Boss Burger: Generous in size, big on taste and sauce

We cannot ignore the birth of so called burger stands and restaurants. While still on the subject, how about chains such as McDonalds, Burger King and Wendy’s, to mention just a couple?

We cannot escape the fact that the hamburger is firmly rooted in the American culinary lifestyle, while here in Uganda, chicken in the fast food genre, reigns supreme.

However, it is gratifying to know that for the last couple of years, Boss Burger has been around and truth be told, we wonder why we do not have more strictly burger joints in town, as is the case in America.

Many of you may be curious about the origin of this much loved and typical American ground meat mainstay that has become one of the towering hallmarks of American cuisine.

Merchants of the German port of Hamburg, through centuries of trade with Estonians, Latvians and Finns, had acquired the Baltic taste for scrapped raw beef.

But it was not until the St Louis World’s Fair, in 1904 that broiled (cooking meat by direct heat), burned beef was introduced to the rest of the world by the German émigrés of South St Louis, as hamburger. Lo and behold! Americans were sold lock stock and barrel and it caught like a wildfire.

For a bustling people constantly on the go, the burger offered a combination of convenience, economy and tasty nourishment that seemed to be exactly just what the doctor ordered.

As a matter of fact, in case you have ever wondered the origin of the name Salisbury Steak (in essence a much souped-up glorified typed of hamburger), that harks back to the end of the century London physician, Dr J H Salisbury, who invented a regimen based on broiled, lean, minced beef, three times a day.

Unfortunately, nowadays it would appear, many of our middle class Ugandan children, not to mention their counterparts worldwide, are unconsciously fans of the good doctor’s diet to the point that they will eat nothing else. This reminds me of what one frustrated mother we know has dubbed it “the daily grind.”

Burrowing a leaf from the American scenario, the powers that be, who own Boss Burger, saw an opportunity and started the Boss Burger, an elegant, but simple eatery, with a brief menu that allows for much appreciated consistency, quick service and simplicity.

The real deal here are burgers that are generous in size and taste. For non- beef eaters, I recommend The Enkoko BOSS, which comprises the double fried chicken patty, with spicy honey garlic and ruby red slaw, plus jalapeno.

There is also the double chicken filet aka The Enkoko zingy with lemon garlic and olive oil fried with peri peri seasoning.

All their burgers are served with authentic French fries, which are seldom served at eateries in Kampala. Originally from France and Belgium, they are crispy, thin and elongated and done properly. They will remain crispy even when they become cold. 

The secret to making good burgers is to ensure that the minced beef is of top quality and above all, contain no more than 30 percent fat or gristle.

With a good burger patty in place, what makes the Boss Burger stand out is the unique and flavourful sauce, which varies from a fiery jalapeno number, to a mild sauce with pickles and cheddar cheese, as well as the red coleslaw.

Place: Boss Burger

Address: Park Royal, opposite Watoto Church & Senana Building

Smoke-Free Zone: Not allowed

Service: Good and friendly 

Ambience: Cool, simple and trendy. 

Open: Monday to Saturday from morning to 7pm. Closed on Sunday

Menu: Big Boy Boss, Enkoko Boss, Cheese Boss, Enkoko, Veggie Boss, Enkoko Boss Bites.

Recommended item: The French fries 

The Crowd: Middle class Ugandans who enjoy eating burgers 

The Bar: Mineral water

The damage: Shs50,000 would get you by with your partner

Sound level: Good

Rating: Worth a visit

Parking: Available and secure 

RATINGS: Not to be missed, worth a visit, OK/so so, don’t waste your time.