Last Saturday, finally persuaded my mom and wife to give The Burger Stop a try. It was hot and humid. Took us a little over ten minutes to get there. My five years old Jr kept on asking to take a taxi. As soon as we arrive, they were rushed to the 2nd floor seating area, where the A/C keep it nice and cool.
I got the coupon from their Wretch blog. A Double Stake Cheese Burger, French Fries and refillable soda, all for NT$100. This is not a deal, it is a steal. Since wife does not eat beef, the girl was kind enough to allow a change to the Fried Chicken Burger. Two fries were also upgraded to onion rings for an additional NT$20 each. An upgrade to milk shake adds NT$30.
The burger is excellent. Everyone seems praise the similarity to In-N-Out. Well, last time I had an In-N-Out Double-Double was about eight months ago, some what disappointed. They are very similar in appearance. In-N-Out has a slice of raw onion, which I prefer. The Burger Stop uses chopped grilled onion, probably more suitable for the general public here. The meat patties are thinner and too well done in Double-Double. The Burger Stop do it just right, just a hint of pink in the patties. All in all the taste just beats In-N-Out hands down. The only complain I have is that the sauce should be cut back a little. Half way through, got sauce dripping out of the wrapping. Gets pretty messy by the end.
Wife complained that the chicken is too dry. I found it to be OK. After all, it is chick breast. Might want to consider adding boneless thigh, that would better suit the taste of Taiwanese. McD and KFC (is it KGC now?) have been selling those really well.
The onion ring is made from fresh onion, unlike those re-combined stuff sold by the chains. Very tasty, but too greasy. I would recommend two or three to share one. The fries are pretty good too. Jr wound up eating fries only. The grill onion in burger some how put him off.
The impression I got previously was that the burger would not be enough for my appetite. Surprisingly, I was actually filled up. Two cups of soda might’ve helped.
The place is clean and the staffs are friendly and sincere. Making the dining experience a very pleasant one. While Jr was snooping around, he noted that the gap at the bottom the rail guard is too large. He insists that it is a hazard for kids, especially the younger ones, they can potentially slide through it and fall right down stairs. He may have a point. Adding plexi-glass panels, or two rows of metal rods should do.
I went again this Monday. Finally got to meet David. A very nice young man. A little shy, but talkative. He may have spotted a niche, when all other burger shops in Taipei are into an gourmet jumbo race. Wish him all the luck with The Burger Stop.
As a comparison, just for fun, here is the price of In-N-Out. Double-Double, $2.99. French fries, $1.29. Small soda, $1.20. Milk shake, $1.85. There is no discount for set at In-N-Out. So, for a set, the price is just about the same. Is this just an coincident?
Edit: Mom suggests to have somewhere to dump unfinished drink, before throwing the cup into the recycle bin. Also, some people may toss your not-so-cheap ceramic plate right into the bin.
