Special Burger Review: Bamba Marha Burger Bar

Photo by/Mark Avila

Date Visited: September 11, 2022

Location: Budapest, Hungary
BurgerTours Rating: 8/10

 

Taste	Messiness	Price	Venue	Pluses
Awesome	Not messy	$11-$15	Fast Food	Veggie, Gluten Free

Website

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Mark's Review

Hello, everyone this is Mark! I am back, once again, with another special burger tour. While Andrew brought us to the streets of London to start this collection of European burger tours, I take to you back for a different burger experience. No, not in London, but to Eastern Europe. I visit two cities to indulge on their take of a traditional hamburger, and review what I found to be different and how it compares to burgers I’ve had here at home. These will be two separate reviews, but the Burger Tour episodes will compiled as one. So, let’s get started!

I think its appropriate to say this first destination had me going a little hungry. I didn’t know what to expect or what would be offered to me, but I was more than excited to find out. And with that said, I take you to Budapest, Hungary!

What was left of the Bamba Beef Burger

Seeing that this was my first time Europe, I was curious to see on what their take on a typical American style burger would be like. Doing some research prior to this trip I had my options narrowed down to a select few. It was more so based on how close they were to my hotel. I was staying in the Downtown area close to the Danube River, so I had some diverse options. In the end, I decided to pay a visit to… Bamba Marha Burger Bar.

 

With 7 locations scattered throughout Budapest, I happened to be down the street from the Basilica location, so thats where I will be doing this review. Their menus differ based on the location, more so the same, but some burger options stay unique to the specific area. I opted to go for the Bamba Beef Burger. This is a beef patty burger layered with parmesan chips, grilled shiitake mushrooms, grilled tomatoes, and umami ketchup. 

First impressions… this was probably one of the cleanest burgers I’ve ever seen. Simple, yet looking delectable. My first bite was greeted by the sesame bun. It was warm, soft and buttery. Following was the crunchiness of the parmesan chips. It was a subtle burst of cheesy flavour, but not overpowering. The umami ketchup was savoury giving the burger a kick of spice. And the beef patty was cooked and seasoned perfectly. 

Overall, Bamba Marha was a pleasant surprise despite some doubts I had. It was a great take to what I’m use to seeing in a burger here at home. There wasn’t really much of a difference except that this burger was clean, simple, and had a hint of extra flavour that burgers that I’ve in Toronto seem to lack. Bamba Marha exceeded my expectations, and is definitely a go to joint if you’re looking for a good burger in Budapest. 

8/10

Burger Review #63: Happy Burger

Photo by Andrew Hockridge

Date Visited: August 9, 2022
Location: Rosedale
BurgerTours Rating: 6.3/10

Taste	Messiness	Price	Venue	Pluses
Good	Messy	$11-$15	Fast Food	Veggie, Patio

Website

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Drew's Review 

Photo by Andrew Hockridge

Smile. You’re on camera! 

For our 83rd BurgerTour, and burger stop for the month of August, we decided to keep things local. Happy Burger is a joint that has been on our list for some time so we thought it was time to pay it a visit. Opening in the summer of 2020, Happy Burger is a simple, modern burger joint serving up smash burgers, hot dogs and milkshakes, as well as other tasty side options. They have two locations now, (the first being Lippincott Street, near Bathurst and College in the Harbord Village area of downtown Toronto) after opening a spot on Yonge Street this past year. 

We entered the Yonge St. location shortly after the lunch rush and there were already a few diners inside the joint at the time. The interior was simple, plain white, modern and featured a giant sized menu on the wall beside the counter. The seating was plentiful and even had tables on the patio outdoors. The menu is pretty simple, featuring a few smash burgers, with some different toppings and arrangements, a chicken burger, a pastrami burger, some vegetarian options and then the hot dogs. You can order a combo which comes with a choice of side; waffle fries, onion rings or pickles, or opt for single burger/hot dog. 

Happy Cheeseburger/Photo by Andrew Hockridge

I stayed customary to my standards and opted for their homemade classic burger, the Happy Cheeseburger, which came topped with cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, onions and happy sauce on a potato bun. We grabbed a table inside and waited for our burgers. I believe it was a 20 minute wait, as there were already a few customers who had ordered before us who had priority. Our orders were called and we retrieved them and brought the meal back to our table. 

After I had bitten into the Happy Cheeseburger for my first bite, it tasted like your average smash burger, however the meat was just slightly overcooked. The flavor from the beef was a little dry and I relied on the toppings to satisfy my tastebuds. The buns were soft…super soft in fact was ready to crumble in my hands. It wasn’t the perfect balance between the softness of the buns, and the crispiness of the smashed patty. 

We also got the waffle fries on the side with added Happy Sauce and it was very appetizing. The Happy Sauce is a blend of mayo, ketchup, mustard and secret spices and it was a pleasant dressing, both on the burger and to dip your fries into. 

Overall, Happy Burger was satisfying and it did fulfill my expectations of their burgers, however, the Happy Cheeseburger I had gotten was slightly overcooked and didn’t really consist of any significant flavors. I’ve had better smash burgers before and maybe this burger was left on the grill a little too long. I’m not sure. The waffle fries were the only thing I would go back for, and maybe I would return and try a milkshake. In the meantime, I’ll be faking a smile until I find my way back to Happy Burger. 

6.1/10

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Mark's Review 

Impossible Vegan Burger/Photo by Mark Avila

Happy day, everyone! This burger tour took us to a happy place, a very happy place. This joint was on our radar for quite some time, and happy that we finally to try them. If you haven’t noticed my overly use of the word ‘happy’ so far, I’m happy to say that for this burger tour we pay a visit to… Happy Burger! 

Happy Burger opened at the height of the pandemic in August 2020. Since then they’ve opened two locations in downtown Toronto. The main location is located close to Bathurst & College, and the restaurant we visited is along Yonge St just south of Rosedale subway station. 

Walking in the peak of lunch time, this location was particularly busy. We placed our orders and asked to take a seat while they were in the queue. To be quite honest we waited quite a while for our meals. I would say it was a 30-35 minute wait. Way too long for a burger. I guess it was a lesson learned not to come by during lunch time. 

 I ordered the Impossible Vegan Burger - a plant based veggie burger layered with vegan cheese, pickle, tomato, onion, lettuce, and topped with a vegan happy sauce under a vegan bun. The happy sauce is a mix of mayo, ketchup, mustard, and undisclosed spices. 

My first impressions… looked like a a refined Mc Donald’s Cheeseburger, but healthier of course. The first bite was soft and tender, something that I’m not used to with a plant based patty. The taste was very much in line with a traditional Cheeseburger, and the happy sauce gave it a little more kick of flavour. Overall, it was a satisfying meal. 

 6.5/10