Cheap Burger: Old-School Burgers With Handmade Double Patties in Serangoon

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For those of us who still fondly remember days gone by when McDonald’s used Styrofoam boxes for their takeaway burgers, this humble stall located in Serangoon will bring back a flood of memories.

Tucked away in a coffeeshop along Owen Road, Cheap Burger offers exactly what its name says: cheap burgers that are comforting, hearty and delicious to the last bite.

It’s one of those coffee shops that residents of the area frequent, but everyone else wouldn’t have noticed. I’m glad I found out about it, though with the current COVID-19 situation, it’ll be a while until I get to try it again since I don’t stay around the area.

Let’s dive right into the burgers, because simple, no-frills stalls like this are all about what’s important—the food.

The menu is rather straightforward. Burgers are priced from S$2.50, and you can also add on fries for S$1. Each burger already comes with two juicy patties, but if you’re feeling particularly hungry, you can add on extra patties for S$2 each. A la Carte Fries will set you back S$2.

I ordered four burgers in total to share, and one packet of fries.

The first burger I bit into was the Luncheon Meat Burger (S$2.50/a la carte, S$3.50/with fries). Initially, I thought the patties would simply be slabs of luncheon meat.

I was pleasantly surprised by my first bite. Each patty was made of diced luncheon meat stir-fried with egg! This definitely added some bite to the patty. The burger also came with fresh coleslaw as the vegetable component, which I actually enjoyed—despite not usually being a fan of coleslaw.

Bits of onion were also embedded within the patty, adding crunch and zing. The buns were your regular hamburger buns, but that really just added to the nostalgia factor.

For something meatier, I went for the Beef Burger (S$4/a la carte, S$5/with fries). One bite, and I’m sure I wouldn’t be able to enjoy other machine-made patties the same way ever again.

Bits of onion and carrot can be found within the patty, adding sweetness and crunch. I liked that the patties are irregularly-shaped—an indication that it’s handmade—and how the meat isn’t uniformly minced. Most meat patties have a rather soft texture, but Cheap Burger doesn’t just use finely-minced meat, so I could actually taste leaner parts and fattier parts of the patty.

Taste-wise, there wasn’t much difference compared to the Pork Burger (S$3/a la carte, S$4/with fries). Both came with a fried egg, but the pork patties were a lot softer. With less of a bite, this is up to personal preference. I found the pork patty lighter on the palate and less filling altogether, though equally delicious.

Since the patties were a little lighter, I could taste the cheese more distinctly. It wasn’t anything fancy—probably sliced cheese that you can find in supermarkets—but the cheese tied the burger together neatly, and added that bit of “comfort food” taste that only ordinary, melted cheese can give.

If you’re the type who can’t decide what to have, you can get the best of both worlds with the Mix Burger (S$4/a la carte, S$5/with fries). You’ll get to choose two different patties in the same burger. I initially wanted to try the fish patty, but unfortunately, they were sold out.

I ended up getting a chicken patty and a beef patty. I found that I actually liked this combination more than the Beef Burger which came with two beef patties. Much as I enjoy a good hefty burger, two thick beef patties meant that the burger got a little heavy on the palate.

The chicken patty was handmade as well, and superbly juicy and tender. Again, nothing fancy, but it reminded me of those grilled chicken chop dishes you can find at old-school Western stalls.

Not to forget, the fries were the classic crinkle-cut kind, creamy and firm with the slightest edge of crispiness. It may be basic, but I just couldn’t stop popping these fried potato strips into my mouth.

Cheap Burger certainly lives up to its name, and provides us with a delicious, affordable meal option—one that brings back nostalgia with every bite.

If you stay around the area, pop down and #tapauplease. In fact, bring some back for the whole family, otherwise you might end up having to share yours.

Expected Damage: S$2.50 – S$5 per pax