Holy Remedy! Gastropub Style Burgers

Summary

One thing my Colombian born son and I agree on is that hamburgers in Tunja are really hit and miss, particularly if you are used to American style burgers. My son has constant issues with the taste of the ground beef in some restaurants, such that he rarely even orders a burger. And while burgers remain a constant in the world of comidas rapidas in Tunja, the high end burger, which has been on a decade long run of popularity in the United States, can be really difficult to find.

Then one day I was walking down the street with my nephew just trying to pick a place for lunch. As we approached the Glorieta at Avenida Olimpica and Avenida Norte, I glanced to my left and saw a sign for “Santo Remedio” and some photos of pretty enticing looking burgers. It was only about 1:30 pm but there was nobody else in the restaurant. That gave me a little pause, because if the burgers were as good as they looked, this place should be packed. Still, we gave it a try. We each ordered a burger, a drink, and we split a side of onion rings. The bill was a bit high for Tunja, right at 82,000 COP (a bit more than $20) but the burger was worth it!

One of the first things I noticed was this place claims to have been the winner of Burger Master 2022, a food tour competition. We ordered two of the pricier burgers, La Smash and La Propia. Mine was outstanding and nephew said the same. The meat was well cooked and flavorful. It had no odd tastes to it. The burger itself was the same quality that I would pay $15-$18 for the burger alone in the United States. The onion rings left a lot to be desired. They were clearly not freshly made. They were standard frozen fast food rings. Think Burger King style but a little thicker. Still, I’ll order fries next time so long as I can have another burger!