Burgers (& Beer, Inc.) – Christchurch

Although I’ve heard plenty about the recent destruction caused by earthquakes in Christchurch, I didn’t really know what to expect. People still live there…businesses keep cropping up…but I didn’t realize how much impact the earthquakes really had on the city. Walking along a talked-about, “up-and-coming area” called Sydham on a Thursday evening, the place was a ghost town. Me and my car-full of mates were walking down a deserted streets, most of the businesses closed or destroyed, with little to no traffic driving by. We headed to our destination – a little restaurant called Burgers & Beers, Inc. – which had received some good reviews from Lonely Planet. The minute we stepped into the door it was like a completely different realm. The joint was buzzing. We had trouble finding places to sit! After a significant wait (patience comes in handy in times like these) we had four fantastically underrated burgers (including a “Tree Hugger” veggie burger, just for me) that completely explained why this place was so popular among locals. It was really an oasis amongst the vast silence of Christchurch.

I’d highly recommend the place. And not because it’s one of the only restaurants open in the area. It’d hold its own amongst even the most charming burger joints in much more heavily populated cities.