There are many places to get burgers in Fukuoka so you may be asking what makes this place special. Well while many burger joints are great in their own respect, many miss the mark on what makes this deceptively simple American bread and meat combination classic great.
US Burger offers a variety of no-nonsense gourmet hamburgers that strike up vivid visions of Route 66 upon sinking your teeth in and if you listen carefully you may hear the solitary note of a lonesome coyote in the distance even way out here in the Far East.
The flagship burger is 120 grams of 100% USDA chuck/brisket mix coarsely ground patty laying on a specially made California style bun with lettuce and tomato with a choice of the house made BBQ sauce, Heinz ketchup, French’s mustard and Best Foods mayo. All in all reminiscent of an In-N-Out burger which makes perfect sense as owner Jim is a recent Long Beach transplant who is on a mission to share the food and, “Bring the So-Cal burger culture” he grew up with.
The menu is pretty straightforward with the main options being a basic or double burger. You can dress these up with cheddar cheese (¥150), fried egg (¥150), grilled mushrooms and onions (¥150) or with a couple of slices of the homemade cured and smoked black pepper/maple bacon (¥250). The bacon is legit, brined and smoked in-house and you would be foolish to pass it up. Sides include fries (¥250) and a family recipe coleslaw (¥250). Every item on the menu is made in-house.
Jim doesn’t come from a food industry background which makes his knack for culinary matters all the more impressive. He comes from a tech background but don’t let that fool you, this guy knows his stuff. His former career demanded that he bounce around the U.S and along the way he got a full education of American regional cuisine. Besides the hamburgers, he is often riffing with Texas, Georgia and Kansas styles of BBQ and will often have many off-menu items which you can find out about on the Instagram page (usburgerdaimyo). Constantly playing with what’s available and importing what is not, expect goodies such as BBQ ribs, smoked brisket, pulled pork sandwiches, cupcakes, Italian sausage sandwiches and all sorts of other mouthwatering treats to pop up every now and then based solely on the whim of the house wizard.
US Burger has only been open for a little over a year yet it is gaining well deserved recognition for what it’s producing. Jim offers a great product made from quality ingredients, keeps things eco by trying to produce as little waste as possible and manages to keep the price tag down to a number you just can’t argue with.
*Prices to change from Oct. 1, 2019 following tax increase
