Style: Burgers and Fries
Location: Downtown Daegu
Price: approx. w30,000 for two incl. cokes
Hours: 12-9:30 everyday
Contact: 010 9353 5727, 053 428 7728

For anyone looking for a decent burger in Daegu, the choice has always been between Burnham’s Burgers or Kraze Burger, the only two burger joints with burgers that rise above their fast-food counterparts. But this March, a new contender has thrown its hat into the ring to challenge them for burger supremacy. At first glance, Gorilla Burger appears to be following the successful formula of Burnham’s and Kraze- offering a familiar assortment of burgers served with a conventional variety of toppings and and sauces. But taking a closer look I found that Gorilla Burger has taken significant steps to set itself apart from its two big brothers.

What Gorilla Burger flagship location lacks in size (Gorilla only seats a few dozen at a time) it makes up in character. Unlike the sterile white-tile and stainless steel environments of Burnham’s and Kraze, Gorilla has a cozy, homey feel with its eclectic collection of portraits (Mother Teressa, Bruce Lee, Lincoln, Oprah?) and warm stained glass lampshades. Gorilla’s storefront also opens up onto the street on sunny days but, unlike Burnham’s downtown, there is no open-air patio to speak of.

When I finally made my way to Gorilla Burger, we were able to get a table right away despite the crowd and were promptly brought menus, with both Korean and English. The first thing I noticed was that the prices were similar to those at Burnham’s and Kraze, a ballsy move for the new kid on the block. But the biggest surprise was the addition of items its competitors do not offer, like Hot Wings and Barbecued Pork Ribs.

Not being particularly health-conscious, I selected the signature Gorilla Burger (BBQ sauce, cheddar cheese, bacon, and jalapenos) plus chili cheese fries (hold the onions.) Offsetting my artery-clogging choices, my companion chose the Chicken Caesar Salad. Our server was polite and efficient, bringing our beverages first, telling us that they are savvy enough to know that in the West, coke is not a desert. Despite the capacity crowd, all of our food arrived in about ten minutes. The burger’s size was the first thing to catch my eye. While Burnham’s and Kraze tend to go heavy on the toppings and light on the burger, the beef patty at Gorilla was easily 50% larger. On top of that, everything was fresh, from the fixings right down to the beef itself with patties that were hand-patted, unlike the cookie-cutter patties you get elsewhere. The chili cheese fries were a refreshing change too. Not only were they served in a portion large enough for two people to share, the chili was really chili, complete with jalapenos, instead of the simple chili dog sauce used by its competitors. Also, the cheese was shredded instead of the lonely slice found melting on the top of lesser chili cheese fries. The only minor disappointment was the sight of my companion’s paltry looking salad. The grilled chicken it came with was generous, but the salad was pretty basic, consisting mainly of lettuce and spinach with a little bit of bacon (but who goes to a burger joint for the salads anyway?).

Everything tasted as fresh as it looked with the BBQ sauce adding a welcome kick to the burger, and the heat of chili adding a nice zing to the fries. Most importantly, the beef patty was undoubtedly superior to those offered by Gorilla’s competitors. The portions were all difficult to finish, which has never been an issue for me at either Burnham’s or Kraze Burger (or any other restaurant, for that matter). And despite the appearance, my companion’s salad didn’t leave that much to be desired. Overall, the experience at Gorilla Burger was unique, and they shouldn’t have to worry about finding their own niche in this specific market, because, simply put, they offer a better product than their competition.

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