StreetFood Market Trier

Hello burger lovers,

yesterday evening I attended the StreetFood Market in Trier (Germany). Many food trucks were present, lots of trucks which I've never seen before, but of course also ones I've tested before.

Classic Cheeseburger @ Snooze, Luxembourg

Hello burger lovers,

I am about to review a new burger place in Luxembourg, Snooze. The sportsbar opened a week ago and feedback seems to be positive so far. I decided not to review Snooze on their very first days as I usually leave that part for friends and family, it’s always good to have a head start before the critics hit. On the other hand, I was eager to see whether I could chime in the praise or not.

In-N-Out Burger, California

Hello burger lovers,

For the first time ever I am reviewing a burger outside of Luxembourg, I hope you’ll like it.

While on holiday in California, I had the pleasure of trying a lot of different burgers; some of them in fancy restaurants, others along the road while travelling through California, Nevada, Utah and Arizona and of course the mandatory stops in well-known fast food temples. But there were a handful of burger joints that captured my attention, one of them being the infamous In-N-Out.

Relaunch

Hello burger lovers,

time to relaunch the blog. All old ratings are not valid anymore. New reviews with a new rating system will follow shortly.

So long,
Klot

Rectification for Magazine Premium's acticle

Dear burger lovers,

Recently I’ve come to know that an article with my so called collaboration has been published by Magazine Premium. Truth is that I have been asked for a collaboration but it never went any further than a referal to my blog.

Jan's burger evening at Aero-Sport

Hello burger lovers,

Several months ago, during one of my burger tastings I organized at Restaurant Koeppchen, I met Jan, a fellow food blogger (www.what2how2.com). We talked a lot that evening, mainly about burgers and he happened to invite me to his burger evening at Aero-Sport. An invitation I gladly accepted.

Lou is back

Hello burger lovers,

Lou's Diner closed down its Consdorf location on the 22nd of February with the plan to reopen just a few kilometres down the road, in Beidweiler. It made sense, the old location was too far off but more importantly, the kitchen was not the standard to serve the masses of people coming to pay a visit and dig into Lou's burgers.

Cheese K @ Koeppchen

Hello burger lovers,

The problem with this blog is that after a while, I felt obligated to taste burgers everywhere I ate. The result of this was clear, for quite a while I didn't really feel like eating burgers anymore. I might add that there are clearly several exceptions, as I was still regularly visiting my favorite burger joints.

In May the Bistro-Brasserie Koeppchen reopened its doors in Wormeldange. The restaurant has one of the widest range of Luxembourgish Moselle wines, which is very impressing, but not really important for my quest. An other interesting fact is that the owners are the same guys that run the Fabrik in Mersch (I reviewed their burgers as well). Not only is it a good thing to support start-up entrepreneurs, I find it even better to value their work by visiting their locations.

After browsing their menu and eating there several times, I have to admit that burgers were never my first choice. Their menu features many traditional dishes like Feierstengszalot, Paschtéit or their signature dish: deep fried fish (Friture). (Clearly a restaurant where you can take your parents or in-laws.) Nevertheless, you can choose among 5 burgers.

I chose the Cheese K that comes with fries and a side salad for 12.50€

Evaluation:

As always in a traditional restaurant, opposed to a fast food restaurant, the food preparation takes a bit more time. On the other hand, you wouldn't find that quality waiting staff in a junk food joint. I was actually looking forward to this burger, hoping it would have at least the same quality as the ones I had in their other restaurant. 

Optically the burger looks enticing. The buns are made from round shaped ciabatta bread (as I mentioned on other reviews, I find that a good choice). The nicely cooked beef, a 180 gr. patty, was quite tasty. It was well seasoned and the cheddar cheese nicely melted on top of the beef patty. The iceberg salad was crisp and fresh. The burger sauces were delicious, it was a pleasure to guess the ingredients and to confirm them with the chef afterwards.There are actually two kind of sauces on this burger, a white Caesar's style sauce on top and an orange cocktail style sauce on the bottom bun. The only downside of this burger was the raw onions. Since I am not a fan of raw onions and never think of cancelling them while ordering, I always end up peeling them off the burger.

The french fries were okay, maybe a bit too chunky for me, but some people prefer them that way. I liked the fact that they were nicely seasoned and came in a little basket in the shape of a fryer. Don't forget to order the two kinds of burger sauces as a side, you won't regret it.

