Can a Bahraini burger brand compete with its all-American counterparts?

JBR isn’t exactly starved of burger joints – the likes of Five Guys, BurgerFuel and Shake Shack immediately spring to mind – but the latest offering comes from a rather unlikely source. Blaze Burgers was established in Bahrain in 2011, and has built up a loyal following in the kingdom.

These burgers are definitely on the premium side – you’re looking at Dhs49 for an old-school burger with an American Angus beef patty, or Dhs64 for an Australian Wagyu burger. Everything is customisable, from the toppings to the bun.

There’s even a lettuce wrap option if you’re worried about your waistline (though if that’s the case, you’ve almost certainly come to the wrong place).

The restaurant resembles a chic industrial space, with exposed piping, rustic light bulbs and some brilliant street art-style murals. You go up to the counter to place your order, before being handed a little shopping basket to select your condiments from a huge shelf. It’s a real kid-in-a-candy-store moment for hot sauce lovers.

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Our burgers arrived in little trays, thoughtfully cut in half for ease of consumption. We also ordered a side of Crazy Fries (Dhs28), cut in the scooper style and smothered in melted cheese and a creamy sauce, with some crispy onion strings and beef bacon bits thrown on top for good measure. The name does not lie. They were crazy good.

We washed it all down with one of the signature Dry Shakes (Dhs32), a curious blend of cheesecake and ice cream. It turned out to be the perfect palate cleanser; not overly sweet, but with a silky texture that had us slurping up every last drop.

Finally, we removed all evidence of our binge session with the creatively named ‘burger crime scene cleaning kits’ (aka, hand cleansing towelettes).

It’s this sort of attention to detail that makes Blaze Burgers a cut above the rest. We found plenty on the menu that would keep us coming back – next time, we’re determined to conquer the Brick Burger, featuring grilled cheese sandwiches in lieu of buns. Woof.

Blaze Burgers, Sadaf 4, The Walk at JBR, Dubai, daily noon to 2am. Tel: (04) 242 4523. blazeburgers.com

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