My dad and I have spent the last four and a half years exploring some of the most popular burger joints in the beautiful city of São Paulo, Brazil. We had just relocated, thus making our family focus on adapting to the new lifestyle of an expat. We had to learn Portuguese, move into our new apartment, get settled into our new school, and face so many other challenges.
Despite all this, my dad is super adventurous and wanted to explore the city, plus I had already expressed that I wanted to spend some more “father & son time” with him. Being the brilliant dad he is, he took me to our local burger joint, Bullguer. This was on the 9th of September, 2018. We had such a great time that night, we agreed to start a journey of “Burger Night” together every month at a different location. Since then we have achieved a streak of 56 monthly burger nights.
Every time we go out, we rank our experience with that restaurant from 1 to 5 in three different categories: food quality, service, and atmosphere. We add the scores together and add it to a list to track our favorites.
Here are our top five picks.
5
Tradi is a burger joint known for its delicious, flavorful, and quality burgers. Although it is a great option for last minute dinner, it isn’t a fast food restaurant, so it still allows for the full experience of a sit-down meal. Tradi’s burgers come in larger weights than most, and are able to fill you up while keeping the experience pleasant. They also have a wide variety of appetizers, such as fries, chicken, and many other popular choices.
4
Bullguer is one of the most famous burger chains in the whole of Brazil, and is the perfect option for somebody looking for a quick, delicious, and juicy burger. They have a large range of burger customization options, milkshakes, appetizers, and desserts. They are also well known for their signature sauce, the perfect addition to any kind of food.
3
Fat Cow is one of the more upscale burger restaurants, with a broader range of food other than just sandwiches and burgers. My Dad and I absolutely loved the lobster rolls starter on the menu, and the burgers were near perfect.
2
Buzina uses the freshest ingredients available to create quality burgers. Here we tried the special which was a burger in a black pepper crust - absolutely delicious. Additionally, the staff are super friendly and my Dad said the beers are great too!
1
Our top pick, and a place we consistently return to, is Debetti. What makes it unique is the atmosphere, which is like that of a small town, with live music, a huge variety of different seat types, bars, and a really fun vibe. Debetti started as a butcher, and it shows in the quality and preparation of the meat. My dad and I have had nothing but perfect experiences with this place. The kind staff always acknowledges the special connection between my dad and I, and gives us the best seats in the house for Burger Night. On the first time we went, we even met Mr. Debetti himself, who came to meet us to celebrate our one year anniversary. On top of all this, the burgers melt in your mouth, and all the appetizers, meats, and fries are delicious.
Images provided by Sebastian Millar.