Hot Waves is a new Jeddah burger joint on the Corniche. The brainchild of Sarry Shaaban, it is different from local competition, we were told, because everything is 100 percent fresh. “Our meat is 100 percent fresh — a 150 gram premium beef patty (1/3 pound). You can pay anything from SR14 to 20 for the big monster burger BBQ on the grill.” Describing the venture as a “cross between a local concept and the offerings of an international franchise,” Shaaban says Hot Waves plans to open nine locations within the next two years. “Hot Waves is a reflection of the Jeddah life style, with new flavor, taste and attitude,” he said.
Located beside Subway and Herfy on the Corniche (see map on Jeddahfood.com), the restaurant caters for office lunches, and group parties. Despite still being in the soft opening phase, they are already the official sponsors of Harley Davidson, Polaris Club, Jeddah Divers, and Kids’ Clubs among others. However it’s not only burgers that are the focus, Hot Waves is going above and beyond the call of duty and is distributing free meals to Jeddah’s orphans and charities as part of their commitment to the local community. It is a novel approach and a welcome addition to Jeddah’s restaurant scene.
We dropped by early one afternoon to sample the burgers and found the staff putting up marketing material on the windows. Despite this, a member of staff managed to pop out and hand us a menu so we could order from outside.
We chose three Monster Combo Double cheese burgers (one with egg) and extra cheese. The combos came with drinks and fries, and were topped with onion rings and total SR28 each. When the bill finally came — after we waited 15-20 minutes or so for the fresh burgers to be grilled — we were a little disappointed to see that we had been charged separately for the fries. The cryptic receipt made finding this out all the more difficult as it was printed in stock codes. That said, the staff quickly subtracted the cost of the fries although driving home we noticed we had also paid for the drinks separately! So be sure to double check those codes!
How about the food? Once we got the burgers, we were not disappointed. They were how a diner burger should be — juicy, not too greasy, pure beef, covered in hot melted cheese, not cheap slices, and seasoned to perfection. The optional egg (SR2) is a great addition and really topped things off. The double is a meal in itself, but if you manage to save some space, the fries (not wedges) are the best we have come across in a while. They are seasoned instead of salted and are the large chunky chips you might expect to find at a Fish and Chip shop in England. When Hot Waves says fresh, they really mean it which is great to see.
While other recent burger openings have truly disappointed us on taste, Hot Waves has managed to focus on the food, as opposed to over-kill design of the interior. The walls are not plastered with number plates — which didn’t really bother me — and the burger was far superior to those in other diners that have popped up in Jeddah. Burgers the only thing on the menu — except for the apple pie — and to be honest, that’s a good thing. It means the staff has been working on perfecting just one item, as opposed to over stretching themselves to offer a menu of ‘so-so’ items.
Believe us when we say, “you need to try this!” Currently they only have a singles section, although plans are in the works for larger branches elsewhere in Jeddah which will include family sections. In the meantime, you can order takeouts (telephone number below). Has Fuddruckers met its match? Check out Hot Waves, and let us know what you think.
Address: Corniche Road Besides Herfy, after Rosewood Corniche
Tel: 2757241
Opening Hours: 12 p.m. – 3 p.m. and
6:30 p.m. – 2 a.m. (Weekends till 3 a.m.)
(Rashed Islam is a food critic who hosts Jeddahfood.com)