/k

I was a bit surprised but more than happy to see that the burger had such a good quality. It is very tasty and the price is very reasonable. While considering the whole package, the ambiance, the location, the choice and the pricing, I can easily give this burger a weighted rating of 8.0, which puts the burger on the third position of my ranking. I find the burger very balanced, it has the right size and I cannot imagine anyone being disappointed. Even when I prefer other dishes on their menu, a burger will always be a good choice. 

And I guess now we know why this burger is called Cheese K, it would have been too obvious to call it Cheese-Klot right away ;)

Koeppchen Bistro-Brasserie
9, Berreggaass
5485 Wormeldange
Tel.: 76 00 46
www.koeppchen.lu

Beef Burger @ Danish Deli

Hello burger lovers,

I just returned from Danish Deli where I’ve tried their beef burger. I know the place since I’ve walked by many times before, trying their Scandinavian pastries. I loved them and that’s when I decided to go back to enjoy their breakfast buffet, delicious.

I was tempted to try their burger during a lunch break as well. The menu reads: Danish Deli beef burger in whole grain bun with melted cheese, bacon and tomato chutney served with fried potatoes, 19€.

 Evaluation:

After a short wait my burger arrived. It looked quite good even if the plate looked a bit empty. The homemade bun was great, maybe the best ones I’ve ever had on a burger during my quest, but the small meet patty was tasteless and difficult to chew. I was a bit disappointed by the fact that I wasn’t asked about how I wanted the meat to be cooked. Their main topping, the tomato chutney, is in my opinion not the best choice for a burger. Some might like it, I don’t know if it is a Scandinavian specialty, but for me it was simply too sweet as a burger topping. Unfortunately the cheese was not melted at all (c.f. picture) and had a strange texture. Maybe the chef should look into that. The bacon was fine and crisp and vegetables were fresh. I even liked their fried potatoes but obviously I am more of a fries kind of guy. I also liked the sauce that came with the potatoes. I really appreciate the fact that Danish Deli prepares most of the ingredients themselves, but except for the buns it didn't give this burger a plus.

/k

The weighted average for this burger is: 6.40

I am more than unhappy to give a score which doesn't fit to my expectations and experiences I've made at their place. Overall I didn’t like their burger very much and neither the fact that it is very pricey at 19€. On the other hand I have a strong recommendation for their breakfast buffet and their cinnamon rolls which are just delicious. Hopefully I will not be banned from there after my review.

Danish Deli

3, rue Beck

1222 Luxembourg (City-Centre)

Tél.: 26 20 17 36

The Dude Burger @ Food Truck

Hello burger lovers,

After a nationwide media exposure I have been asked by many to review the food truck. From the outside, the Food Truck seems to be a success story. But can it live up to my expectations?

First of all I am very happy to finally have a food truck in Luxembourg. In my opinion we should have more than one, but I figure that it isn’t very easy to bypass all administrative obstacles and cope with the regulations. After all, it’s something new for our beloved country.

That being said I will shortly explain the concept of the food truck. Food trucks are quite popular in huge American cities, but Paris and London also live up to that sub-culture. The Luxembourgish food truck is on the road 5 days a week and can be visited on different spots during lunch breaks. I for instance was at Cloche d’Or, but you could also find it in Strassen or Senningerberg depending on the weekday. Make sure to find the schedule on their website.

Given the limited space of a truck they offer quite a wide range of burgers and other fast food like bagels, soups and salads. They claim to process fresh and local ingredients, which is something I really enjoy!

After several minutes of queuing I was finally able to pass my order. Among quite a big offer of burgers I chose the Dude Burger. Their most popular burger has a 100% beef patty (I guess it’s around 200gr), salad, tomato, cheddar, bacon, pickles, an egg, and fried onions. It costs 9.50€, the fries are extra and cost 2.50€.

Evaluation:

A couple of minutes after ordering, my burger was ready and I faced a challenge which I didn't anticipate. Where should I eat? My car wasn't an option as it was in my garage at home, my office was too far away, … Luckily it didn't rain and I could take advantage of a nearby bench and use it as a table.

