Pops Beyond Better Burgers: A Burger Joint in Quezon City Hidden in a Gas Station and Serving Thick Burgers
Smash burgers are now dominating the burger scene in Metro Manila. I’m not surprised by this phenomenon because when done right, the patties are crisp yet still juicy. And I’m proud to say that I’m a convert!
But in a world of smash burgers, I sometimes crave for thick and juicy patties. Thankfully, there’s Pops Beyond Better Burgers.
Hidden in a gas station in Katipunan Avenue (Quezon City), Pops Beyond Better Burgers is a family-run business owned by three sisters whose parents help with the management. So yes, their pops is involved.
I learned about Pops Beyond Better Burgers through Chef Tatung Sarthou, the man behind Simpol.ph and the MICHELIN-selected Lore. He liked the burgers of Pops. So did I like it as well?
Let’s start with a classic, the Smokehouse. It’s a bacon cheeseburger with Angus beef patties.
The patty is thick and juicy, while the bun is soft. Both the bacon and the veggies add crispness, and it reminds me of Dunkin’s BLT sandwich, which I love.
Another burger is the Pops No. 5, which has truffle cream sauce and shoestring onions.
The shoestring onions are crunchy and naturally sweet. But if combined with the patty, it can be a tad salty (good thing we had it separated). I also couldn’t taste the truffle. So I suggest to stick with the classic.
You can bundle your burger with either fries or shoestring onions and an iced tea. While the fries could be crisper, the iced tea has a nice tea flavor.
Pops also serves Beignets. To the uninitiated, beignets are square-shaped, deep-fried, doughnut-like pastries. It’s covered with powdered sugar and also popular in New Orleans.
Pops’ version is dense, chewy, and rightly sweet. I’m not able to tell if it’s authentic but I find it interesting.
Before I forget, let me just say that pops and his wife are so warm and friendly. In fact, the wife sat down to chat with us, while pops encouraged us to give feedback about their food (and we did for the Pops No. 5, and we hope they’ll improve it).
Anyway, Pops Beyond Better Burgers make old-fashioned, thick burgers. If you’re not into smash burgers (but why? LOL) or want to take a break for it, then Pops is your place to be. I recommend it to you!
Pops Beyond Better Burgers
Address: Petron Square, Katipunan Ave., Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines | Operating Hours: Daily, 11AM-9PM | Contact No.: 0977-8097979 | Facebook | Instagram