It’s not only major restaurant chains that are serving burgers, however. “Lenne´-Snack”, the snack bar with cult status has been serving hamburgers since it opened 31 years ago. “It’s only become a main course in the last three or four years,” says Addi Plonka, who writes about his many burger creations in a blog. He says he gets his new burger inspirations from customers, “Many people like to eat Schnitzel Hawaii so now we make a Hawaii hamburger.” Students coming from Asia were fond of eggs and this motivated him to make a burger with an egg sunny side up. After 6 p.m, the Fitness burger is a big seller. He says, “Lots of people leave out the carbs in the evening hours, so we have burgers without a bun, only the meat and salad.”

The burger boom has also found a place at the cooking school of Bonn chef, Klaus Velten, who has a cooking show on television. He comments, “The classic burger is of course grilled.” In his course, “Richtig gute Burger,” (Really good burgers) held at his cooking atelier in Sankt Augustin, he also gives tips for shrimp and dry-aged beef. Velten thinks there are too many burger joints but also feels that more upscale chains are the thing of the future. He prefers a classic cheeseburger, but not too big please. “Otherwise I come out of the restaurant and feel totally wiped.”

Among GA readers on Facebook, there are various favorites. “Cowboy Burgers” and the “Burgermanufaktur” (Burger manufacturer) were often named but the burger fan base extends to Cologne with the “Fetten Kuh” (Fat Cow), to Bad Honnef with the “Burgermeisterei” (Burger Champ) and even to a food truck at the Rewe supermarket parking lot in Operpleis - but only on Saturdays. “It should be possible to eat a good burger with the hands, not a fork and knife! For that reason, the best and juiciest hamburgers are at “Hans im Glück”! Otherwise, honestly - McDonald’s,” comments one reader. For those who don’t eat meat, don’t worry, vegetarian and vegan burgers have also become standard for many establishments offering burgers.

For those who are keen to try out some of the burger establishments in the area, here’s a sampling:

A small burger chain which grew out of a student snack bar at Beethovenhalle. They emphasize quality meat from sustainable farming and the sauces are homemade. Burgers are grilled on lava stones in a rustic atmosphere. On offer is a classic burger for 5.50 euros, the “Django” with jalapeño peppers and nachos for 6.90 euros, a veggie burger for 4.90 euros and a reduction of 1 euro for a smaller portion. Coleslaw on the side is 2.30 euros and sweet potato fries are 3.50 euro. Römerstraße 2, open Mon-Thurs 11:30 am - 10 pm, Fri 11:30 am - 11 pm, Sat. 1 pm - 11 pm, Sun 1 pm - 10 pm.

Regional products are used here and for the burgers, there are homemade ketchup, mayonnaise, and chimichurri sauces. The classic burger is called “The Tischler” and sells for 6.90 euros. The “Käsmacher” cheeseburger can be ordered with goat cheese, mountain cheese, Taleggio, Cheddar, Roquefort or Parmesan for 7.70 euro. All burgers come in a smaller 120-gram version and vegetarian burgers come in all the same versions as the beef burgers. For Vegans, there is the “Gärtner” with grilled marinated vegetables for 7 euros. Vorgebirgstraße 60, open Mon-Thurs 11:30 am - 10 pm, Fri - Sun 11:30 am - 11 pm.

The franchise is a mix of burger grill and bar, offering eight different kinds of Mojitos. Birch tree trunks are part of the rustic decor and the menu is fashioned like a book of fairytales. Burgers can be ordered with cheese, goat cheese, bacon and fig sauce. For vegetarians and vegans, there is a big choice of burgers and sauces. Salads are also big here. Two locations are currently open: Clemens-August-Straße 9 in Poppelsdorf, open Mon - Sun from 12 noon - (no set closing time) and Konrad-Adenauer-Platz in Beuel, Mon - Thurs 11 am - 11 pm, Fri- Sat 11 am - 1 am, Sun. 12 noon - 11 pm.

Opened in the past year, this place caters to students living in the area with a focus on high quality but reasonably priced food. Regional products are favored with meat delivered by a butcher in Beuel and bread from a baker in Bonn. Dressings and sauces like Truffel Mayo are homemade. A normal burger costs 6.20 euros, cheese is 70 cents extra. The version with jalapeños and chili mayo is 7.50 euros and the beef patty weighs 200 grams. Iberico and Black Angus burgers cost more at 9.90 for 125 grams and 13.90 for 200 grams. A baked potato is 6.90 euros. Vegetarian varieties include a patty with ruccola, tomato, cucumber, onions and lettuce for 6.90 euro and a version with goat cheese for 7.90 euro. Clemens-August-Straße 23, open Mon - Fri 11:30 am - 10 pm, Sat - Sun 12 noon - 10 pm.

Sustainability is also a theme in this establishment with meat coming from a Bad Godesberg butcher and buns from a nearby baker. The restaurant was awarded for its work philosophy which includes workers who are physically impaired. The “Godesberg” burger is the standard for 6.50 euros and the “Preisel Bert” with camembert, berry sauce and rucola goes for 7.40 euros. For kids, there is a small burger for 4.90 euros. A vegetarian burger costs 6.90 euros and all variations of burgers can be ordered with a vegetarian patty. Baked potatoes and salads are also on offer. Moltkeplatz 2, open Mon - Fri 11 am - 9 pm, Fri - Sat 11 am - 10 pm and Sun 1 pm - 9 pm.

Originally near the University of Bonn, this burger joint moved to Bad Godesberg where there is more seating for guests. The bread is similar to Ciabatta and gives the food a light Mediterranean flair. A classic hamburger is 5.50 euros, a cheeseburger 6.40 euros and a BBQ burger 6.90 euros. The special “Uni-burger” with bacon and egg is 7.90 euros. Koblenzer Straße 65, open Mon - Sun 11:30 am - 9 pm.

There is a restaurant in Endenich but they also have a website where burgers can be ordered for delivery - a minimum order is required and differs depending on where you live (website only in German). Ingredients from the region are used as well as homemade sauces. A classic cheeseburger costs 7.20 euro, and the more exotic burgers - the Scampi burger costs 8.50 or the Burger Egg’stra with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, gouda, egg and bacon. The basic burger price is 5.70 euro with sauces and extra ingredients costing 35 - 85 cents. Auf dem Hügel 63, open Mon - Fri 11:45 am - 2 pm, 5 pm - 9:45 pm, Sat 3 - 9:45 pm., Sun 1 pm - 9:45 pm.

Homemade burgers and cocktails in a lounge atmosphere with a stylish character. Grilled on a lava stone, all burgers are served in beef or vegetarian version, with or without bun. Indoors, there is almost always a table open but outdoors, in a smaller area, guests take places at long tables shared with others. It’s a place for people not looking to have a quick bite. “Herr Lehmanns” classic burger is 5.90 euros and a “Ziegenpeter” burger with goat cheese, fig-mustard sauce or the spicy “Mexicaner” with Nachos, jalapeños and tomato salsa costs 8.90 euros. For those who don’t like beef, they can have a burger with Norwegian salmon or chicken with curry and pineapple. Curly fries is a popular extra. A big choice of cocktails is also offered. Budapester Straße 11, Mon - Thur 11:30 am - midnight, Fri - Sat 11:30 am - 1 am, Sun 2 pm - 11 pm. (Orig. text: Bettina Köhl, Richard Bongartz, Lea Daume, Tobias Rinn)