Cebuanos are a picky bunch, and it takes a lot of effort before you can satisfy this particular market. In fact, Cebu has become the test market of some food companies who want to make it big in other parts of the archipelago. If you will survive the Cebuano market, you will survive in the big city up north. So when a small stall opens up in the Queen City of the South and continues to provide great-tasting food after a couple of years, it definitely is one store to watch out for in the future.
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| Burgaholic along Maria Cristina Ext. |
One hole-in-the-wall eating place that has continued to build a reputation of offering great-tasting food is located at the garage of the owner. Despite being a relatively new player in the market, Burgaholic has created a niche of its own in the Queen City of the South. A couple of weeks ago, I went to the place to try their burgers. When I went to Burgaholic, I was joined by my brothers and nephews.
Burgaholic Story
Burgaholic was borne out of a passion for eating and the need to have an outlet from the daily grind. Juan Ismael Arceo is the man behind the place. When we were there, the dad was manning the cash box at that time since his son was at work. The main reason they did not open another branch was that they could not find a suitable location in the city.
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| The Quarter Pounder at Burgaholic |
The place is nearly three years old and they were featured on Sun Star Weekend sometime in 2015. When they started, people flocked to the place. Word-of-mouth marketing brought in different types of customers. From casual customers to food bloggers and even people who were simply curious about their burgers.
I was arrived at the place at around 6:45 PM, and they were already cooking burgers. Apparently, a number of their return customers call ahead for their orders and pick them up after they’re already cooked. There were at least two people who picked up their orders before my brothers and nephews arrived at the place.
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| Unassuming Dining Area at Burgaholic |
The Burgers
Burgaholic offers three variants of their burger: The Classic, The Quarter Pounder, and The Half Pounder. The Classic burger comes with lettuce, tomato, pickles, onions, and their signature Cheesy Mushroom Sauce. You can also add bacon into the mix for an additional PhP20. The Quarter Pounder comes with all the ingredients of The Classic Burger plus bacon and jalapeno. On the other hand, The Quarter Pounder is specifically made for people who have huge appetites.
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| The Quarter Pounder |
They cook their burgers over charcoals on a customized grill made of a metal barrel. If you want to cook burgers at your backyard, you can either make a similar customized grill or you can
buy a grill online. Since the cooking area and dining area are in one place, you can see your order being cooked right before your eyes. If you ask me, watching my order cooked in front of me is somewhat excruciating once you get a waft of the aroma coming from the burgers.
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| Customized Grill at Burgaholic |
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| Burgers Grilling at Burgaholic |
We ordered a Quarter Pounder each. The patty they used for the burger was huge when compared to the ones offered in a number of popular fast food restos. The dad of the owner said they have their own recipe for their patties, which is a thing among a number of hole-in the-wall eating places. Similarly, the dishes at the
King of Chicken were also the brainchild of owner-cum-chef of the establishment. The Quarter Pounder was crisp on the outside but juicy on the inside. Each one of us finished the burger in no time.
The Grilled Pork Belly With Rice
After demolishing our Quarter Pounders, we decided to try the Grilled Pork Belly with Rice. The pork belly was thicker than the ones you can find in supermarkets. It is seasoned by their signature dry rub and slathered with their home-made barbecue sauce. The dad said they do not use salt on the pork belly, which gives it the right amount of juiciness. It also has the right amount of sweetness in it. While some people I know may not appreciate the sweet taste of the Grilled Pork Belly of Burgaholic, its juiciness will definitely win them over.
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| Grilling Those Huge Pork Belly Cut |
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| The Grilled Pork Belly is Served |
The Place
The dining and cooking area is the garage of the owner, which is typical of a number of hole-in-the-wall places here in the Queen City of the South. They have monobloc tables and chairs, which is suitable enough for their patrons. People do not go there for the ambiance; they go there for the food. In fact, when we were at Burgaholic another table was occupied by two customers who were also there for the food. Some tenants of the apartment also came out to eat.
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| The Dining Area-cum-Cooking Area |
The Prices
The Classic is priced at PhP100 while the Quarter Pounder costs PhP175. The Half Pounder is priced at PhP295 while their Grilled Pork Belly with Rice costs PhP100.
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| Burger Offerings at Burgaholic |
The Location
Burgaholic is located along Maria Cristina Extension, right beside the Bordz Bar. When I went there, I thought I missed the place, but after seeing burgers being grilled, I knew I was at the right place. If you are riding a taxi, just tell the driver to bring you to the Bordz Bar along Maria Cristina Extension. If you burgaare commuting, you can get off at Cocomall and walk along Maria Cristina Street until you reach a point where the road turns left. Burgaholic is located a few meters from the turn. If you are coming from National Bookstore, walk towards Juana Osmeña Street until you reach Maria Cristina Street. Turn right and follow the road until it turns left. The place is on the left side of the road.
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| The Quarter Pounder |
Burgaholic is a hole-in-the-wall restaurant that has piqued the taste buds of residents and visitors to the Queen City of the South. While it is a relative newcomer in the market, it has definitely made its mark and is one place to watch out for in the coming years. And, oh, on my next visit, I'll probably get the Half Pounder or two of them Classic burgers.
Have you tasted the burgers and Grilled Pork Belly at Burgaholic already? Tell me about it on the comments section below.
