Misk Eats: MBH Hamburgueseria Lisboa

Munch along with us in our first edition of Misk Eats, where we share our Lisbon food experiences with you and give honest opinions.

To kick things off we embarked on a meat fest at one of the hottest new restaurants in town.

Today was a special day indeed. Not only did I get to try a brand new restaurant (which always fills me with much joy), I also got to try a restaurant that I had heard great things about all the way across the pond in Argentina.

Yes, MBH Hamburgueseria is a burger restaurant chain from Buenos Aires, where I happened to be living last year. Among the storm of succulent steak (and continuous meat sweats) that is life in Argentina, competition to provide the best burger in one of the world’s largest and most carnivorous cities was rife. And while I managed a fair few, I regrettably never made it to MBH (I was a bit beefed-out, naturally, by the end of my stay). However, now Argentina has come to us – literally, since the meat, two of the three chefs, and the waiters are all Argentine. This place is the real deal.

Check out that real Argentine meat.

The restaurant itself is simple – minimalist black interior with raised tables and stools, windows and doors open onto the street, and a TV playing short clips of what can only be described as burger porn. I came hungry, and thank god I did. While the chain is definitely Argentine at heart, the menu consists of a wide range of burgers, all neatly named after our very own bairros here in Lisbon. After much debate I opted for the 'Graça' burger (€10.20) – brie, rocket and caramalised onions is a combination I find hard to turn down – and discovered to my delight that all the burgers come with chips. For an extra euro you can change your regular fries to sweet potato fries, or for a couple more you can try some of their crazy chips oozing in cheese and even Bourbon (€4.50). I decided to keep it nice and simple – I know what I want.

Action shot. Cutlery was needed.

We waited in anticipation, sipping a large glass of their tasty homemade lemonade, until finally the burgers arrived. The mere size of them is impressive and, accompanied by a very sizeable portion of rustic homemade fries, made for some serious salivating action. The fries deserve a special mention, as I couldn't stop repeating to my friend throughout the meal. My regular fries were fantastically crispy, salted to perfection and came in all shapes and sizes. To go with them was a portion of creamy rather pungent aioli mayonnaise. My friend ordered the sweet potato fries which, I have to say, were second-best to mine (I reluctantly shared a few of my regulars with her).

Another popular choice, the 'Campo de Ourique'

And now for the main event: the burger itself. In true Argentine style, I’d requested my meat to be cooked ‘a punto’ (nice and pink). Indeed, the meat was juicy and medium-to-rare, although it definitely could have been rarer in my humble yet expert opinion. The layer of brie melted on top of the meat added a nice touch of saltiness which was complemented by the generous portion of sweet onions. The burger bun was not bad, but the star of the show for me was the flavour combination within the burger itself, as well as those crunchy, crunchy fries (mmmm…). My friend ordered the 'Chiado' (€12.50), which comprised of bacon, burger, and American burger cheese (you know the type) but was nonetheless a tatsy meat fest. This particular burger was accompanied by an enormous bowl of powerful Jack Daniels dip - slightly too strong for one o'clock in the afternoon - that rather overpowered the other flavours of her burger, but then again, me and Jack Daniels aren't particular friends.

Top: 'Chiado' with sweet potato fries. Bottom: 'Graça' with normal fries.

Sadly I had neither time nor stomach space for dessert, but I hope to return at some point. All in all, I had a positive experience and my burger craving has been satisfied at least for little while, until my return.

We suggest you go check out this place for yourself, and let us know your thoughts. Our new mission is to try a burger from each bairro and find out the best once and for all (then quite possibly explode).

Our rating: 8/10

Burgers range from €8.90-€13

Classic lemonade €2

Photos taken from MBH Hamburgueseria Lisboa's Instagram, or taken by us.

Blog post by Vicky Morrison, our Misk intern and certified food fanatic (otherwise known as @fatvicks).