I love burgers. There is a funny ad with Oprah saying how much she loves bread. So here I am,…read moreconfessing, about how much I love burgers. The funniest thing about my love for burgers is that I am sensitive to gluten. So, often, I have to have a little taste of the bun and eat the rest bun-free. Which, is a very sad experience but having said this, it does not stop me from trying to find the best burger in Istanbul. Now, my love for burgers extends to places I travel (including work trips) its just Istanbul happens to be the city I live in, so, naturally I am on the hunt. In my 10+ years of living in this beautiful and at times hectic city, I must say gourmet burger joints are rather a new phenomenon. I for once, appreciate this change very much. And so basically this is how I was introduced to this tiny little burger joint in one of my favorite Istanbul neighborhoods. In my journey of the last few years looking for a good burger, I think BOB topped it all. The bun was delicious (and I only took a bite), the patty was amazing (and you can tell them if you want it cooked on a medium rare side if that's your preference, at least its mine), and the rest of the goodies that come inside are to die for. The burger comes on a plate served with french fries, pickles and some homemade sauce. They also offer nitrile gloves. Kind of those medical gloves that you often see used by medical doctors but these are latex and powder fee. It is up to you of course whether or not you want to use them. I kind of like the feeling of hands getting messy, after all, you are here to eat a burger. So if you are ever in town and happen top hop on the boat and make it to Anadolu yakasi aka the Asian side and in particular to Moda (and you absolutely must check out this lively neighborhood in addition to bustling Kadikoy) then you should make some room in your stomach for this DELICIOUS piece of work. The owners are super cool too so don't hesitate to pass on your compliments to the chef ;) Is this my top burger spot- so far yes, although I do have a few other favorites. But if you ask me where I will be eating my next burger, I think you would know the answer by now: BOB over at Kagni Sok. no.2 And before I sign off, compliments to the chef and the co-owner who certainly care about serving good food to their customers without fuss. p.s.: Try their hot dogs too if you still have some space- I would recommend BOB Chilli Dog (the sauce is phenomenal).

From the owner: Burger ve Hotdogread more

One of the few places you can find in İstanbul which is specialized in hot dogs. They have…read moreFrankfurter Hot Dog and different types of fries. Food is mostly good but sadly it is not so consistent. My first visit I was in love with the place but after the second visit I have my doubts about going there for a third time. You can find different types of bottled beer. Don't ask for tap beer, it is not so good. You can try if you are in Caddebostan and craving for beer food. But I can't promise you anything...

Dobbys Burger is a simple place where you can have burgers with a good quality and a big variety…read more The meat is tasty and all in all we were very satisfied and happy about this place. Service was good as well. You have to try the Cookie Monster, which is a hot cookie dough with heavy cream and an ice cream scoop on top. It's soooo good and this dessert itself is even worth all the way to Kadiköy. The only disadvantage is, that it isn't located in a nice area. Prices are around 20-30 TRY for a burger. We had the big Anatolian Burger for 23 TRY.

From the owner: Burger & Hot Dogs & Desertsread more

Right so I normally do not ever do anything fun in Besiktas, and I do even less fun things in…read moreAkaretler due to a recent freak incident in which I woke up half-blinded the next day (for that story, see my Pizza East review). However, my friend told me about this place and I trust her. It looked cool from the outside but the inside is even cooler. It has a really different vibe from what you may be used to in Istanbul so far, and it has an open ceiling concept which means smoking is allowed inside. I'm not a fan of such places but the concept is so neat I can't possibly fault it. Still waiting for the day that smoking is prohibited actually everywhere until the end of time. Anyway, the Mexican kumpir I ate was not spectacular, but it was different and fun. The concept is like there are five restaurants in one, and everything is self-serve, including the bar. I really really wanted a Blue Moon but when they didn't have any I moved on and ordered some other imports instead. I also tried Efes White for the first time, 10/10 would recommend that beer. Gets crowded toward the night time so you may find yourself sharing a table with randos. They also apparently screen sports here. Well, I'll be back.

I think I was about 15 years too young to come to this place for a drink. When looking at the…read morepictures online I definitely thought this was a german-style beer hall where you could get some pub food and drink some beers. The first clue that this wasn't the case was the pat down the security gave to all the men who wanted to enter in. We sat down inside at around 8p during the middle of the week and grabbed some beers and some fries. Beers are ordered in one section of the bar, cocktails in another, and there is also a food counter where you can order some pub food- burgers and different types of fries. At around 10p the whole place turned into a night club with people dancing on tables. I'm pretty sure the youngest people there were probably 24 and a number of folks looked even younger. There is an open hall where folks can smoke outside, as a result the cigarette smell wafts in through the open doors and windows. If you want a night club vibe with a young group come here, but if you're older and just looking to grab a beer this probably isn't the place for you!