Whenever I find myself in this part of town, the one thing that reminds me of Burger Circus is not its prime corner Soho location or brightly lit sign. It's the fact you can smell the grease from several storefronts away. The kind of greasy aroma that is strangely haunting for those of us who grew up on this stuff and the kind of scent that draws burgers lovers closer from all corners of Central. I assume Burger Circus enjoys this kind of distinction.
The place is HK small. And by that I mean there are only a handful of tables and little standing room for much else. Lines here would be a disaster, but thankfully I've been able to enjoy this spot late in the night without much crowd repercussion. Burger Circus likens itself to be a provider in the "American diner" experience and brings the spirit through burgers, milkshakes, and fries. The staff is usually pretty good about handling orders, but in all fairness, the menu is simple enough to where even the most novice service worker can memorize in a matter of minutes.
I was once told this was the In-N-Out of HK, but I'd rather keep the comparison separate. BC's burgers range from $68-$115 with an additional $30 for fries and $68 for shakes. At a sub $24USD meal, the price pinch is real, even if the American flavors are in tact. I like the Magician's Magtag Blue ($95), where the principal cheese is blue along with a strip or two of bacon. Their classic Circus Burger ($95) touts a Wisconsin cheese and a 5oz patty and the works. One could go double on this burger for a cool $115, which ends up looking like a regular burger portion (anywhere else) in the end.
Burgers aside, I think the real win is the shakes. Yes, they're close to $70 a pop, but they're thick, sugary, super creamy, and surprisingly addicting. Salted caramel, cherry lime, and coffee toffee crunch are really fun but the classic flavors like strawberry, vanilla, or chocolate are definitely available. If one wants to go next level, add a little booze and get a spiked shake, which starts at $88. The Drunken Monkey ($88) has vanilla ice cream, maple syrup, and banana bourbon and the Cinnamon Roll ($88) has salted caramel, fireball whiskey, and some vanilla ice cream. Drink enough of those and one can only imagine the effects of a sugar high simultaneous with an alcoholic buzz.
There are other things some burger joints don't have, such as jalapeno poppers ($78), onion rings ($38) and dill pickles ($38). If shakes aren't doing it, consider their apple pie a la mode ($88) and/or hot fudge sundae ($68). If prices don't bother you, then consider making Burger Circus your next destination for the quintessential American retro burger diner experience. read more