The chef behind the counter at Grand Burger greets all customers the same way "Jikan ga kakarimasu (This will take some time.)". It's not an encouragement to look elsewhere for food, it's merely an honest acknowledgement that the man at the griddle wears many hats - chef, owner, waiter and dishwasher.
If you don't mind waiting a bit for your meal, you won't be disappointed in the least by what eventually appears in front of you. Grand Burger's beef patties are juicy and sizable and the buns have a light but filling quality that I found isn't easily replicated by many other burger joints. I personally opted for the avocado cheeseburger. The helping of bright green avocado was generous and there was plenty of cheese dripping off the ends of my patty. My burger also came topped with lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise. The avocado cheeseburger is just one of nearly a dozen options on the burger menu. The eponymous Grand Burger has both avocado and multiple cheeses, as well as a hunk of Canadian bacon and the additional lettuce and tomato toppings. There is a plain hamburger, a plain cheeseburger, and a bacon cheeseburger. If you're feeling adventurous, order up the anchovy cream burger or the fish burger. You can add any toppings to the burger you choose, including an additional beef patty for ¥280. The sets come with a large handful of fries (bottles of ketchup and mustard adorn every table) and a small but quite tasty vinegar-based salad. The sets range in price from ¥1180 to ¥1480 at dinner and drop slightly in price at lunchtime.
Grand Burger also offers desserts, from the towering brownie and mixed berry parfaits to more sensibly-sized slices of cake. We ended our meal with the fruit parfait and while it was satisfying, the fruit was clearly frozen and took a bit of time to thaw out enough to enjoy.
Grand Burger offers a fair amount of seating, including about half a dozen two-person tables to a counter in front of the griddle that seats eight or nine. I was advised to visit on a weekday, but even on a Sunday evening, our wait was never more than 20 minutes or so. With a bit of patience, what is arguably Kyoto's best burger is yours to enjoy.
