My two boys, Franco and Turo, are foodies who love to eat and discover dining places. Turo told me recently about a new burger place at the Petron station outside our village. My immediate thought, wow, another strong temptation.
I love burgers with a passion. Every time I see a sign that says burgers, I stop and try the burger.

I classify burgers into two —Pinoy and American. Jollibee, Tropical Hut and Barneys are samples of Pinoy burgers. The patties are like viands which you can eat with rice.

But not so for American burgers. They’re almost bland and wouldn’t work with rice. I believe an American burger’s attraction is in the combination of bread, mayo, veggies, and the simple, pure taste of beef.

How I appreciate both styles of burgers depends on my mood. Once in a while I crave for a Jollibee Double Yum without cheese, a Big Mac, a Double Whopper from Burger King, or I would drive all the way to Century City Mall for The Beef.

After the Toronto Raptors’ depressing loss to the Golden State Warriors, Turo took me to Pops Beyond Better Burgers to cheer me up. I ordered a simple burger without cheese, while Turo chose the cheeseburger.

When it comes to burgers, you’ll know if you like it or not on the first bite. If you leave and you’re still thinking about it the next day, then that becomes encoded in your memory as a future craving.
As soon as I saw the burger, it reminded me of the new craze in town, Shake Shack, whose first store at Bonifacio Global City has long
lines of people waiting for their turn in the unbearable heat outside. I have never tried Shake Shack here or abroad. But I’ll get there, soon.

Pops looked like a no-frills, straightforward burger. After taking a photo for my Instagram, I took a huge bite. It was love at first bite. This is my type of American burger— crunch in the lettuce, juice in the tomato, homemade-taste mayo, and all-beef flavor in the patty. Yum! The size is perfect—hindi nakaka-guilty, unless you eat two pieces.

With such pleasant discovery, how else can I take it a notch higher: grill the top bread to add another layer of heat, crunch and texture to this delicious burger. That’s what I’ll request next time, which might be today.

But as the saying goes, sorry not sorry. I have another go-to burger place and it’s just outside the village.

Check it out!

Pops Beyond Better Burgers, G/F, Petron gas station, Katipunan Avenue corner Mangyan Road, Quezon City

Sandy’s Food Tours: Hokkaido, July 3-8; Fukuoka/Hiroshima/Osaka, Oct 20-25; Korea, Nov 4-9; Hokkaido, Dec 4-9