If you are aching for a decent burger on a budget without succumbing to the likes of well known fast food chains (you know which ones in particular I speak of), look no further than the excellent Freshness Burger.
My girlfriend and I joked about the name of the place and were skeptical that it would even come close to living up to its name, but we were surprisingly proven wrong. Japan seems to have quite the negative reputation when it comes to providing foreign food within its borders, therefore our expectations weren’t very high.
As is fairly common in Japan, the restaurant is separated into two sections: smoking and non-smoking, with plenty of comfortable seating. There are both “bar” style and traditional seating. You order, pay, take a number and pick a spot to sit.
I ordered a classic cheeseburger and she ordered a bleu cheeseburger. We also got fresh fries, cups of water and seemingly fresh coffee. The burger and fries were piping hot and I could tell immediately that they were brought over to us right off the grill. The bread had a nice crunch.
Satisfying.
There is a character to the place. Artsy paintings are hung from the walls, fresh small flowers on the tables and bright patterns on the walls give you more of a typical coffee shop feel without being too distracting or tacky.
There is a definite Japanese influence in that there are creative burgers on the menu - a salsa burger and mango burger if you’re itching for something different.
To clarify, Freshness Burger is a much bigger entity than that of just this single location. The chain has expanded from Kyushu to Hokkaido if this particular location is too far out of reach. After my experience, I even noticed delivery bikes. Convenience, fresh and tasty food and a comfortable atmosphere add up to a positive experience.
What was originally perceived as a typical fast food burger chain turned out to be a casual style restaurant; a burger cafe where you could be left alone to study or catch up with a friend for a long period of time and enjoy a decent burger.
