Burger Hub Review: Take Two

Exactly one year ago I wrote a rather long, rather thorough review of the Burger Hub in Kuwait City. In that review, I presented a point-by-point assessment of what I considered to be constructive criticism for a place that showed a tremendous amount of potential, but that I thought just missed the mark in a few key areas. Well, after hearing from several people that they had really improved, I decided to go back yesterday with some friends to try it again. And I am really glad I did.

First off, they now have outside seating which is really nice (although it's too hot to enjoy right now). It helps take care of some of the space issues (in my last review I mentioned that the bar wasted a lot of space that could otherwise be used for seating). Also, this time the bar seemed smaller than before. I'm not sure what they did differently but the interior space seemed better coordinated. Anyway, on to the important issues.

The service was a drastic improvement. The staff was friendly, efficient, and seemed to really care about the place, which is important. Our waiter was named Reagan, and if I'm not mistaken he was the same man I mentioned at the end of my review from last year who I really liked - and he was great this time too. The rest of the waiters this time were also excellent.

Another major improvement I noticed was with regard to their branding. I'm still not thrilled with their logo, but they have since changed their placemats, menus, etc. The placemats and take-out boxes are really nice. The menu still has a few type-o's and seems to have been done more haphazardly than the other printed items, but it is still a dramatic improvement from last year.* And the clipboard (to which each menu is attached) is a nice touch. The new branding materials finally standardize the colour scheme and create a single identity concept across the board. Oh, and the English text has been edited!

And the most significant improvement: the food. Our food this time was excellent. The meat was much better than it was last year, as was the bread. I can't remember the name of the burger that I ordered but it came from the "classics" section and had mushrooms in it. Overall, I would say that the burger was one of the best I've tasted in Kuwait. If you read my review from last year, you'll notice that's a major change in perspective on my part!

There were still some aspects of the interior design that I wasn't to keen on (i.e. the textured walls and the porcelain eyesore in the toilet), but now that there were so many other improvements, they were barely noticeable to me. It just goes to show that a little extra added effort here and there can create a dramatic overall effect. I loved all their different serving dishes, which I didn't mention last time. I'm not sure how many of them are new and how many were used last year as well, but when you're otherwise happy - with good service, good food, and a music volume that is satisfying to the eardrums - you become more inclined to notice the positives.

I must doff my hat to the guy(s?) who run this place. I have no idea whether or not they read my review from last year, but it seems like they really identified some of the areas that needed improvement, and worked on them. From what I hear, the place is always crowded, and I'm really happy about that. And once again, I must mention that I am really proud of the fact that this place is a homegrown private venture done by young Kuwaitis who decided to risk it all and go their own way. In a country that is so totally franchise-obsessed, I absolutely love seeing local businesses like this succeed. Now that there are quite a few small places like this opening, I think I will officially boycott anywhere that is a non-local establishment (except Johnny Rockets of course).

Kudos, Burger Hub people, whoever you are!

* Update: The menu has also changed since I wrote this post and it is yet another major improvement. It looks much better now, and goes well with the rest of the printed stuff. (Oct. 9, 2007)