Karlo Pacana
Burgaholic in Cebu
Craving for the best home-made char-grilled burger without the extra fuss? Want a mouthwatering experience without emptying your pockets? Tired of buy-one-take-one, fast food quality burgers with patty extenders?
The King of Sinulog is off to Burgaholic located at M.P. Yap Street in Cebu City, a hole in the wall burger joint that is the brainchild of Juan Ismael Arceo. Open from 7PM up to midnight every day except Sundays, Burgaholic, according to Budji, is a business venture born out of a passion for eating good food and a beautiful distraction from the nine to five daily grind. Read on as I share to you why everybody is lining up to have a taste and what converted me to become a certified burgaholic.
Getting there
Assuming you’re in Cebu City, tell the taxi driver to drop you off at Bordz Restobar near Sacred Heart Hijas de Jesus. Look for a green gate with a Burgaholic tarpaulin, look out for signs of smoke or better yet follow the smell of 100% pure beef. Since it’s a side street, you’ll have to walk a few blocks from the main highway, a great way to get you ready to devour a half-pounder. If you’re bringing a car with you, you can park along the street. Just keep an eye out for towing vehicles.
Ambiance
Eliminate the fancy restaurant concept and let’s get back to basics. We’re here to pay for great food, nothing more and nothing less. Burgaholic is entirely a 30-seater garage experience: open air, smoke coming from the griller and quite vulnerable to sudden changes in the weather but I bet you’ll surely feel at home. You’ll never eat alone as you’ll be treated like family. Just listen to the music, lay back, smell the aroma because all we need is just a few tables and chairs, some hand gloves and we’re ready to face anything just to get a bite of that juicy burger.
Food
The secret to great food revolves in four things: high-quality ingredients, perfected secret recipe, flawless execution and beautiful presentation which I believe what the team at Burgaholic has been trying to maintain for more than a year of business.
Get your hands on a Classic, 100% pure beef patty with TLC, white onions and signature sauce on a sesame seed bun. Since everything is better with bacon, you can definitely add a couple as well to make the Baconholic. More beef and bacon makes it more expensive, no further explanations needed.
Mind you, I tried to savor my first burger as slowly as possible but it was gone in less than a minute.
Burgaholic is not only expert on burgers. Another stand-out is the newly-introduced Rib-o-holic. With a balanced flavor, fall-off-the-bone lean meat and a spicy kick, this masterpiece will surely question your loyalty with other restaurants synonymous to baby back ribs.
One thing we missed was their sensational 200g grilled pork belly seasoned with Burgaholic’s Signature Dry Rub slathered with their home-made barbecue sauce because it was out of stock and come to think of it, we came on a Saturday. Good news travels fast indeed, another reason for me to come back aside from the Gumbo which is currently on its final conception phase, not that I needed a reason to.
Price
Believe it or not, a Classic is priced at only PHP100. Quadruple the size of its patty and you’ll pay only PHP280. Throw in a piece of bacon for only PHP20. For the Rib-o-holic, the price ranges around PHP250 to PHP300 a piece depending on grams. A complete meal consisting of Grilled Pork Belly with pickled papaya and 4 hanging rice is only at PHP150, definitely a dinner favorite. Here’s a dare, order one of each for a total Burgaholic experience..
Service
Budji and Tita Nancy were very hands-on making sure that everything we needed was met. The griller cooked the burgers and ribs with consistency and careful thought. It was as if we were relatives who came to visit over the summer, pampered and taken care of, to assure that our first Burgaholic experience would surely be a memorable one, and they succeeded.
Overall
If you’re looking for a hands-down burger experience, then Burgaholic is waiting for you. Later!
Contact information
Burgaholic is located at 173A M.P. Yap Street in Cebu City beside Bordz Restobar near Sacred Heart Hijas de Jesus. For inquiries, you may call them at (032) 254 0990. They are open from Mondays to Saturdays from 7:00PM to 12:00AM. For promos and updates, check out their official Facebook page.
