Gourmet Burger review

A few nights ago I went to try Gourment Burger in Long Street which I menioned in the May newsletter. It’s a small place (less than 10 tables) and the decor is very modern and funky. There must be about 25 different burgers on the menu, some sound delicious, others less so. It’s little disappointing to see a long list of burgers and none of them have bacon. We had 3 different burgers. I had the chilli burger, but it should be called a relish burger because there was no heat at all. The patty was quite good, prepared according to my requested medium. The roll had been lightly toasted which I always like. The chips on the side were pretty good too. The other burger we tried was the camembert and cranberry chicken burger, very good. I can’t remember what the third one was. The prices were in the R27 to R35 range with the ‘special’ burgers being a bit more.

I would say that my overall impression was that it was average. I think I prefer the burgers at Royale.

Gourmet Burger
39 Long Street, City Bowl
Tel: 021 424 6099
www.gourmetburger.co.za


Comments

4 responses to “Gourmet Burger review”

  1. I ate at Gourmet Burger last night and I have to say that I really liked it. The funky decor that you mention was really cool and I found the food good and reasonably priced.

    That said, I have to agree that if forced to choose I would definitely go to Royale…

    Anyway, can I add your review to the Gourmet Burger entry I just created over on Do Stuff in Cape Town?

  2. I don’t normally respond to situations like this but I don’t appreciate being taken for a ride. My wife and I (Cape Townians) on a weekly basis frequent Cavendish Centre to attend a movie and have a meal on a Friday or Saturday night. This past Saturday we went to The Gourmet Burger. We were not feeling very hungry and ordered a plain burger and a glass of white HOUSE WINE each. Admittedly I did not look at the wine list so I did not see the wine prices. I was flabbergasted to be charged R50 for 2 glasses of house wine which was very ordinary to say the least (boxed wine would have been better),like it or not this is a burger joint with sevice and decor to match. If Gourmet Burgers are anything to do with Red Robin in the US which I frequented in Pleasanton, San Francisco for several years when I lived there they are no where near the mark. Cavendish has far superior restaurants charging R15 for a glass of housewine. Needless to say we won’t be visiting the Gourmet Burger anytime soon nor will our circle of friends …. one question, is this the summer (tourist) price?
    Regards
    Ian McPherson

  3. The Gourmet Burger chain was recently acquired but the guys who own Caveau and HQ. They have some grand plans so not only should you see changes at the current Gourmet Burger stores but you should start seeing many more stores.

    I had an opportunity to dine at the Gourmet Burger in Cavendish this weekend.

    I like the modern, funky decor. The service was attentive but the burger did take a long time to arrive. I had the Lindt chocolate milkshake which was fabulous but set me back R28. I went for the classic cheese burger (R50) and it had good and bad elements. Presentation was good, roll was fresh and nicely toasted, but the actual patty was pretty average and the slice of cheese was quite insubstantial for a burger that size. As you can see from my review above (2006), the prices have increased quite substantially. I again noticed the absense of bacon on the menu.

    I can’t say my experience was bad, but I don’t see myself rushing back.

    In response to Ian’s comment above. I think that R15 for a glass of wine is quite rare in Cape Town, especially if you’re expecting wine from a bottle. R20 to R25 is a common price range these days.

    Having said that, being ripped off by the house wine prices is a common complaint in general so I’d recommend enquiring the price before ordering where ever you are dining in future.

  4. Went to Gourmet Burger in Cavendish last week. Really enjoyed myself there: decor, style, design, service and the burgers were also really really good. Had the camembert burger for R55 as well. Not bad!!!
    The Lindt Choc Milkshake… amazzzing…but R28?! Is it worth it. maybe once in a while… 🙂