I'm always a tad bit hesitant when I hear locals and tourists alike raving about a burger that's 'the best' in some country that's not America. That sounds culturally intolerant and generally ethnocentric I know, but plain and simple, I've had burgers in 50+ countries on 6 continents, and it's exceptionally rare that anything outside of the U.S. comes close to what's readily available in most U.S. states (Australia is a notable exception here). Rio's B de Burger falls into this same category, and while it's probably the best burger I've had in South America, it's only on par with what you can typically find in most U.S. Cities.
Star 1: How were the service and atmosphere?
I do appreciate B de Burger's trendy atmosphere, wooden decor, simplistic and evolving menu and friendly service. You place your order, grab your buzzer, and decide whether you're going to sit upstairs or downstairs. The burgers are made to order, so expect to wait ~15 minutes or so. Star Granted.
Star 2: How were the portions relative to the cost?
At R$ 27,00, my classic B, de Burger equated to roughly $7.45 US, which is a great price considering that this was a burger of significant portion. With a patty that was probably pushing 1/3 of a pound this was some great value. Star Granted.
Stars 3 and 4: How was the food?
It's here that things often come a bit unhinged with respect to comparing to truly elite burgers, so let's break down the comparisons here.
The bun: the bun is the foreplay of burgers, an to do it right is to have something incremental over just a store-bought sesame bun that's mildly toasted and even maybe a bit buttered. That wasn't done here at B de Burger, but it was a better than average bun.
The patty: the essential 'meat' of the dish if I can be so bold, a good patty is fresh not frozen, and has flavor in its own right as opposed to relying on peripherals and toppings. It's here that B de Burger fell short, with what appeared to be a store-bought patty that didn't have a whole lot of its own flavor.
The rest: toppings can be make or break, and the toppings at B de Burger were admittedly very good. I love the cheese, mustard, mayo combo, and the grilled onions were done exceptionally well.
All in all, Single Star Granted.
Star 5: Would you eat here every day if you could?
A good burger? Yes, but it's not something that will compete to what you're used to having depending on where you hail from. No Star Granted. read more