[Review] Zark's Burgers - Iloilo City

The Zark's Stunner Burger - double cheeseburger, double bacon strips, sauteed mushrooms, and caramelized onions.

I know that you can tell based on the previous entry that I have been on a burger binge recently and when I was writing about JD Burger Project, I couldn't help but compare it to one of my favorite local burger chains: Zark's Burgers. Both are more or less on the same level of quality and price point with the biggest difference being that Zark's is already an established chain with a lot of locations nationwide. There's even one just a few hundred meters from my apartment in Quezon City (mostly catering for delivery services since it is just a small kiosk with no dine-in area) and it's also one of my go-to places whenever I'm craving a good burger when I'm in my hometown in Iloilo City.

Since these blog entries/reviews are meant to be a holistic look at a particular food establishment and include location and ambiance, this article specifically refers to Zark's Burger at SM City Iloilo.

This particular branch that I will be talking about is located in SM City Iloilo, which is starting to become a major foodie place what with the opening of several restaurants recently like the new Summer House branch, a new Bread Basket location, and Theo's Restaurant Bakery, just to name a few, and a lot of soon-to-open food establishments that I am eagerly awaiting for, such as a branch of Tong Yang and a new branch of the Japanese restaurant Botejyu. SM City Iloilo is definitely making a comeback as the new foodie center in the city after the devastating effect of the pandemic on some of the food establishments here, some of which have never recovered.

This Zark's location is actually relatively new in SM City Iloilo having transferred from its previous corner location near one of the entrances. The old location used to be more spacious but it was not located in a high foot traffic area so this new place in the middle of the basement of the new wing can be considered as an upgrade. However, what they have gained in foot traffic came at a cost of limited dining floor area. The dining area feels a little bit cramped but that may also be attributed to the layout of the tables and chairs.

They have burgers highlighted front and center in their menu and they stick to their core competency of making delicious burgers. There are still some other menu items and sides but those are obviously not given that much emphasis.

Their staff are very attentive and are there beside you eager to assist when you call for them but they are not overly solicitous (which is great in my opinion). They provide disposable gloves if you want to pick up your burger and chomp away but they also provide a knife and fork. I personally have an unusual way of eating large burgers (like I would eat club sandwiches - I deconstruct them when eating sometimes eating one layer at a time, I know it is weird).

One of the things I have come to love with Zark's is their generous portions. Only getting the burger and drink leaves me very satisfied already and I usually don't order the combo meals with the nachos or fries since that would be too much carbs for me. I like that they provide mayo, ketchup, and yellow mustard in squeeze bottles and not those small packets that you need to keep badgering the staff to give you more. The mustard and the ketchup are at the table from the start but I think they do not have enough mayonnaise bottles so you do have to ask for it when you order. Some limited customization can be done but it is only in the form of additional beef patty, additional bacon, and up-sizing the sides and drinks for the combo meal. It is also worth highlighting the quality of their buns. It is soft, airy, and chewy just the way I like it and it has been toasted slightly presumably in a flat griddle so that the bread doesn't come off as soggy. The beef patties are really good tasting too. They are satisfyingly juicy and greasy but in a good way - if that makes sense - I do not know how else to describe it.

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Food: 7/10

Location: 8/10

Ambiance: 7/10

Value for money: 7/10

Service: 8/10

Overall: 7.4/10

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