Burger Rebel – Dubai

Tucked away in a corner of the popular Souk Al Bahar is the rebellious Burger Rebel.

We hadn’t heard much about this home grown burger joint until recently, despite their doors being opened for over a year, but were pleasantly surprised.

Upon entering, you get the feeling that you’re in an industrial warehouse which turns into an artsy workspace for those wanting to get those creative minds going.

From unplastered cement walls and a funky open kitchen, to illicitly painted graffiti and Archie covered seating to the casual workspace (with a bicycle hanging over your shoulder mind you), it is a perfect spot for a rebel that wants to create and innovate.

The place itself has a modern take on a diner.

Perhaps this is the reason why it looked so funky, with soft rock playing in the background.

As soon as we got seated our server gave us a full low down on the most popular items featured on the menu which by the way was on a tablet.

By then we were ready to roar and needed a drink!

Virgin Mojito (left), Vanilla Cream Soda (middle), Renegade Smoothie (right)

Our server brought a Virgin Mojito which turned out to be an average tangy juice.  Although it was cool and refreshing in Dubai’s blistering summer, it unfortunately left a sour after-taste.

We then decided to give the Vanilla Cream Soda a go.  It was an exciting concept based on a measured proportion of vanilla ice cream mixed in coca cola. Frankly we haven’t come across this drink anywhere else in Dubai and it proved to be a delight to the palate, I would definitely come here just for this drink.

Not to ignore the fact that there were several healthy choices on the menu, we also went for a Renegade smoothie which was a mix of orange, kiwi, banana and honey.  Other than the fact that it was made of real fruits, I was ready to move to my starters.

Rebel Wings

These little gems were cheesy chicken wings served with a sweet chili sauce (although in our opinion a little too tangy as a side sauce for this particular dish).

These twice fried beauties have a flawlessly textured skin that yields to a juicy interior, and thoughts of tearing into another one before you’ve even finished the first are not far behind.

Croquettes

Juicy croquettes filled with beef mince and served with their homemade version of Aioli. Tasty and looked appetising, but unfortunately did not hold itself well, being too creamy on the inside.

Once done with the starters we had unfortunately had one of the longest waits experienced at a burger joint.

We realise that they probably wanted to give us a chance to rebuild our appetite, but over half an hour later we had to call our server over and check on the status of our food.

However, the long wait proved to be damn worth it!

Rebel Cobb Salad

While the salad was layered with cherry tomatoes, Monterey jack cheese, avocado, mixed leaves and prawns with mixed vinaigrette, what enticed us was its colorful presentation in a glass jar.

Apart from that, there was nothing to write home about it.

Burger Club

This was your regular burger without everything spilling out – one of our top concerns when grading a good burger.  Stacked pretty high with a juicy, succulent beef patty topped with melted cheese, tomato, lettuce, beef bacon and turkey ham.

The icing was a sunny side up fried egg.

A medium well burger was what we asked for and that was precisely what we got.

Burger Rebel prides itself in making freshly baked buns which are slightly grilled and most importantly do not crumble as you indulge into your burger.

We gotta give them a big thumbs up in getting it right.  Whilst the burger came with their freshly cooked fries (not from a frozen bag mind you) we were keen to try out our server’s recommendation of beetroot chips.  Hand cut and cooked in house these were an absolute delight.  Having never tried beetroot chips, they were cooked to perfect crunchiness.

Now we get to the real business.

For your information a slider is an American term for a small sandwich, typically around 2″ across, served in a bun.

They look somewhat like mini-burgers, and you are served three per order.  We chose two different types, one with ground beef and sliced tenderloin.

Roma Sliders

These were our absolute favorite of all dishes. Sliced and grilled tenderloin layered with lettuce and topped with shaved parmesan.

The flavor was enhanced with balsamic glaze which was an impeccable combination with the tenderloin. What we loved about it was the tenderness and flavor of the meat.

Tijuana Sliders

This was your Latin American version of a slider, a ground beef patty with their own Mexican spices and home-made chipotle mayo.

The proportions of each ingredient in this slider was just right; there was not any one overpowering flavor.  The caramelised onion balanced out the savory taste.

All the food came out at the perfect temperature served on wooden boards and elegantly presented. We were impressed!

Chocolate Fondant

Having spent about two hours at Burger Rebel and indulged in a variety of tasty starters, burger and sliders, there was little space left to try out a dessert.  Nonetheless we decided to be brave and try out the warm chocolate fondant. Again, it was a decision well worth it because the freshly baked chocolate fondant served with three scoops of vanilla ice cream was just what our palate desired.

And to round off a pleasant evening, some tea!