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[title]What the Burger is one of the fastest-growing favorites among fans of artisanal fast food in Buenos Aires. It was born in 2023, driven by two friends passionate about specialty coffee, and within a few months they managed to open their second location in Belgrano — at Ciudad de la Paz 2322 — where it is already being talked about as one of the best burgers in the city. In fact, it appears on our list of the most outstanding burgers. What makes it so special? We reveal it to you in this article.
How did What the Burger start?
What the Burger opened in November 2023 in the southern suburbs of Greater Buenos Aires. “We decided to start a burger business because whenever we could, we went to try the entire menu at every new place,” explains Ezequiel, one of the founders. The first location was in Quilmes, the hometown of one of the partners. “It was a very small spot, delivery and take-away only, which gave us a lot of experience through trial and error,” he says. Later, the opportunity arose to open in Belgrano. “It was an immediate boom,” summarizes Ezequiel about the growth of the project.
What is What the Burger’s burger like?
The burger is 100% artisanal. “From the first bite, you realize our burger is something different: the flavor is unique, thanks to the bread made daily without additives, and we also make all our own sauces,” details Ezequiel.
The meat also has its secret: a specific cut. “It’s a blend of tapa de asado and grain of pecho. The tapa de asado consists of two parts — the leaner tapa and the fattier grain of pecho. We only season the meat with salt, no other spices,” he explains.
“Our burger is made with tapa de asado and grain of pecho”
The bread is one of the product’s pillars and is baked daily. “Our bread is made entirely with natural ingredients, no additives whatsoever. Baking is done in batches according to sales and time of day. The bread is based on eggs, flour, and milk — it’s a butter brioche. We try to do everything genuinely,” explains Alejandro Cichero, chef at What the Burger.
What makes their dressings and sauces different?
One of the most distinctive points is their dressings, crafted from a more gastronomic perspective rather than typical fast food. “They are approached like sauces, not just burger dressings, but more like emulsions. They are lactoneses, made with milk, for safety and smoothness. Some are completely made by us, like the mushroom sauce, which uses grilled portobello mushrooms that are then emulsified,” explains the chef.
“Some sauces are treated as emulsions rather than typical burger dressings”
They also work with a line of traditional dressings, which “have a slight intervention from us regarding the sauces,” he adds. This is the case with the barbecue sauce. “We modify a ketchup base. We make an aromatic mirepoix. To these caramelized vegetables, we add a bit of brown sugar and flambé them with whiskey. When the flame goes out, we add the ketchup, and from this intervention comes our barbecue sauce. I don’t like to call it homemade, but it is certainly artisanal,” Alejandro details.
The vegetables also follow the freshness logic
“The vegetables are the traditional ones like lettuce and tomatoes, but the difference is that we cut them fresh on the spot, which totally impacts the product’s freshness,” Cichero notes. Regarding pickles, they use a particular technique: “Our pickles are fresh, not preserved. They are used the same day or the next day,” explains the What the Burger chef and clarifies: “The preparation is very similar to sushi pickling. The cucumber is sliced very thin, equal parts water, sugar, and vinegar are used. When it boils, the cucumber is added off the heat and left to sit for two hours. So, when you bite, it’s not too vinegary. It’s quite mild.”
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Haven’t tried What the Burger yet? If you love artisanal burgers, this is your next stop. Homemade bread, fresh ingredients, and sauces you won’t find anywhere else. Stop by their Belgrano location and find out why everyone is talking about these burgers.