Each burger was delivered to the Tatler Philippines office. Then, a blind taste test by the team commenced. Each burger were graded based on the following categories: Quality of Meat (30%), Bun (15%), Meat to Bun Ratio (15%), Sauce (10%), Cheese (15%), and lastly, Wow Factor (15%). All scores were tallied, with one (1) being the lowest and five (5) being the highest.

To finally put an end to this debate, we've rounded up eight of the most talked about burger joints (as recommended by Tatler friends) to find the ultimate cheeseburger.

Ah... the good old cheeseburger. Who doesn't like the combination of buttery, pillowy buns sandwiching an incredibly juicy patty with crispy lettuce, a slice or two of luscious tomatoes, and some salty, rich cheese? No one. As more and more restaurants introduce this American comfort food staple on their menus, we were left thinking, who serves the best cheeseburger in town?

Out of the most talked about burger joints in town, which stood out the most? Scroll through to find out:

Tied at the seventh place on our list are Shangri-la at The Fort's Raging Bull Burgers and Rockwell-based Elbert’s Diner. The limited edition Knock-Out Burger (Php 424) from Raging Bull sure knocked us out with its size and its hands down good meat. The aged cheddar added a depth of flavour to each bite but the bun-to-meat ratio was a bit off, with our mouths hoping for more of that tender on the inside and crispy-on-the-outside patty!

Raging Bull Burgers are the dressed-up, high-end cheeseburger of my dreams.

Quality of meat 4/5

Bun 3/5

Meat to bun ratio 3.25/5

Sauce 3/5

Cheese 3/5

Wow factor 3.5/5 Total: 3.4125

Meanwhile, the cheeseburger (Php 350) from Elbert’s Diner is the epitome of a diner burger—comforting, smoky, and arguably has one of the best sauces of the bunch. The only down-side was the patty—a tad bit too well-done for our liking. But if you ever find yourself in the area and craving for a good burger, why not try this out and maybe pair it with their cult-favourite milkshake. Quality of meat 3.5/5

Bun 3/5

Meat to bun ratio 3.5/5

Sauce 3.75/5

Cheese 3.25/5

Wow factor 3.5/5 Total: 3.4125

6. Pound

Pound's Backyard Cheeseburger

With its lightly toasted brioche bun and well-seasoned, medium-rare patty, Pound lands on the sixth spot. Its uncanny resemblance to the Bikini Bottoms’ Krabby Patty left our entire team in awe! If you are a fan of biting into tall burgers, then Pound's Backyard Cheeseburger (Php 315) is definitely for you.

I've always loved Pound. All their dishes are sinfully good and they have branches everywhere!

Quality of meat 3.75/5

Bun 3.75/5

Meat to bun ratio 3.75/5

Sauce 3/5

Cheese 3/5

Wow factor 3.5/5 Total 3.525

5. Wildflour Restaurant

Wildflour's California Cheeseburger

Wildflour is more popularly known for their fragrant bakery goodies, quality coffee, and decadent desserts. But aside from these, they also serve a humongous cheeseburger — the California Cheeseburger (Php 550). The largely portioned patty had the perfect crisped edges and had remained beautifully medium-rare on the inside. Meat quality was definitely a stand out. On the other hand, their homemade buns were lathered with copious amounts of butter - a bit too much. The cheese and sauce (although yummy), as well as the proportion of the layers, could be improved. Quality of meat 4/5

Bun 4/5

Meat to bun ratio 3.75

Sauce 3/5

Cheese 2.75/5

Wow factor 4/5



Total: 3.675

4. 8 Cuts

8 Cuts cheeseburger

Ranked fourth on our list is the picturesque cheeseburger (Php 230) from 8 Cuts. Surprisingly, it is the only burger in this line-up that had a sesame seed covered bun! The seeds added umami to the dish and complemented the incredibly beefy, medium-rare, patty. Meanwhile, covering the patty was gooey American cheddar cheese. We wished that there had been more of it! But, their flavour-packed sauce made up for it, bringing all components together so well. Quality of meat 4.25/5

Bun 3.5/5

Meat to bun ratio 4/5

Sauce 4/5

Cheese 3.5/5

Wow factor 3.5/5

Total 3.85

3. Shake Shack

Shake Shack's Shackburger

With its seemingly unending long queue, we had to know what makes Shake Shack's Shackburger (Php 410) worth the wait. At first bite, we were all very impressed by how their soft burger buns were able to stay firm, fresh, and not soggy, despite the delivery time. The double patty offers the best bun to meat ratio from what we tested and is made from a tasty, well seasoned ground beef with a secret sauce that is totally memorable! This world famous brand lives up to its reputation!

I haven't tried the Shake Shack here before, but I tried it abroad. I thought the one here would be all hype, but I am happy to be mistaken.

Quality of meat 4.25/5

Bun 3/5

Meat to bun ratio 4/5

Sauce 4.25/5

Cheese 3.5/5

Wow factor 4/5 Total 3.875

2. Pink's Hotdogs

Pink's Hotdogs' Cheeseburger

Juicy, salty, sinful—these three words best describe the cheeseburger (Php 334) from Pink's Hotdogs. Biting into this succulent burger will leave your fingers buttery from its well-toasted brioche bun. Unfortunately the burger can tend to be a bit too juicy, overly moist, but its thick patty is so flavourful and delicious. Their cheese, and sauce are worth talking about too, plus its layers are all well proportioned. Biting into this cheeseburger was a treat to say the least.

I bit into it and I was like: 'This is it, this is the patty I'm rating a five.'

Quality of meat 4.5/5

Bun 4/5

Meat to bun ratio 4.25/5

Sauce 3.75/5

Cheese 3.5/5

Wow factor 4/5 Total 4.0875

1. Sweet Ecstasy

Sweet Ecstasy's cheeseburger

Garnering the highest scores (and winning via unanimous vote) is the no-frills cheeseburger (Php 240) from Sweet Ecstasy. It simply ticks all the boxes: perfectly grilled patty, smokey sauce that is bursting with umami, right amount of that gooey, melted cheese, tomatoes, and a bed of crispy lettuce. This simple burger sure does turn heads. The soft brioche bun got a bit soggy due to the delivery time, but it did not take away from the experience at all! Mouth watering, and worth it!

Whenever I am craving for a burger, I always think of Sweet Ecstasy.