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Restaurant Review: Evans Burger

Evans' burgers are not for the faint of heart. PHOTO: RON BROWNLOW, TAIPEI TIMES

Address: 1F, 27, Ln 13, Pucheng St, Taipei (台北市浦城街13巷27號1F)

Telephone: (02) 2368-2225

Open: Monday through Thursday from 11am to 11pm; Friday and Saturday 11am to midnight

Average meal: NT$100 to NT$350

Details: Chinese and English menu; credit cards not accepted

The note on Evans Burger's business card looked like found poetry, or at least that's how it seemed to me as I was reading it the other night while leaving the restaurant, stomach distended, brain addled from a futile attempt to consume one of the joint's triple-decker super jumbo burgers (NT$350).

"Stop abusing your stomach if you are hungry!" the card read. "It may need a Caesar salad. A big hamburger and even Buffalo wings! Stop the challenge from your stomach. You gotta know!!"

The only thing I knew was that my stomach was feeling stretched to the limit on account of the three hand-made beef patties, three slices of American cheese, four large slabs of bacon, large bun, French fries and two refills of Coke that I had tried to stuff into it. I couldn't finish my meal, and the leftovers, which I was carrying in a plastic bag, looked like enough to feed a person for an entire day. That, and I didn't want to hear any more of the James Blunt album they had on auto-repeat.

Evans, which opened this summer in an alley behind Shida park (師大公園), isn't the first American-style restaurant to challenge Grandma Nitti's on its home territory. One previous contender, a school-bus themed hamburger shack, opened and quickly went out of business several years ago. But based on recent observations of its lunchtime crowd - the place was always packed - and the success of similar recently opened restaurants in the city's Da-an district, like Bongos and the Diner, it looks as if Evans is probably here for the long run.

There are two good reasons for a visit: The first is Wednesday, which is called "Happy Wednesday," when the beef cheese burger, normally NT$200, is NT$100. The second is Thursday (no special name here), when Evans' American hot dog burger, regular price NT$180, is also NT$100. Like all the restaurant's burgers and sandwiches, both come with a side of French fries and refillable soft drink or ice tea. Customers have reported long waits for service when lunch specials are in effect, but I did not experience this when I ate there this Wednesday - though James Blunt was unfortunately still on loop.

In addition to the hot dog and basic burger, Evans offers more than a dozen other choices, including the tornado beef burger (NT$230), with cheese, fried onions rings and bacon; the New Orleans shrimp beef burger (NT$280), with grilled shrimp and American cheese; a New Orleans fish burger (NT$200); and three kinds of chicken burger (NT$200 to NT$220). There are also sandwiches on focaccia, steaks and fajitas. Evans is definitely a protein palace, but there are one or two lighter vegetarian options, namely the house salad (NT$100).

The food is good for what it is and very, very filling. But someone needs to change the sound track.
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