After unwrapping the burger my first thought was: What a mess, I like it! Optically it reminded me of the “dirty” burgers I had in England. Bad luck that I was suited up, but wow, the burger made quite an impression. As I dug my teeth in it, I had to admit that I really liked it. The toppings were fresh, cheese, egg, salad and pickles were tasty. The bacon could have been a tad crunchier though. The beef was alright, medium rare just the way I ordered it. It could have been seasoned a bit more. Unfortunately the whole burger was only lukewarm, which is understandable if you eat outside in January. Due to the number of toppings I somehow, to my disappointment, didn't really get a taste of the burger sauce. I really wanted to test their “Damn Hot Sauce” but they didn't have any, that’s why I ordered their BBQ sauce with the fries. Speaking of the fries, they were the weakest link on my meal. They were big, saggy and they were lacking of salt, I was missing the punch. The BBQ sauce was alright but I would have preferred a spicier one.

All in all it was a good experience. It was a horror to eat that burger as juice was leaking out. But it was a really good burger which I can recommend to all burger lovers. Actually it is burgers in its purest form, something fast to take away. Fast food. I am more than happy to have an additional alternative on my burger route.

The weighted score is 7,25 out of 10.

Thanks to the lovely member of staff  in the truck who amusingly played along when I mentioned that I was charged too much when paying in € instead of $, as mentioned on the bill. (c.f. pic of bill)

 /k

http://www.foodtruck.lu/

Burgermeister

 Hello burger lovers,

Please enjoy some picture of a show cooking at this' year's pre Superbowl party. Many thanks to Fons for the seasoning advice, merci Bonsi for hosting (best kitchen ever). Olgo and Billy... you are such talented photographers :)

/k

Watt's life Magazine by Enovos

Hello burger lovers,

This one was published in Enovos' Watt's life Magazine in October. So it's not really news, but still. Enjoy!

http://brochure.enovos.eu/wattslife/wl31/

/k

Hot Fabrik Burger @ Fabrik

Hello burger lovers,

A short while ago Fabrik opened its doors to the public. To fill the void of a sheer emptiness between the north of the country an the capital, Mersch should be the new place to eat, drink and party. In this review I will obviously focus on the eating part. But before addressing their burgers I will describe the location and the concept the way I understand it.

The idea behind Fabrik appears quite clever, gather your clients for dinner, and don’t let them leave until the early morning hours. As a matter of fact, on weekends the location is packed, but to me it seems that they are fully booked on weekdays as well. Good for them, bad for the people not having booked a table. The one thing I didn’t like about their concept was the fact that I had to share a table with other people. Not that I am very unsocial, you just can’t discuss private stuff if you have another couple or loud teens on the second half of your table. Others may like it, maybe I have to adapt, or maybe I am just too old. At least you have been warned. Everything seems to be different in Mersch, after all you’re not in the city. 

The menu: It is huge. Fabrik serves burgers, pizzas, pasta, salads and substantial dishes like steak, schnitzels, or half a chicken. I am not a big fan of big menus, but I will admit that they are trying out some dishes and as far as I am informed there have already been made several amendments. Anyway, everybody should be able to find something on their menu, there will be no excuses.

As I was on duty I had to go with a burger. The best choice seemed to be the Hot Fabrik Burger, two patties of 160 gr of beef, two layers of cheese (swiss & cheddar), jalapeños and lettuce for 15.50€. (to be honest I opted for a single patty burger).

Evaluation:

Optically the burger looked incredibly good. The buns were simply great (I know where they’re from and they are my favorite!). The meat was good, the cooking as desired but it lacked a bit of seasoning. The patty was quite thin so it retains the juice in order to keep it moist and juicy. I prefer two thin ones rather than a big one. The vegetables were fresh and crisp, just the way they should be. The two types of cheese were perfectly melted around the meat patty, something I sadly don’t see very often. The fries were excellent, they were not only presented very nicely in a paper cone, no, they were also crisp, warm and well seasoned. They reminded me of the ones I had at Mama Loves You. (Now that I mentioned it, there were clearly some common grounds ;) . The only real downside to this  burger was the burger sauce. The Hot Fabrik burger comes with the “Fabrik-sauce”. First of all that name doesn’t even give you a clue what you get, second of all the sauce wasn’t anything special. In my opinion a good homemade burger sauce can make all the difference, this one is at most average. I ordered all side sauces they had in the kitchen but all I got was ketchup, mayonnaise and the brasil sauce (no clue – not good).

