Black Tap Singapore: Thick Beef Burgers + Crazy Milkshakes From New York Burger Joint At MBS

If you’re looking for premium burgers and crazy (in a good way) milkshakes, you need look no further than Black Tap Singapore.

Opened in September 2018 at Marina Bay Sands (MBS) Singapore, this New York burger joint is bringing burgers with obscenely thick beef patties and towering milkshakes to us with their first Asia outlet.

Inspired by the greasy burger joints from New York in the ‘50s to ‘80s, Black Tap aims to bring back the nostalgia of the classic burger and shake. Of course, they added a few modern touches, evident in the design of their MBS space.

It is decked in sleek black columns and pseudo-industrial bulbs, adding a touch of elegance to the New York City vibes. With lots of natural light filtering in from the glass ceiling, the restaurant is warm and inviting, but also upscale and trendy.

Now, on to the burgers! At Black Tap, a special blend of chuck and lean brisket is used for their burger patties. It is cooked to medium rare, so that you get a slightly crispy crust while the patty remains juicy.

You know what’s better than just a burger? The Pizza Burger (S$22) from Black Tap — it gives you the best of both worlds.

We had this with regular French Fries to add some carbs to our meaty meal. The mozzarella and tangy tomato sauce, in particular, made the burger taste like a slice of pizza.

The shaved mozzarella didn’t give much of a cheese pull, but it definitely went well with the juicy beef patty. At medium-rare doneness, the thick patty was slightly chewy but still tender.

Don’t worry about getting messy when you’re eating this burger — you’ll want to take a huge bite, and let the juices dribble down.

To cater to local palates, Black Tap has added some Asian flavours to their menu. So, if you’re looking for something other than the usual all-American burgers, then you need to try The Cantonese BBQ Burger (S$24). Served with Sweet Potato Fries (+S$3), an incredibly juicy patty and curls of crispy bacon rested between two fluffy buns.

This uniquely Asian burger came with Cantonese mayo that contained black bean and garlic, which reminded me a little of the typical Chinese stir-fried meat dishes. Sambal BBQ sauce was served on the side, if you’d like more heat with your burger.

What I liked was that the pickle, lettuce and tomato slices came separately, so I could decide how much to add to my burger. The piquant pickle really helped to cut through the heavy meaty burger with its zest, preventing it from being too jelak.

And if you’re at Black Tap, then you definitely have to try their Crazyshakes. Let me tell you, they weren’t exaggerating when they called it ‘crazy’! Each milkshake was an incredible tower of dessert.

We tried three different milkshakes, and the three of us could barely finish one. The Brooklyn Blackout (S$19) has a decadent chocolate shake base, and an astounding amount of chocolate. If the chocolate-frosted rim with mini chocolate chips wasn’t enough, there’s also a mountain of whipped cream and a generous amount of chocolate drizzle.

But the highlight has to be the TWO slices of rich and fudgey brownie that tops the glass. Little wonder then, that the shake was overwhelmingly sweet. I did enjoy hints of bitterness from the brownies to balance out the sweet chocolate shake.

Unfortunately, this is one of those drinks that get really messy, really quickly, when the whipped cream started melting and dripping down the side.

If chocolate isn’t your thing, then maybe The Cakeshake (S$22) will satisfy your sweet tooth. The vanilla frosted rim was encrusted with rainbow sprinkles, and the drink was topped with a funfetti cake slice, whipped cream, more rainbow sprinkles and a cherry.

With all these toppings and the cake batter shake, this drink tasted like happiness from a birthday party. Be warned though, it’ll give you an insane sugar rush if you try to finish it on your own.

I found the sweetness a little overwhelming, because each part of the shake was sweeter than the next.

The prettiest milkshake had to be the Cotton Candy (S$22), which had a strawberry shake base. If you guessed that this drink was topped with cotton candy, you’d be spot on.

Huge clouds of pastel pink and blue cotton candy topped this Instagram-worthy shake, towering over a vanilla-frosted rim adorned with chocolate buttons. There was even a whole lollipop stuck into the drink, with sticks of pink and blue rock candy and lots of whipped cream.

The strawberry shake actually went pretty easy on the sugar, which made this one of the least sweet crazyshakes we tried.

Black Tap also stocks craft beers and they mix up a mean cocktail too, so you can head there for a few after-work drinks and burgers while you’re at it.

If you’re into burgers and milkshakes, then you must try Black Tap Singapore. Bring a few friends, because if the burgers don’t fill you up, then the Crazyshakes surely will.

I’ve made it my life’s mission to try every burger and crazyshake flavour at Black Tap, so I’ll catch you there!

Expected Damage: S$25 – S$50 per pax