SP Burger (Sao Paulo, Brazil)

At Section B of Terminal 1 of Guarulhos International Airport, Sao Paulo, Brazil.

SP Burger looks like an American-style fast food chain, but the only one I found was at the international airport. It has the usual choice of hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, hot dogs, and shakes.

I got the Combo Cheddar Bacon (without cheddar) for a measly R$21.90 ($13.15)-beat that Geneva! The burger comes on a brown bun and has a thick but very salty patty (not pure beef) and a sad piece of bacon. There is no sauce on it, but you can get ketchup, mayo or mustard. The McDonalds-type fries were undercooked.

VERDICT: 44/100

I would say that SP Burger is better than Bob's Burger, but that is as far as I would go. Next time I want fast food in Brazil, I will probably go to McDonalds. Nuff Said!

Hamburguinho (Sao Paulo, Brazil)

Avenida Brigadeiro Faria Lima, 2883 - São Paulo, 01452-000, Brazil, T: +55 11 3078-9461

Hamburguinho (little hamburger) is a new chain of hamburger restaurants that is situated between a fast food and 'real' restaurant. They currently have some 5-10 places in Sao Paulo. I went to the one in the expensive area of Faria Lima, which looks like a hole-in-the-hole with a kind of American setting.

I ordered the Super Two, i.e. a double burger with fries, for R$29 ($17.40). It included two patties, a fried egg, several pieces of bacon, lettuce, tomato, and fries. The fries were well fried, but a bit dry (and they have no acceptable mayo). The patties were a bit dry, but the whole burger was quite tasty (it could have used a nice sauce though).

VERDICT: 71/100

Acceptable burger and fries, particularly if you prefer ketchup over mayo. Very expensive, but probably affordable for the area.

Milk & Mellow Burgers (Sao Paulo, Brazil)

Avenida Cidade Jardim 1085 - Itaim Bibi, Sao Paulo, 01453-000, Brazil, T: 11-3168-4516

I arrived in Sao Paulo during a tropical rain storm, so I didn't want to walk to far. Milk & Mellow Burgers was close to my hotel, so I went there. It was my first introduction to the essence of Sao Paulo: overpriced! As none of the six waiters in the fancy restaurant spoke English, I had a hard time navigating myself through the Portuguese menu. Despite the name, Milk & Mellow Burgers has an extensive menu with various burgers, sandwiches, salads, meats, shakes, and sucos (juices).

I went for a double burger special (= onion and pickles), mayo, and a warm tomato sauce (the waiter said it was ketchup) -- everything cost extra! I also got a portion of fries and a mixed juice. This came to a grand total of... R$48.40 (ca. $29)!!! The fries were not really potatoes and grossly undercooked (I barely touched them), while the mayo tasted like herbal butter. The burger tasted good, but there is simply too much on it (tomato, onion, gross mayo). The patties are juicy and the warm tomato sauce give a nice flavor. The juice is fresh but a it watery.

VERDICT: 62/100

A pretty good burger, but the rest is poor, and everything is simply way too exensive... even for Sao Paulo.

Bob's Burger (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)

At a mall in Rio de Janeiro, but they have 610 restaurants throughout Brazil.

Bob's Burger is the first fast food in Brazil with 610 restaurants in all states of Rio and a couple in Portugal, Chile and Angola. They clearly try to knock-off McDonalds, which incidentally also has many restaurants in Brazil.

I got the Big Bob meal for R$15.25 (or $9.15), but substituted the soda for a chocolate shake (at extra cost). The Big Bob is their Big Mac rip-off, but tasted gross (I even doubt it was pure meat); despite that it was freshly made (without cheese). The fries were cold and saggy, while the shake was far too sweet.

VERDICT: 36/100
Bob's Burger is well below McDonalds. Nuff Said!