Shades of Shake Shack in Burg
NOSA: I noticed Burg.co when a couple of people on our Twitter timeline were having little debate about Burg blatantly ripping off Shake Shack. Naturally, I had to check the place out and find out for myself.
Stylistic similarities
FOLLY: It's funny cause some people were arguing that it's not similar at all. You have to be blind or a cold faced liar.
NOSA: You’d be a liar if you say Burg.co doesn’t take a lot from Shake Shack. It might not be an outright ripoff, but you can see Burg’s aesthetic is clearly inspired by the American brand. It’s a bit like that Lolavita store in Lekki and Sephora. Personally, I have no strong feelings towards it, but I did find it very strange that a couple Twitter users vehemently denied any similarities between the brands.
FOLLY: I have some strong feelings towards Nigerian brands being over-inspired by foreign brand because there's often the sentiment of "we're in Nigeria they'll never catch me"
NOSA: That said, the branding is fantastic and the space is even better.
FOLLY: The natural light is amazing and I didn't have to make one single edit to the pictures we took here.
NOSA: The whole rustic thing they went for is very Instagram friendly. Don’t be surprised if Burg’s patio becomes the mainland version of the Backyard Swing.
Burg Spike
NOSA: Burg.co is currently running with a very lean launch menu. Just a pair of burgers, a sub, the shakes, and soft serve. I went with a double Burg OG, while Folly went with a single Burg Spike.
FOLLY: The Burg Spike is a spicy burger loaded with jalapenos while the OG is their standard fare.
Our orders
NOSA: I got Burg’s take on loaded fries, the Spiked Fries, while Folly got the regular.
Loaded no more
NOSA: The loaded fries should have been served “horizontally”. In those little boats that Shake Shack uses, perhaps. Serving it like Burg did, meant all the “loadednesss” was restricted and the fries were a bit top heavy.
FOLLY: For example, BBQ & Cravings served theirs on a flat surface so the toppings were spread more broadly.
NOSA: This was further evidenced when Folly knocked my fries over and I lost all the good stuff.
FOLLY: If Burg is going to retain this serving style, they need to toss the fries in the topping before serving it into the paper cup. My friend ordered the same burger as I did, and hers had Cheetos in it and mine had none. I was pretty bummed that the kitchen left it out of mine because given how soft and SPICY (the jalapenos packed a mighty punch), I really wouldn't have minded some crunch from the Cheetos.
Burg OG
NOSA: The burger wasn’t the most photogenic and it’s probably the only time judging a book by its cover yields positive results. Now, it’s not a shit burger. Far from it, actually. it’s just a middling burger. The cheese doesn’t just feel cheap, but it’s largely overwhelming. The bun is soft as a baby’s bum, but the patty is forgettable for the most part.
FOLLY: The cheese was sliced processed cheese and I have many feelings about that being in a N4500 burger. No Bueno.
Pink Lemonade & Oreo Milkshake
NOSA: Given the context, i.e. we’re in Ikeja, this is a fantastic burger and while the price might cause you the raise the eyebrow, you aren’t going to find better in the area.
Now, if you expanded your radius a bit, you’ll find a better and similarly priced burger at Samantha’s Bistro and Temple Cottage
FOLLY: I mentally compared it to BBQ & Cravings throughout my meal and by the end, I was 100% BBQ & Cravings was by far better.
NOSA: You’ll definitely find a cheaper and better burger at BBQ & Cravings. Spending between N3500-N5000 for a burger that comes with no sides is a bit insane. Johnny Rockets gets away with it because their burgers are huge. Burg, on the other hand, serves a regular-sized burger.
What’s really good, though, is the Oreo Milkshake. This one transcends geography and I’m not a milkshake person at all.
POSTSCRIPT
NOSA: Burg.co gets a “Like” from me, but this is greatly influenced by its location. If I lived in Ikeja or anywhere on the mainland, I’m coming here for the burger. But there’s no way in hell I’m driving from Ikoyi to Ikeja for this. Not like I would for BBQ & Cravings anyway.
FOLLY: I liked the space and the burger was good. I would have preferred it with fewer jalapenos and better cheese. The burg sauce was dope, I kept trying to use the bits that squeezed out as a dipping sauce for my fries.
VERDICT
DAMAGE
Burg OG (Double) - N4500
Burg Spike - N4000
Spike Fries - N3000
Salt Fries - N2000
Pink Lemonade - N2500
Oreo Milkshake - N3000
PARKING
Decent off street parking lot available.