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Ahmad Kareem

Beirut’s Best Burger Joints

I think it’s fair to say that if Beirut does one thing well, it’s definitely food. Who needs electricity 24 hours a day (that’s just excessive) or an actual sitting president (that’s just unnecessary) when you’ve got your pick of the best culinary experiences this side of the Mediterranean? And how can one judge the eats of a city like Beirut without making mention of the greatest grilled concoction ever to grace our palate: the burger. On that note, I set out to make a hella subjective, definitely-in-no-way-official list of the best burger joints Beirut offers. And you thought a good burger was just a bun, beef, and a brew. Think again.

1. Classic Burger Joint


[Image via Beirut.com.]

CBJ is as Lebanese as the Cedars, Fairuz, or ZwZ (the other three-letter taste-tickler), which makes it all the better. What better way to give our colossal Lebanese pride a good pump than to have a burger we can truly call our own. Rarely will you find a place that manages to have every burger on the menu match their star attraction, but CBJ does that easily. Their motto is, “Hamburgers are all we do” and it’s the truth, simple, straightforward hamburger heaven. If you’re not keeping an eye on your calorie intake and feel like a little greasy-lovin’, go for the Juicy Lucy with its melted cheese in the patty. Oh and don’t forget the fact that their fries will keep on comin’ for no extra charge.

2. The Happy Prince


[Image via Blog Baladi.]

If you like your burgers with a side of pretentiousness and a need to dress up, then Happy Prince will make your dreams of eating a bloody good burger with silverware come true. Much like their earlier venture in The Alleyway, Oscar Wilde, the Prince’s purveyors have cultivated an oddly entrancing aura about the place. Don’t be fooled though, their burgers definitely punch above their weight. More so than any is their take on the classic cheeseburger. Have at their ridiculously tender Angus beef patty married with some melted cheese and I guarantee you’ll be coming back for more.

3. Frosty Palace


[Image via Burger Lee Blog.]

In the neighbourhood of the Prince, both literally and figuratively, is Beirut’s little tribute to the swinging 1950’s, Frosty Palace. The whole joint is done up in the style of the old-school malt shop from the movie Grease and it does it justice. If you’re here you best go for whatever their daily special is because they’ve yet to falter. In addition, their thick-cut French fries and home-made ketchup complement their pillowy bun and juicy patty like white on rice. Wrap up the show with a malt milkshake and ride off into the sunset while rubbing your freshly-minted burger belly.

4. Smoking Bun


[Image via NoGarlicNoOnions.]

Smoking Bun is everything a burger joint should be without any of the trappings and flash. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a seat any day of the weekend in the little pocket of Mar Mikhael they’re hiding in but you’ll want to stand up out of respect to what’s easily a top three burger. It’s quick and dirty (you’ll want two) but it’ll hit the sweet spot over and over again. Forget the menu and just walk in and ask for a Smoking Bun burger like a man. Also, they just opened up another one on Hamra.


5. Butcher’s BBQ Joint


[Image via Blog Baladi.]

If you haven’t tried Butcher’s BBQ Joint in Mar Mikhael then your opinion on all things burger-related is pretty much irrelevant. This is exactly what a burger joint should be like. Their small soul food joint is always packed and bumping and their grill is always smoking. Picky eaters will probably cause a furore over the fact that they serve sandwiches and not burgers, but it’s meat between two pieces of a bun, and it’s so goddamn good so I had to. Go for the aptly-named and notorious P.I.G., a pulled pork masterpiece that’ll have you weak in the knees.