There’s only so much love we can show to fast food burger chains, because despite its ever-ready convenience, a foodie can always tell it’s not the real deal. Despite its very simple bread-and-meat constituency, getting a burger right is an ordeal. Mohojit Chatterjee and Devdeep Chowdhury were very aware of the need for freshly-made, bona-fide American-style burgers when they came up with their Anwar Shah eatery Burger Nation.
“You’ll see that the patties are all freshly handcrafted, made from scratch and all the sauces are made in-house. We put a huge amount of thought and research into our menu; in the Classic American Cheeseburger, for instance, the patty is made of 100% fresh beef and the ratio is 80%lean meat and 20%fat which makes the patty juicy and tender. Every patty weighs 180 grams and you can always tell us how you like the relish,” Chatterjee tells us.
The eatery which is just about three months old is located right opposite South City Mall; we asked Chatterjee if the abundance of fast food chains located at the shopping mall poses an element of competition. “Not exactly. I think what we offer is different; I’m also a consumer in the city and I’ve often found that high-end outlets mislead customers. It is very important to be honest about your food, to let the customer know what you are serving. We have always had that in mind,” adds the owner.
Burger Nation’s menu features a lot more than burgers, and is one of the few places in the city where you can score a good ol’ American Beef Chilli Fry ( topped with keema, parmesan cheese, cheddar and homemade sauces) and Cheese Chilli Hot Dog. Besides the Classic American Cheese Burger and the Southern Fried Chicken Burger, the Buffalo Chicken Wings and the Beef Chilli Fries are some of the best-sellers.
The 18-cover eatery has a fantastic downtown vibe, featuring quirky wall art, a TV and some popping graffiti. We started off simple with the Classic American Cheeseburger, a no-nonsense item featuring a weighty and succulent six-ounce patty made of ground beef, lettuce and generous amounts of cheese; if you’re wary of processed, cold cut-style supermarket patties between your bread, Burger Nation’s burgers will change your go-to order indefinitely.
The BN Burger is the perfect cheat day meal, it comes with beef, eggs, bacon and fries. Our tip: Have the bacon on the side to experience the patty better. Burger Nation also has some very elaborate and Instagrammable shakes. We went for the Snickers Shake which makes use of real Snickers and features a rich dollop of whipped cream, wafer sticks, chocolate sauce and sprinkles. Price for two: Rs 450.