So overall a pretty good experience. I can strongly recommend an evening at Fabrik. Regarding the burgers, with a few adjustments they could have a great burger. For now, it’s just a very good one. My weighted rating is a good 7,81. This is a 4th place just behind Urban City; I guess the different sauces and friendliness of the Urban staff made the difference for me. 

/k

Fabrik

33, rue de la Gare

7535 Mersch

Tél.: 27 40 33 33

Lou La Peño Burger @ Lou's Diner

Hello burger lovers,

It's been a long time that I didn't visit my favorite burger joint in Luxembourg. Of course I am talking about Lou's Diner. Lots of my followers have visited Lou, most of them seem to agree with me, the feedbacks are just great and the waiting lines are getting longer and longer. 

For quite some time now, Steve (the owner) has a new sauce for his burgers which I initially requested and already tasted. I'm talking about his chili sauce with different kinds of chilis and jalapeños. I can assure you, it's very hooot!!! Anyhow, since this sauce was never on an official burger, I couldn't do a review about it. Things change, Steve's creation has been baptised Lou La Peño Burger, and it should be available by now for around 7.50 € (tbc).

Evaluation:

Basically the Lou La Peño Burger it's an enhanced version of Big Lou's. It's composed of 200gr American Angus Beef, two layers of cheese on the burger, one layer of cheddar and an additional layer of Swiss cheese, crisp lettuce, fried onions, a few drops of homemade barbeque sauce on the bottom of the delicious buns and the hot jalapeño sauce on top. 

I'll make this review very short: It's the best burger I've had in a very long time, and without a doubt the best during my quest. Go out and taste it!!

The weighted rating is 8.59

/k

One could think that Lou's Diner seems to be a victim of it's own success. I was curious to see if Steve could keep up his good work and the quality. Good news, everything is still the same, he never raised prices and he didn't lose quality. Be patient while queuing it's worth the wait! 

Lou's Diner
33, rue Burgkapp (Camping La Pinède)
6211 Consdorf 
Tél.: 26 78 41 38

Hamburger maison XXL @ Le Bistrot Gourmand

Hello burger lovers,

For quite some time "Le Bistrot Gourmand " was on my list to be rated. I've been here several times and I always found the restaurant very pleasant with it's french menu. The restaurant has been mentioned  in the Gault Millau restaurant guide and has earned a fork in 2012's Guide Michelin. Otherwise the restaurant is known for it's huge wine selection. 

Since the weather was fine and the sun was shining I and my family reserved a nice spot on their lovely terrace. This time I've ordered their only burger on the menu, the hamburger maison xxl with a side salad, coleslaw and fries for 15.50€.

Evaluation:

After a rather long wait I've got my burger. I found it confusing to be the last served, since I was the only one ordering a medium rare. When I took a better look at the burger I've seen the reason. They simply forgot my burger in the kitchen. The cheese was totally stiff and cold and had strangely "hardened". I sent the burger back, I guess there is a first time for everything. Without a word of excuse I had lunch alone 15 minutes later, as my companions were already done eating 

The burger itself was huge. The beef was cooked a bit too long for my gusto, not the way I ordered it. It also lacked a bit of seasoning, it was nearly flavorless. This time the cheese was nicely melt and had a good taste. The buns were a catastrophe, which I actually don't tolerate in a gourmet restaurant. The home made cocktail sauce was tasty and the home made fries were good too, but I don't agree whit the people saying these were the best ones they have ever eaten. The vegetables were fresh, which is no surprise in such a restaurant. 

Overall I found the burger to be too packed. Taste wise I didn't find it exceptional, it was quite okay but I thought it lacked a bit of taste. I've had high hopes and I was disappointed in the end. I can still recommend this restaurant, but personally I wouldn't go with the burger again.   

The weighted score is 6.47

/k

Le Bistrot Gourmand

77 Wäistrooss 
5440 Remerschen (Remerschen) 

Tel.: 26 66 57 93

Cheeseburger maison @ Restaurant E'slecker Stuff "Beim Hunn"

Hello burger lovers,

It's been too long since my last review. This one is about a restaurant called "beim Hunn" in the north of the country, in Wahlhausen. I would say it's a long trip from everywhere you live, but the journey might be worth it.

