Popular Local Burger Joint Burgs Reopens In Bugis Shophouse—Is It Worth A Visit? 

Burgs reopens in Bugis with loaded burgers

Many Burgs by Project Warung fans were disappointed after the brand departed from Singapore’s fast food scene in 2024. According to a recent Instagram post, the popular homegrown chain cited financial difficulties and “unresolved internal issues with the previous management” as reasons for closing. But here’s the good news: after a year of closure, Burgs has officially made their long-awaited return! The brand has not only adopted a new look but also opened a two-storey shophouse in Bugis. 

Burgs Review: Popular Muslim-Owned Eatery In Somerset With Burgers From $6.80

The Muslim-owned burger brand is run by two local chefs, Indra and Ridz, who previously worked in Michelin-starred restaurants before starting this burger journey together. With their expertise, Indra and Ridz opened Burgs to specialise in gourmet burgers—but at affordable prices. 

Food at Burgs

 The first burger to present itself on the chopping block is The Original ($13), which is Burgs’ take on a classic cheeseburger. This featured two beef patties, American cheese, pickled green chillies, and a tangy-creamy signature sauce, slotted between two buttery brioche buns. 

After witnessing the cooks at Burgs’ smash each patty onto the grill, we had high expectations. Unfortunately, the patty was not nearly as juicy as we would have liked. The meat did at least have a discernible smoky flavour, as each patty was grilled to order. 

I also came across an interesting flavour that, for some reason, reminded me of zi char dishes. That’s when I made the connection. It was pickled green chilli, a common condiment in Chinese cuisine that’s usually paired with wok-fried dishes. The pickled chillies lent the otherwise normal burger a punchy note, which I liked.

We had the Big Bird ($12) next. Big Bird was composed of a crispy fried chicken patty,  purple cabbage slaw, and a drizzle of sriracha mayo. 

This sandwich was a lot more enjoyable than the first. The chicken was juicy and tender, pairing well with the spicy, sweet, and creamy sauce. My only gripe with the chicken was how the fried batter was slightly overbearing, making up more than half of the entire chicken patty. 

Thankfully, the cabbage slaw provided a refreshing crunch to cut through the greasy flavours of the burger. If you’ve had McDonald’s new buttermilk chicken wrap or burger, I would say Burgs’ version strikes a familiar chord! 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Burgs (@burgs.sg)

Burgs churns out their burger buns from scratch daily—they’ve even dedicated a whole room in their back kitchen for the bread-making process! We appreciated their dedication in preparing almost every component in-house.

Besides the burgers, you’ll find a small selection of sides here. Unlike its name suggests, the Nuggies ($7 for six) were more like chunks of fried chicken, rather than chicken nuggets. Similar to the fried chicken patty, I found that I could taste more of the fried batter than anything else. 

Not to mention, the fried batter was pretty greasy, so it got quite cloying after a while. I did appreciate that it was well-seasoned, though, with the right amounts of salt and spice. My dining companion even mentioned that it tasted similar to Wingstop’s lemon pepper wings. 

We paired the chicken with the four sauces they had available: Ranch, Spicy Nacho Cheese, Curry, and Kicap Manis. These were priced at $1 each. Our favourites of the lot were the Curry, which had a piquant nuttiness, and the Spicy Nacho Cheese, which had a sambal-like kick. FYI, all their sauces are also made in-house. 

We felt that there was something in the Nuggies that was missing, but when they paired it with Burgs’ Sig Fries ($5.50), the side ended up being a lot more complete. This loaded fries dish was drenched in a combination of sriracha mayonnaise and spicy nacho cheese. 

The potato fries were fluffy, crispy, not too greasy. Most importantly, they tasted like real potatoes. It was a no-brainer that everyone would enjoy the combination of the fries with the salty, crispy chicken, and creamy sauces. Though this was just a side dish, we liked it the most and would come back to have it again.

Burgs prides itself on making mostly everything in-house, including their house special beverage, the Homemade Black Lemonade ($5.90). This was an ultra-tangy, sweet, and slightly bitter lemonade that quenched our thirst after all the burgers.

As for dessert options, we had the Fresh Mango Sorbet ($5.90) and the Banana and Peanut Butter Pie ($4). 

The mango sorbet was a bit too sweet for me, but I enjoyed how the icy treat tasted like it was made from real mangoes instead of artificial flavourings.

As for the pie, while the pastry was perfectly crispy, it reminded me too much of a spring roll texture-wise, which was a bit odd. The filling, a classic combination of salty, thick peanut butter and gooey, sweet bananas, was quite delicious, nevertheless.

Ambience at Burgs

Compared to the well-known Burgs outlet that used to occupy one of the stalls in Somerset@313’s Food Junction, this spacious two-storey restaurant is an upgrade. Aligning with their rebranding, the restaurant interior adopts a retro-inspired, red-and-white theme that reminded me of Five Guys. They are a seven-minute walk from Bugis MRT Station.

Burgs – Eatbook review

As someone always on the lookout for a good gourmet burger that’s a leg up from what I can get at a fast food joint, I found my meal at Burgs to be average. I did appreciate the affordable price point for what you can get, and the dedication to making everything in-house. Perhaps the restaurant is still ironing out some of their opening kinks, so I’ll revisit them after the hype around their relaunch dies down. 

For more good halal-certified burger recommendations, check out Woodfire JB, a Malaysian burger joint known for their huge, juicy loaded burgers. Otherwise, check out the newly-opened Swag & Sizzle in Tanjong Pagar, for affordable steak and more by ex-L’Entrecote chefs. 

Address: 16 Bussorah Street, Singapore 199437
Opening hours: Sun-Wed 11am to 10pm, Thurs-Sat 11am to 1am
Tel: 8221 6516
Website
Burgs is a halal-certified eatery. 

Is This New Western Hawker Stall By Ex-French Restaurant Chefs Worth A Try? 

Photos taken by Nabila Malek.
This was a media tasting at Burgs.