SPOT.ph Roadtest: Is MrBeast's Smashed Burger Worth the Hype?

(SPOT.ph) Smashed burgers aren't exactly a new food trend. The flattened, crispy burger patties have been a thing in other parts of the world for a few years now, and we in the Philippines are finally getting our fair share of the action. In the last months, more brands—both local and international—have come in with their own takes on the smashed burger concept. The latest one is MrBeast Burger, an American burger chain founded by content creator Jimmy Donaldson (a.k.a. MrBeast), which landed on our shores with as much buzz as you'd imagine the YouTube giant to get. 

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Here's what we think of burger shop MrBeast's Burger:

Tasting notes

We got to try three of MrBeast's burgers: the Chandler Style (P365), Karl's Deluxe (P245), and the most expensive à la carte item on the menu, the Chris Style (P430). For the uninitiated, these burgers are named after Donaldson's childhood friends who are part of the MrBeast crew.

The Chandler Style burger is MrBeast's version of the classic cheeseburger. It's nothing too complicated when it comes to anatomy and flavors, but it does come with heft as it uses two of its signature crisp patties. All in all, the burger was as you'd expect it; the only way it deviates from the good standard is with it being on the heftier side of the patty spectrum. Our taste buds were more impressed by Karl's Deluxe flavors and the Chris Style's weight.

When we opened the box of MrBeast's Karl's Deluxe, the inverted buns gave us a bit of a "Hhmmm" moment. Apart from the visual, the buns' placement don't alter the burger-eating experience at all. A good thing, since we were more about the added flavor thanks to the caramelized onions than the look of it. This was definitely a step up from the Chandler Style flavor-wise. 

As for the Chris Style burger, the heaviest of the three (both for the gut and the wallet), well, we'd rank it above the Chandler Style, too, if only in terms of taste. It's essentially a classic Chandler Style, only this time they've put in crisp bacon and seasoned crinkle fries. Definitely get this one if it's heft you're into. There's more texture, more flavor, and it's more bang for your buck since a separate order of fries costs P165.

Accessibility and price

MrBeast Burger operates in cloud kitchens. This means they don't have a physical store where you can order in person, grab a table and chair, and wolf down their signature burgers. You can get your hands on the burgers by ordering them for delivery, exclusively via GrabFood, from their cloud kitchens based in Makati and Malate. 

While that sounds accessible, there is this small downside: you have to take into consideration that ordering on a whim does not automatically mean you'll receive the MrBeast burgers on the same day you punch an order in via the app. Seeing as they only launched on March 22, a few days ago, expect at least a day of waiting for your advance order on the GrabFood app. Note that availability and price may change depending on your location.

Based on the GrabFood app, which we used to order from and to within Makati City, the Chandler Style costs P365, Karl's Deluxe costs P245, and the Chris Style costs P430. 

Final verdict 

MrBeast's smashed burgers are standard examples of what smash burgers should be. They've got the crisp-burnt-edge patties down, well, pat; a good mix of garnishes; quality buns; and the added bonus of three options depending on how sinful you want to get. That said, they don't exactly revolutionize the smashed-burger scene in Manila. If all you want is something hearty to fill an empty hole inside, you can take a look at the rather sparse number of burger joints offering smash burgers in Metro Manila—see MrBeast's Karl's Deluxe or Chris Style among the options—and be assured that those can get that job done.

For delivery orders, find MrBeast on GrabFood. For more information, check out MrBeast Burger's Facebook page.

UPDATE (May 31, 2023, 6:07 p.m.): The Jollibee Group has reached out requesting to have the term smash burger edited to smashed burger to avoid confusion with the restaurant of the same name as the former. The article has been updated to reflect this development.

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