Xiaoliuqiu Island Burger

This new kid on the block is a roadside stand and just opened in April 2021.

Opened by a scuba-obsessed couple from the North,they are currently only opened on the weekends when they come to Xiaoliuqiu to scuba dive.

They employ the smash burger method which is to ball up the ground beef and then smash it flat on the grill which sears and seals in the juices.

If you've ever had In n Out Burger on the West Coast of the US, you'll know this burger is reminiscent of that. This burger definitely eschews the fancy gourmet burgers that have been trendy and goes more for the classics. Who doesn't love classics?

As they are a roadside stand, they have take-away only or get your hands dirty eating it on the roadside next to their stand. The coolest feature about the stand is its decorated with license plates from all 50 states of the United States.

They are located on the main road, Zhongshan Road, across the street from the Sanlong Temple. Make sure to check their Instagram for opening days and times and go often, maybe if it's a hit they will think about making this venture a permanent one.

A&Z Kitchen

I was excited when i saw this A&Z Kitchen open up with their minimalistic but slick interior. Opened by former snow board instructors in Hokkaido, Japan, they returned to Taiwan to bless us with their gourmet-style burgers at a reasonable price (super reasonable actually).

A&Z would appeal to you if you fancy a bit more from your burger as they have a variety of offerings which seem to change regularly. They've had egg and cheese burger, bagel and lox, non-beef burger options and peanut butter burger.

Peanut butter burger, WHAT, you say? This is worthy of its own discussion and blog but I've never heard of peanut butter on a burger until I saw the YouTube celebrity 莫彩曦  eating it at Mo's Burger in this episode.

I love classics, but I also love innovation and fusion food, as basically all of the dishes we eat in some way is fusion.

For a great book about fusion food (more like development of ethnic food in American) I can't recommend the book Buttermilk Graffitti enough, It's the best book I've read in years.

Suffice to say what we now know as the classic burger today I'm sure looked nothing like what was served in Hamburg, Germany.

Anyhoo, where was I? Yes, I tried the peanut butter burger at A&Z, and my verdict was, it was ok. So save your judgments and get out of your comfort zone and give it a try if you've never had it.

They also have a few countertop seats so if take away is not an option, you can get your hands dripping with beef juices in the comforts of somewhere else place other than your room.

If you are looking for a meal right after getting off the ferry in Baishawan Port and kill an hour or two before check-in time for your guest house, this is just a five-minute walk away from where you get off the ferry.

After you get off the ferry turn right and then turn left to head up the small hill and go straight for a few minutes and it'll be on your left-hand side.

Carpe Diem

This burger joint is small and cozy, and the only one of the three burger-only joints that has air conditioning. It's a little reminiscent of a burger place in a small college town in the US.

As with A&Z, it is also located near the Baishawan ferry terminal, but probably 1 minute walk closer. As with A&Z you could walk here, have lunch and wait it out until you can check-in to your guesthouse at 3pm.

This is more a gourmet-style of burgers. I got the BBQ sauce and bacon burger which reminded me of one of my favorite burgers in the US, Western Bacon Cheese Burger at Carls Jr.

The most distinguishing element about their burgers is their black bun which is from infusing bamboo charcoal, which seems to be a hipster trend.

Other burgers include the American Classic (jalapenos, pickles and mustard), BoraBora (salsa sauce), Chef spicy sauce, and Chicken thigh burger.

If you are super hungry, you could try the Can't Eat Enough which is 4 times the price of a regular burger and it is a BEHEMOTH of a burger at 8 inches in diameter.  I definitely want to try that one day.

Hard Rock Gastropub

Bonus: Corn Dog

Ya ok, I know its not a burger but it's kinda in the same genre of food as a burger. I don't eat much junk food but I do on occasion visit this stall for some indulgence into the fast food world.

The stall is located across the street from the only Family Mart on the island and the corn dog is NT$50. He does have a few flavors of sauces but I only go for the classic ketchup.

His stall is opened most days of the week in the evening.

I hope that helps you in your burger adventures on Xiaoliuqiu. If I missed any burger places, please let me know and I will update it here.

And don't forget to follow the Xiaoliuqiu for Foreigners Facebook group for more info on Xiaoliuqiu.

CONTACT -
Address: 66 Xiangpu Road, Liuqiu Township, Pintgung County 929

Phone: 0981163838

E-mail: ray@freedivenomad.com