The legend of Mr. Burger
Long long time ago, when McDonalds and KFC were names known only to those who had been to western countries, there was only one Burger joint that ruled the hearts of Karachiites. Yes, I am talking about Mr. Burger. I still remember the soft, juicy beef cheese burger of that place, and, to be very honest, no McDonalds and KFC can match that taste. My mouth still waters when I think about it.
But now McDonalds and KFC have taken the fast food market by storm and Mr. Burger has lost its touch, and lost its quality.
Couple of days ago I was hanging out with an old buddy of mine with whom I used to go to Mr. Burger, when it was still good. We decided to give the place another try, for the old time’s sake. But I was disappointed. The burger I ordered was not very well prepared, it didn’t taste as good, and I got the wrong drink, even though I clearly told the guy I wanted coke, not diet coke. But for some strange reason he thought diet coke would be better for me.
Now I have no place to go for a burger, other than occasional Zinger from KFC, which is already overpriced. And I’ve always hated McDonalds.
The flavour may not be as enchanting but its still among the most juicy soft and delicious burgers around. and NOTHING in teh world can beat their rasberry slush. no cold coffee or hot brand name can ever get close to slush. yuuuuummmmmmm. and teh brain freeze that follows. AAAH! the experience! Though I opine that IIC’s Mr. Burger is still better than the rest.
mr burger with cheese rocks!
mr. big with cheese, fries and a coke. the ultimate meal. the brownie sucks.
Look, Macdonalds, KFC and the likes maybe over priced but in the end its worth it because you always get what you expect. If you dont, you can always object and they will immediately give you a fresh replacement. This is somthing Mr.Burger never NEVER ever does!.
Ive had horrible experience with their chicken deluxe burger. It stunk so bad and i still did not get any replacement. In the end i fed it to a really annoying cat and im sure she learnt her lesson ; Never annoy a hungry soul because there’s always a heavy price to pay.
But hey, you can always eat at Mash N bangers or Mr Big Mac if you really have a thing for (supposed)American fast food. Desi style fast food is not bad either. I think they’ve done a good job with fusion food…Ie ; Garlic mayo Chicken or Cheese rolls!!!
hey try out the Big mac burger time, they really have a good testy burger and you can even order a 100RS deal with double kabab and free cold drink in ur office
I cant help but remember the amazing burgers one could get at Mr Burger. Sadly its been ages since i had one , breaks my heart to hear that the quality has deteriorated. I do however like the beef steak burgers from mash n bangers and the ones from mr big mac. What i wouldnt give for one right now…. Yes i am famished . I have to agree with sadaf abt the kebab rolls , i have yet to find something that tasy.
Hi,
This is my first post here, so I don’t know if anyone would appreciate what I have to say or not – But after reading this I
feel that it’s time I tell the untold story of Mr. Burger to someone, (and this string seems like the proper place to do so).
Mr. Burger came into existence in 1984 (if I remember correctly) on Tariq Raod, near Jheel Park right next to Silver Spoon
Restaurant.
However, what I am going to tell you all really goes back to 1955! Mr. Iqbal Raza (the founder of Mr. Burger) was the class
fellow of a relative of mine in Sindh Maddressa karachi. Anyway the story is that Mr. Iqbal Raza did not have much interest
in his studies back then. So when the time came for Iqbal uncle to shine in his metric exams, (in 1955) he simply bought the
answers of the exam from a teacher named Mr. Aleem.
But Mr. Aleem had charged him through the nose, and so Iqbal Raza was really short of money in the days leading up to the
exams… However, Iqbal uncle being the wheeler dealer type of a person soon came up with a plan to sell the answers to other
students and thereby recouping his financial loss.
However he quickly became fearful that the school authorities would figure out his game, as too many students had turned up
at his spot (because Iqbal Raza had also openly boasted of the good “relations” he had with Mr. Aleem the teacher). Anyway,
with fear becoming the driving force behind him, Iqbal uncle started selling bogus answer sheets to unsuspecting fellow
cheaters. So when the results come in, Iqbal Raza waltzed out of the school (along with his closest frinds) while all others
who had trusted him were left grinding their own teeth for another year…
Anyway in the years to come, Iqbal Raza joined PIA and became a flight engineer. However in the Bhutto years of the 1970s he
started his own personal business (while working in PIA) of smuggling in alcoholic beverages into Pakistan (and opium
products out).
But one day in the Zia-ul-Haq era he had a narrow escape from the law and his wife made him promise never to do anything like
that again…
Now Mr. Burger began in 1984 (as I had mentioned above), however a year before that, Mr. Iqbal Raza (along with his brothers)
took a small vacation in USA. Although they were there as only tourists for a few weeks, they had somehow managed to take up
daily wage jobs at none other than McDonald’s… So in between flipping burgers, mopping floors, and collecting tips, they had effectively stolen McDonald’s recipes. And a year later, the first Mr. Burger opened up for business on Tariq Raod.
So people, this is the untold story of Mr. Burger. The world however is told that Mr. Burger was set-up by Iqbal Raza’s
father Syed Moosa Raza Razvi (yes that’s right, Razvi not Rizvi, this not a typing error). Anyway today this burger joint is
being neglected because Iqbal Raza himself is no longer in good health (got some major heart problem). And his brothers and
children are all in USA, so nobody is left to take care of the family business…
Now you all must be wondering how do I know all this? Well, I was only in class 2 when Mr. Burger came into existence, but I
do remember everything that was said by my elders (simply because it was funny as hell)! And uncle Iqbal Raza (a.k.a lounge lizard) used to be a frequent visitor at my home in the early 90s! :)
So as they always say on the X-Files, The truth is out there…
I don’t care whether it’s true or not… but funny, yes :)