LMGPR Burger Battle - Week Three: "Where's the Beef?"

By Michael ErwinThis week's burger battle had SO much potential. We spent the better part of the week drooling over Konjoe's Facebook page loaded with pics of their amazing burgers.When we found out Wednesday was "National Cheeseburger Day," we decided to do our burger battle a day early. We were all very excited!So we made the short trek down to the San Pedro Square Market and lovingly stared at the menu for a good couple of minutes before ordering (click picture to enlarge):

A few minutes later, our heavenly hamburgers arrived:

Bianca's was first to the table and it didn't disappoint. In honor of National Cheeseburger Day, Bianca ordered a basic burger with cheddar, lettuce ,tomato and konjoe sauce.Woody's was up next and raised the bar further:

His was the Shiitake Jack burger with pickled jalapenos and aioli. And Woody ordered a fried egg to top it off!Paul and I each ordered the Pork Belly burger. We had visions of an all-beef patty topped with pork belly for a meaty masterpiece...And then reality set in:"Where's The Beef?"

Turns out Paul and I blew it. Despite being labeled a "burger," this particular "sandwich" did not include a hamburger patty. If you look at the menu above you can see it doesn't include beef, but in our defense, it is conveniently nestled in the middle of the other burgers, leading those unsuspecting patrons at a "burger bar" to believe beef would automatically be included. Our bad.That being said, the Pork Belly sandwich was delicious. If this were a "Pork Pageant," I would have been in "Hog Heaven!" However, since this is a "Burger Battle," the Pork Belly and its $11.50 price tag left Paul and I disappointed and yearning for beef!Woody and Bianca, on the other hand, couldn't stop raving about their burgers. The grass-fed & free range patties were reportedly cooked to perfection, juicy and flavorful. Both said they were the best burgers thus far in the competition and vowed to return.That only made Paul and I feel worse.

One thing we all agreed on, however, were the quality of the buns (tee-hee). Soft, fluffy, fresh, sweet and delicious buns that were reminiscent of Hawaiian Rolls.I look forward to trying them with beef someday.Despite my own personal experience, the Konjoe Burger Bar is definitely worth checking out and highly recommendable.Just ask Woody and Bianca.Next week we're headed to Gordon Biersch.Bon Appetit!