Korea does Korean food well. That’s a given. However, when it comes to Western food, they often miss the mark. While I spend most of my days enjoying various traditional Korean foods, I occasionally need a little taste of home.
Living in Seoul, it seems like I don’t need to go far to find a fast food restaurant. Burger King, McDonald’s, KFC, Subway and Pizza Hut can all be easily found here (though I’d most definitely welcome a Wendy’s). Korea’s own burger restaurant, Lotteria, can be hit or miss. My first impression of the restaurant, years ago, was that it was bordering on being inedible. However, they have continually been upgrading their menu, and I find myself enjoying it much more.
But sometimes I crave a nice juicy, hand-pressed burger. I have been disappointed so many times by places that slather on way too much sauce, use odd condiments, or cook the burger until it resembles a dry hockey puck.
Today, we are checking out ‘Yankee’s Burger’ (양키스 버거). The restaurant has various locations throughout Seoul. For this video, we visited the Apgujeong Rodeo Street location.
First impressions
The restaurant is quite small, with limited seating. There is a nice large window with stools, which is perfect for getting a little sunshine on a nice summer’s day. The interior is very hipsterish, and the staff is young. Rap music plays in the background, which seems to fit the vibe of the restaurant well.
I observed a couple utilize valet parking before entering the restaurant. However, since I took public transportation, I don’t know much about this. But it might be an option for anyone looking to drive there.
The Menu
The menu is pretty simple. It has burgers, pizza, drinks, and a few other appetizers. The beer menu looked nice with domestic beer on tap, and various foreign beers being sold in bottles. I absolutely had to have a Sam Adam’s to start my meal.
In all, we tested three different hamburgers, the chili cheese fries, a Meatholic pizza, and two beers.
See my full review and find out more about the menu by watching this video!:
The Food
We started our meal with three different burgers. Each burger had a unique flavor profile. Each burger came on a toasted bun served with various toppings, and side of jalapeno peppers.
The Rodeo Burger came topped with fresh vegetables, as well as mac and cheese. This was the ultimate comfort food. The mac and cheese combined with the hamburger was a true treat. This is hangover food at its finest.
The Mullae burger came topped with mushrooms, truffle oil, and a slice of salami. While the Rodeo Burger might appeal the my inner child, the Mullae Burger appeals to my desire to be fancy.
The chili cheese burger comes topped with…well, chili and cheese! While this burger was nice, I would recommend just getting the chili cheese french fries, and pairing it with one of the other burgers.
Finally, we ordered up one of their 13 inch pizzas. We went with the Meatholic which came topped with pulled pork, taco meat, and arugula. Getting a pizza at a burger place might lead you to think it would be subpar, but I was pleasantly surprised. Dipping it in the tomato sauce adds a whole other level of flavor. As someone who loves dipping sauces, I was a happy camper with this sauce. I would be sure to order up an extra portion so I could slather on that sauce nice and thick.
The Verdict
After trying the Rodeo Burger, the Mullae Burger, and the chilli cheese burger, I was stuffed! All of the burgers were hot, juicy, and served on a delicious bun.
If I were to come back and had to choose just one burger to eat, I would probably go with the Mullae burger. The saltiness of the thin slice of salami, mixed with the cool mayonnaise and truffle oil set this burger apart. Combine it with a side of chili cheese fries and an ice cold beer, and you have a great meal that won’t break the bank.
I would definitely also come back for the pizza! While this place is known as a burger joint, I would argue that they might even do pizza better than their own signature dish! The dipping sauce was the perfect topping.
In Conclusion
Yankee’s Burger is a small restaurant, but they are serving big flavors. Is it the best hamburger in Korea? You’ll have to be the judge of that. I would certainly put it toward the top of the list. Be sure to check them out the next time you’re in the Apgujeong area!
Address: 662-14 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
Tastes Seoul Good 
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