I think by now everyone knows I love to try an interesting burger! When I saw the burgers from Karaage Burger on Instagram, I knew it was a place I needed to check out. Unfortunately, I don’t get to San Mateo that often during business hours, but one weekend we were on our way to visit some friends in Santa Cruz, so it seemed like an ideal opportunity to finally stop in and try. It’s a small little restaurant in a strip mall, but the inside had some great artwork, and it really made me eager to get my sandwich.
I wanted to try the Menshi Deluxe ($13), a beef burger with bulgogi and bacon with their special sauce on top. My wonderful dining partner ordered the Tonkatsu Deluxe ($12), a fried pork cutlet with bacon and bulgogi. There is a third option of a chicken sandwich as well, if you prefer. We also decided to get some nori seasoned fries with kewpie mayo on the side ($4). Honestly, everything looked really amazing when it arrived, and I couldn’t wait to dig in.
The burger was definitely tasty! It was fairly well done inside, but as the burger was breaded and deep fried, it definitely held a lot of the juices and was incredibly moist. The bulgogi was a great addition. The Tonkatsu sandwich was also really tasty, very similar to the beef burger as it had similar toppings, but the pork cutlet itself was slightly overdone and a bit chewy. The fries were great, and I think a nori sprinkling on top is a great idea to try at home in the future.
I really enjoyed the food, giving an Asian twist to a classic American staple. They also have an eating contest, if you’re into that sort of thing, eating their massive burger with all three meats, several sides and a milkshake in ten minutes. There were pictures on the wall of all who tried, and most had failed. If I were back in the area, I’d stop back in for a quick lunch as the food was tasty, but I’m not sure I’d go out of my way to come back. But if you have the craving for an unusual Asian influenced burger, Karaage Burger is a pretty great choice!
Score: 4/5
Recommendation: Menshi Deluxe and a side of Nori Fries!
Karaage Burger
670 East 3rd Avenue
San Mateo, CA 94401