The restaurant specialized in meat dishes, welcomes you with an open char-grill which you have to pass to get to your table. Oh what a wonderful smell and I really would have preferred a steak instead of a burger. Their menu is huge, the restaurant offers everything from pizza to spare ribs (I've heard they are great). But since I am on a mission I decided to order the cheeseburger maison. For 15,50€ you will get a 200gr beef burger with a side salad and home made fries.

Evaluation:

After a short wait, I got my burger. It wasn't love at first sight since the buns were disappointing, but I've been told and shown that they work on better ones. The beef was just great. Excellently seasoned, and grilled to perfection. The cheese was nicely melt and the vegetables were fresh. The side sauces were quite disappointing since I've been expecting home made ones. That would have been better to dip in the excellent home made fries. 

Overall the burger was really good. Due to the quality ingredients and the size (I was more than full in the end) I did not regret to have taken the burger instead of the steak. (Okay that was a lie, I am craving a steak!)

The weighted score of this burger is a nice 7.40

Please make sure to book your table in advance if you plan to go on a weekend. The restaurant was simply packed! But if you're in the area, just make a stop, they might squeeze you in.

/k

Restaurant E'slecker Stuff "Beim Hunn"

37 Am Duerf 
9841 Wahlhausen (Wuelessen)

Tel.: 92 16 21 

 

Burger du Moment @ Restaurant Original

Hello burger lovers,

There is a new restaurant in town. In the old Wengé location in the heart of Luxembourg, you'll find the Original, a two-storey restaurant. I really liked the interior design of this place. We had a table on the first floor during lunch break (busy in August) with a perfect view on the entrance. 

While consulting the menu on their homepage, I obviously decided to take their only burger on the menu: Burger du Moment (with fried onions, lettuce, tomato, Pancetta, and fries) for 18 €. I was quite happy to see that their burger was part of the "menu du jour" and got it for 12 €.

Evaluation:

When the burger arrived, I was surprised how small it looked. The buns, yes the cheap fluffy ones :/ , were smaller than those I am used to. To be fair, the burger was quite high, and it looked delicious. The plate was nicely decorated and the staff were attentive. 

Tastewise, the beef patty was really good, for my gusto they might add a bit of seasoning to it, but overall it was good and most importantly it was fresh and it was cooked to perfection. The added toppings, fried onions, lettuce and tomato were great in taste and fresh. The Pancetta had a good taste as well. There was no sauce on the burger, due to the onions it wasn't really necessary, but they added a separate bowl of home made cocktail sauce (tasty) which you could easily put on your burger. The fries were good as well, crisp, fresh and  tasty.

I didn't like the buns and the size of the burger. But otherwise I can recommend this burger. In my opinion it is a real option for a lunch break. I wouldn't want to pay 18 € for it, but with the 12 € deal  I felt that I had a good value for my money and I was more than satisfied. The location of the restaurant in the city centre is great. This seems to be a restaurant that needs to be watched. Try it yourself!

The weighted rating for this burger is 6.94

/k

Restaurant Original
15 Rue Louvigny 
1946 Luxembourg-Centre 
Tel.: 27 85 88 86

.

Southwestern @ Bagels & Burgers

Hello burger lovers,

I've decided to grant a second chance to Bagels & Burgers. If you need more information about this burger joint, just take a look about my previous review.

This time I ordered the Southwestern Burger with their country potatoes (still no fries) for 9.6€.

Evaluation:

After a short wait my burger was served. The Southwestern burger had lettuce, tomatoes, onions and bacon as toppings. I had no doubts about the freshness of the vegetables, but the bacon was too sloppy and not crisp at all. The beef patty had a relatively good taste but I am sure it was frozen. Nevertheless it was seasoned well, and one of the highlights of the burger was that it came medium rare. Both of the sauces weren't my taste, there was the french mustard and the hot sauce which wasn't hot at all. I didn't like the country potatoes that much. They didn't look fresh and were not my taste. For the buns I simply want to quote myself: The buns looked good, but they were the same fluffy ones as usual, and they were not even toasted! As you know, for me that's a no-go!

Exactly one year after my last review about Bagels & Burgers I still have the same conclusion. There is much potential, but they simply don't use it. The restaurant should offer more sauces, and they should also replace their buns. The price and the choice is fair, but their burger stays an average burger.

