Strasbourg (2025) | apples-burger-blog

Starling Burgers

7 rue Hannong, Strasbourg

Purpose: Burger Assessment
Good for: Clubby vibes
Verdict: The place looks more like a cocktail bar than a burger joint, which is fine if a bit disconcerting when you first enter and think you're in the wrong kind of Hamburg district, but with 12 craft beers on tap it's also good. Second shock, you can't add cheese to a normal burger, which is bizarre. Bacon yes, avocado yes (yeuch!), but not cheese. Once I was over that, and had the hamburger, I found that the patty is good, nice cook (medium, because it's France, so still pink) and good beef taste, well-seasoned - unfortunately a bit lost in parts because the pickles, tomato and sauce overwhelm it, and others because the patty is smaller than the bun. The bun itself was too dry, even after soaking up sauce and meat juices. Chips a bit underdone for me, but come with a choice of sauce, I didn't ask for additional ketchup and mayo, probably not allowed..... Massive amount of toothpicks available with the napkins, probably for the seeds in the bun, which I appreciated as I have an annoying missing filling gap. Not the most auspicious start for my Grande Est burger tasting.
Burger: Fixed
Cost: £££

77 Grand'Rue Strasbourg, 67000

Purpose: Burger Assessment
Good for: Friendliness
Verdict: In a total volte face from Starling, this location resembled the canteen from Space 1999, but really chilled - one for the oldies out there - and I liked it. Unfortunately the food didn't work for me as well as the decor. The bread resembles football burger buns, and not toasted, so obviously a disappointment from bite one. Very cheesy around the edges, much better when you get a mouthful of everything where the pickles, sauce and lettuce balance it out, albeit to the detriment of the meat which looked good but failed the flavour test except when a bit unadulterated by the additions slipped by, in which case it wax really nice. A case of the sum being worse than the parts. Decent fries and a reasonable beer/wine/cocktail list mean a missed opportunity. I'd have given it two stars but for the staff.
Burger: Not a tribute to burgerdom.
Cost: £££

38 Quai des Bateliers, 67000

Purpose: Burger Assessment
Good for: Commercial organic
Verdict: Curiously, or not, this was the most like a chain burger joint, despite the organic nature. It was also close to being the best. Not much on the alcohol front, a couple of beers in bottles, unusual for France. The fries were pretty ordinary - it takes skill to cook potato so badly, soggy and largely burnt, so bad kudos for that. What happened to crispy French Fries? The burger is good though, despite the patty being lopsided, thicker one side than the other, and having no char from the clamshell grill it still had some flavour and was Juicy enough, with pinkness in the middle. The bun was pretty good, toasted and lasted well if a bit big for the single patty. Tomato and lettuce a bit cold, which transferred to the overall impact, but were fresh and the burger sauce was very good, sweet without being overly so. The cheese was just about adding something around the edges. On the whole, the burger was good, fries not, which is pretty much a standard of my visit - PNY excepted.
Burger: Bio good.
Cost: £££

19 Quai des Pêcheurs, 67000

Purpose: Burger Assessment
Good for: Smash
Verdict: Selection of artisanal beers and wine in three colours (no orange), so drinks covered, next to the Ill river so having one small table inside isn't a problem unless it's raining. As it wasn't, we ate outside, hence the scenic picture looking to Church of Saint-Étienne. Fries the same as other places, i.e. not French Fries, or maybe les nouvelle Frites Français, either way they are definitely not pour moi. Burger exactly as described, smashed to within a centimetre of its life with crispy edges and good fatty taste, possibly the first one that overlapped the edge of the bun. Very cheesy with a good house sauce, red onions and pickles in a solid potato bun. Tres gout.
Burger: Banging
Cost: ££