After blogging about something healthy, let’s venture up north and explore one of the burger places that has been talked about by many: 8 Cuts Burger Blends. From what I’ve read online, 8 Cuts Burger Blends is by the same owners of Burger Bar in Greenbelt. They are known for not only burger customization but also patty customization! You can choose which cut you’d like to use for your patty, depending on how you like your burger.

Prior to eating here, I’ve never tried Burger Bar so I had no expectations. Before I delve into the reviews of the food, I’d just like to say that I love meat and I love burgers. Just to give you an idea on what kind of burgers I like, my usual go-to places would be Brother’s Burger (accessible and meaty) or Chili’s (when I feel like splurging and binge eating). Does 8 Cuts Burger Blends serve the best burgers in Manila?

I tried 8 Cuts Burger Blends back when they were relatively new and just had 1 branch: UP Town Center in Katipunan. The place was laid back and industrial with several eye-catching wall decorations. The tables were a bit smooshed together, so you could hear the conversation of those around you, and you’ll have to sometimes share the bar with people you don’t know. It has an open kitchen so you can see them preparing your food. They played really good music though it was just a tad bit too loud. The place is good for a quick bite with friends or a barkada dinner.

We ordered some fries while waiting for our burgers. We decided to get thick cut fries topped with bacon jam and egg. To be honest, I didn’t really taste the bacon jam. The egg was cooked well enough that when you break it, it coats the fries with its creamy yolk. This was messy to eat though and wasn’t really my thing. I wish they just put crispy bacon on top to make it tastier. The fries aren’t bad for 55 pesos though. Might try other toppings next time.

I love onion rings and try to get them whenever I have the opportunity to. I’m easy to please when it comes to them so ordering this was a no-brainer. When I took a bite, I was pleasantly surprised. The batter was perfectly crisp, seasoned with barbecue powder, and the onions were nice and sweet. These onion rings are addicting. Even until now, I want to go back to 8 Cuts to have their onion rings. This has set my standard for onion rings. And with that price point, I’m always tempted to go out of my way to one of their branches to buy one. Really good. I could order just this and be happy. Must try!

I know what you’re thinking: Salad, in a burger place? Really?!
I wasn’t feeling in the mood for a burger when my friends invited me to eat out so I decided to try out their salad instead. The holiday salad of 8 Cuts has a generous serving of crisp mixed greens, almond slivers, bits of feta cheese, strawberry slices, sprinkled with sesame seeds and lightly dressed with strawberry vinaigrette. I also decided to get the grilled chicken add-on to make sure that I take in protein.

The salad was good, especially considering it’s from a burger place. I like that they have a lighter salad instead of Caesar, which is what places usually have. The chicken was perfectly cooked and the flavors of all the ingredients went well together. This was a light and refreshing salad that I wouldn’t mind ordering again. The serving size is enough for 1 person’s meal or 2 people sharing an appetizer.

On to the highlight of the restaurant: their burgers. Not wanting to go through the choices that come with making your own burger, I decided to just go for their burger creations. To taste the patty in it’s natural form, I ordered the cheeseburger. The patty was quite small, considering the price, and with not a lot of lettuce. It was crumbly and a bit dry, with not a lot of flavor present. The taste of the burger was just okay; nothing spectacular. To be honest, I think I’d rather have a Big and Tasty from McDonald’s than this burger from 8 Cuts.

The Rising Shroom burger was a lot better than their original cheeseburger. The burger patty was topped with friend oyster mushrooms, sauteed shitake mushrooms, and white truffled cream cheese. The patty was still too small for my liking, especially since it’s 280 pesos. I usually just eat half a burger but for this one, I ate almost the whole burger. The flavors were really good though. The different textures made it interesting to eat, prompting me to take one bite after the other. The truffled cream cheese gave a different dimension as well, adding to both the texture and the flavor. Everything just went well together. If ever I find myself back in 8 Cuts, this is what I’ll probably order. I just want a bigger and juicier burger (and at the same price point)! I know you can upgrade or add to your patty but that would make it a lot more expensive.

All in all, I think 8 Cuts Burger Blends is quite overrated with their burgers being quite small and not worth the price you pay. It’s nice that you can customize your burger, but for burger lovers such as myself, it does not excuse the fact that the patties were not meaty and juicy. It would be a lot better if you could customize the burger but have a great starting point (the patty). It’s very promising, especially the rising shroom, but please, fix your patty!

Does it serve the best burgers in Manila? For me the answer is a clear “No.” Will I come back here? For the onion rings, definitely! For the burgers… Maybe if I’m invited by friends or forced to eat here and will foot the bill. Otherwise, I don’t think so.

You could try it for yourself if you’d like as my taste may differ from yours. Some people may like the food here and that’s fine. But for me, this place doesn’t pass my standards.

8 Cuts Burger Blends
2nd Floor, UP Town Center, Katipunan Ave., Quezon City

Other Branches:
3rd Floor, SM Mega Fashion Hall, SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City
2nd Floor, Trinoma, Quezon City
Ground Floor, Power Plant Mall, Rockwell, Makati City