Sometimes it’s nice to get away from the bells and whistles that the imported franchises across Jeddah offer. Notably some of the best food you find in the city is local food, and not necessarily just local cuisine, but local takes on foreign staples, like burgers. Americano Burger is just that: A Saudi brand offering its own perspective on a foreign food. And the result speaks for itself.
There are more burger joints in Jeddah than you can shake a stick at, so it’s sometimes hard to decide which one to try. Longevity is usually a good indication that a venue is doing something right (or that it has deep pockets). Fortunately in the case of Americano it is definitely the former. The chain’s popularity is such that they now have six key venues across Jeddah, from Rawdah to the Jamea district.
We dropped by the Rawdah branch, located just beside Tokyo Games on Hamed Al-Jaser Street. It stands out for its new luminous green and orange signboard, reading: “Americano Burger Al-Faham.”
“Faham” basically means “charcoal,” which is not unexpectedly how the burgers are cooked here.
By grilling the burgers over charcoal, the patties end up with a distinctive smoky flavor that is unique to Americano Burgers. However this enhanced taste isn’t the only benefit; grilling is also much a healthier way to cook compared to other methods because much of the fat drips out during the grilling process. This is good news for the diner, as it makes for not only a tastier but also a healthier burger.
The restaurant is small, but it doesn’t need to be any bigger, as the majority of customers opt for takeout. Three neatly dressed employees in their matching yellow attire churn out burgers to passersby looking for a quick bite. When we dropped by we found the staff preparing dozens of burgers.
The price is remarkably good; you would be hard pressed to find a cheaper cheeseburger elsewhere in town. Five riyals will get you a grilled beef burger topped with crisp salad in a soft doughy bun. An extra riyal gets you cheese on your burger. Additional toppings are also available, including egg. And if you don’t want beef, Americano makes chicken and fish sandwiches as well. Other items include onion rings, nuggets and hot dogs.
Everything is cooked in front of you so you can be sure of the hygiene in the kitchen. It’s also nice to watch the cooks prepare the beef patties on the grill right before you.
As for presentation, the burgers at Americano come finely wrapped in aluminum foil, which sets them apart from the usual paper packaging one finds elsewhere. The foil wrap serves its purpose, keeping the burgers hot during their journey home. We, however, didn’t have the patience to see how long the burgers stay hot; the aroma of freshly grilled burgers was too much for us.
The burgers were juicy, with a distinct taste of barbecue, combined with the fresh salad, gooey cheese, and soft buns.
The overall combination was delicious, probably one of the tastiest charbroiled burgers in town. But don’t take our word for it, check it out for yourselves!
(Rashed Islam is a food critic who hosts Jeddahfood.com)