I've never been a big fan of burgers - I think there are many other better things to eat than a beef patty in a bun - but it's safe to say that the burgers at Amsterdam fast-food restaurant Burger Bar are the best I've ever had.

What makes these burgers so good? First, there’s the bun. There’s a choice of white, brown or Italian. It's not entirely clear what makes the latter Italian, but no matter, all the buns are fresh, crusty and enormous. They have to be to accommodate the filling, which, let's face it, is what burgers are all about.

Burger Bar says its mince is mixed daily using a top-secret recipe. The patties, made from either Irish beef, aged American Black Angus or Japanese Wagyu, are shaped while you wait. You can opt for 150, 200 or a whopping 250 grams of prime beef, and a digital display on the wall, connected to the chef’s scales, shows you exactly how much your burger weighs.

The burgers are grilled medium-well done as standard, unless requested otherwise. There's so much meat, particularly in the largest burgers, that it can take a while to achieve this.

Burger Bar’s mission is to serve what it calls 'healthier fast food'. The quality of the ingredients used, and the care with which the burgers are prepared, certainly indicate that these are a healthier option than the mass-produced excuses for burgers flogged at a branch of a global burger chain two doors down. Burger Bar still needs to work on the 'fast' tag, though.

The list of toppings include cheddar cheese, bacon and mushrooms, as well as some more adventurous options like blue cheese, goat’s cheese and avocado.

Burger Bar’s sauces also run the gamut from international favourites – ketchup and mayonnaise - to local oddities - satay and joppie (a mayonnaise-like sauce combined with onions and curry).

To complete the fast-food experience, Burger Bar sells home-made Vlaamse friet (Belgian fries), thick-cut, crispy wedges of potatoes served in cheery, checked cones.

Most recently, the Amsterdam fast-food restaurant added a vegetarian burger to its menu. Vegetarian versions of foods originally designed around meat are often inferior imitations. Once again, however, Burger Bar has proved its attention to detail. Instead of mince, this burger is filled with a whole grilled Portobello mushroom, which has to be nature's meatiest meat substitute. This is topped with a choice of blue, goat or cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, gherkin and a touch too much cocktail sauce.

Since opening in 2009, Burger Bar has given burgers a new lease of life and, to quote another fast-food purveyor, I’m lovin’ it.

Burger Bar’s second branch can be found on Kolksteeg 2, near Amsterdam’s Dam Square.

Restaurant info

Opening hours:
daily 11.00-03.00; Fri-Sat until 04.00

Price indication:

Our rating:

eat amsterdam