For this one, I give them 6.35.

/k

Bagels & Burgers

12-14 Boulevard d'Avranches
1160 Luxembourg
Tel.: 26 29 65 26

Smuggler's Hamburgermenu @ The Smuggler's Inn

Hello burger lovers,

Recently I've had the opportunity to test a burger in an area where I usually don't find myself that often. I got several messages on my FB page that recommended The Smuggler's Inn in Diekirch. You can find the Inn at "Camping Op Der Sauer", a place which seems to be highly visited by locals. I ordered their only burger on the menu, the Smugglers Hamburgermenu with additional toppings of bacon and cheese. The Hamburgermenu included a bowl of fries and was priced at 10,5€. 

Evaluation:

To be honest, the presentation of the burger was a bit strange to me. It came on a funny plate and the vegetable toppings (pickles and tomato) were on the side in separated compartments. The fries came in a big  bowl, which was a good solution, since the plate wasn't overloaded.

Starting with the fries, I didn't like them, they were too chunky and did not have much taste. The cheese was nicely melted, but it seemed to me that it was that processed cheese which you can use for your home made croque monsieur. Don't be shocked, that's all the negatives I have for today. The bun was excellent, as far as I remember it was made from ciabatta bread and it just tasted really good. The beef patty was really good aswell, I am not sure if it was 100% beef, there might be a part part porc in it, which is a good solution to alter the taste and avoid the patty becoming too dry. Additionally, there were fried onions in the patty. Actually, at home I prepare my burgers in a similar way. (Believe me, they are great ;) ) The bacon was crisp and had a wonderful taste! I would have been happier if I had a wider selection of sauces (at the moment only Ketchup and Mayonnaise), maybe even homemade sauces. That's something Smuggler's Inn should look into. 

All in all I had a nice dinner. I was satisfied with the burger and it was great value for the price. If you're in the Diekirch area, go to The Smuggler's Inn and have that burger!

My weighted average is 7.01

The Smuggler's Inn
Route de Gilsdorf
Diekirch
Tel.: 80 85 90

Hamburger de pot au feu au foie gras @ L'Annexe

Hello burger lovers,

Recently I've been asked what I think about gourmet burgers, expensive burgers which are quite trendy nowadays. My answer to this question was that an expensive burger doesn't necessarily have to be better than a regular one. To prove, or disprove my argument I decided to pay a visit to L'Annexe, the little sister of the starred restaurant Clairfontaine. The critiques of this French restaurant are just great, and so I was looking forward to enjoy their burger (Hamburger de pot au feu au foie gras for 21€) on their terrace while absorbing the first rays of sun for this year. 

Evaluation:

My colleagues warned me that this burger might not be the typical burger that I've encountered in my quest. When it arrived at the table, I realized what they meant. There was no ground beef between the buns, but a beef stew instead, which was completely different from everything I've had on a burger bun before. On top of the stew, there was a layer of foie gras, a popular delicacy in the French cuisine. Underneath the stew were a slice of both pickle and tomato. Next to the nicely presented plate I was served salad in a glass, and a cornet of fries.

Quality-wise this was upper class. The only downsides were the lack of sauce and the quality of the buns. They seemed to be the soft fluffy ones, but at least they were pan-fried, so it was an improved version of the ones I don't like. The fries were delicious, they were homemade, tasty and crisp. Taste-wise I wasn't satisfied with the burger. I wouldn't even classify it as a burger. The foie gras and the special preparation of the meat just don't match my definition of a burger. To be honest this burger shouldn't even be in this rating since it is something completely different, and far away from a real burger. Furthermore this burger had to be eaten with knife and fork while I have the opinion that a burger should be eaten by holding it in both hands. I want to clarify that this is my opinion on the burger and it's not to be seen as a judgment of the product itself.

Nevertheless I've rated the burger the same way that I've rated the other burgers. And that's where you can see a disadvantage of a static rating system: even a burger, which I didn't like too much, can due to its quality ingredients have a very good rating of  7.14

It was the first time I've been to L'Annexe, but I will surely be back to try other items of their lovely menu.

/k


L'Annexe
7, Rue du Saint Esprit
1475 Luxembourg
Tél.: 26 26 25 07