). Anyway, it had the standard TLC (Tomato, Lettuce and Cheese {cheddar}) and Sauce. Let me explain the Sauce part: You have a choice of adding Sauce #3 -original house dressing, or Sauce #4 - a tangy, slightly spiced sauce with a classic red relish base. Not wanting anything spicy, I opted for Sauce #3. Over all the sandwich tasted good, however, the meat was not well done - something that I wasn't quite happy about. The interesting thing was that the waiter never asked how I wanted my burger patty done. I guess medium well was their norm. Compared to those served at Charlie's (for me the standard from which all other burger sandwiches are measured) 8 Cuts still fall short. I'll give the Cheeseburger only 4 stars.

The idea of making your own burger sort of intrigues me so maybe next time my wife and I would be more adventurous and innovative. 

Overall, it was a good experience dining at 8 Cuts. The service was commendable so that earned 4.5 stars. The ambiance was just right. The blandness of the drinks and the less than expected taste of my burger also deserves a total rating of only 3.75 in my opinion.

Please check out their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/8cutsburgerblends

Backyard Burgers - Davao City, March 2014

When we told Chito, my wife's brother, that we wanted to have burger's at Gino's (which we liked a lot from our last visit in 2012), he said "I'll take you to a place with even better hamburgers."

And indeed, it was better! Backyard Burgers is relatively new having formally opened in February, 2012 (we didn't know about it then - it was just a hole-in-the-wall joint - we were told). This time they are now in two locations with a third one soon to open. We tried the one in Quimpo Street which was not that far from Chito's house.

Now for the sandwiches. I had the Garshroom Bacon Burger - "garshroom" being derived from garlic and mushroom. Although the bacon wasn't crispy enough, the burger itself was thick and heavenly! Just a tad short of In-N-Out's yummy-ness. The cheddar cheese was melting over the fried garlic and mushroom. Lettuce and tomato completed the ensemble. I'll give it 4.5 stars out of 5.

Chito had the Extra Cheesy Burger which really lived up to its name. Again the burger meat was thick and juicy complemented by a heavy dousing of melted cheddar. Chito gave it a perfect 5.

Cynthia opted for the BLT. Similar to my garshroom, the bacon was not crispy. Instead of cheese, the sandwich had mayonnaise to go along with the tomato and lettuce. My wife rated it a 4.

We had a side order of french fries to go with our orders which was much better than the fast food joints in Manila. Unfortunately, at the time we were there they were not serving combo meals yet. They will put that back in their menu beginning April 1, 2014.

Price-wise, they are at a definite advantage. The sandwiches we had cost from P135 to P165 (about $3 - $3.75). Compare that with the similar tasting burgers at Charlie's in MetroManila whose prices are double.

Backyard Burgers has a more homely ambiance and is more like a restaurant specializing in hamburgers than a MacDonald's wannabe. Overall rating is 4.5

Follow them in Facebook: 

https://www.facebook.com/backyardburgersdavao