After a hard afternoon’s shopping in The Galleria we’re need of a good feed, so we make a beeline through the maze-like mall to Burger Fuel.
From the outside, it looks like your standard fast-food joint, but we see the word ‘gourmet’ plastered all over the menu, so we browse through our options expecting something better than we’re used to from the burger industry’s household names.
The dining space (which isn’t separate from the mall) is clean and reasonably comfortable. The staff at the counter are friendly and numerous (on our visit there appear to be well over a dozen serving fewer than a dozen customers) and are happy to explain the menu to those keen to find out more.
We are incredibly hungry, so opt for the BF Monster, an oversized bun packed with a ⅓-pound burger, cheddar cheese, beef bacon and a spicy relish, plus unusual ingredients including avocado, beetroot and mango. Our dining companion orders the Hot Rod, a similar-size beefburger filled with jalapeños and cheddar.
There are no meal deals, so we also order a portion of Spud Fries and Motobites (fried pumpkin, carrot, chickpea and ginger) as sides.
The beef is New Zealand grass-fed, and we can tell it’s high quality from our first bite. The meat tastes far healthier than a run-of-the-mill fast-food burger – it’s juicy and not thin or dry (the ultimate no-no for a beef patty).
The Monster is aptly named, although both burgers are huge, and the quirky combination of fruit and vegetables inside the bun works. It’s a mountainous task to get through it all, but we’re enjoying the challenge and plough on through to the end. The Hot Rod receives similar praise, offering the right balance of heat and flavour.
The fries are somewhat uninspiring but the Motobites are tasty and something a little different from the norm when it comes to fast food.
We order a couple of ice creams from the (again) unusual menu and eat them as we wander off in search of a taxi home. The Chocolate Mud (plain chocolate) doesn’t find favour here, but the Hokey Pokey (vanilla and toffee) does receive a TOAD thumbs-up.
The food at Burger Fuel is great: it’s interesting, tastes healthy and fresh, and satisfied our hunger pains. Our only concern is the price – the lack of combo meals means the costs quickly add up. The fact that we’d happily add a BF patty to our list of top burgers in the city is the positive here; the fact that we couldn’t add it to our favourite dishes for under Dhs50 is the problem.
Next time we’re in The Galleria we may well stop at Burger Fuel again – we are sure we’ll enjoy our food more than the dent it will leave in our wallet. Were it not for the pricey bill, we’d be recommending it more whole-heartedly.
The bill (for two)
Hot Rod Burger Dhs32
BF Monster Burger Dhs37
Motobites Dhs24
Spud Fries Dhs12
Ice cream x2 Dhs22
Total Dhs127
