Monday 24 January 2011

Pub Series: Flo + Burger Nation Review

I was late with this post, so I added a review on Burger Nation as an apology!!


Today's post will be focusing on Flo.




Location

It's further away than most of the pubs on Hamra, but still a hot spot for anyone who enjoys Hamra's nightlife. It's right next to Flying Pizza. Or if you're coming from bliss, just take the road going up at Charlie's Hot Dogs. I can't honestly give proper directions from people coming from Hamra, because I always just walk in a certain direction until I see something familiar. For some reason, I can never memorize exactly where Flo is!

Food

They serve food at Flo. Like Neighbors, the food is served until 1 a.m. I really enjoyed their nachos, and also the chicken quesadilla. Although it probably wouldn't be a great idea to have the chicken right before a night of heavy drinking. In that case, I would suggest a plan to specifically go there to eat one day.

Happy hour:
Weirdly enough, happy hour does not exist in Flo!

Music:
I always enjoy the music at Flo. You neevr know what kind of music you'll end up listening to. The selection ranges from Destiny's Child to Michael Jackson to Bob Marley. It starts off with very lounge-y music, and then moves on to livelier songs. Some of my favorite songs heard at Flo are:

  • The General - Dispatch
  • This is the Life - Amy MacDonald
  • Billy Jean - Michael Jackson

Atmosphere:
Flo is pretty funky on the inside with a mixture of modern and classic elements. I love sitting upstairs, and that's where I usually am; it's comfortable and the best place to be seated if you're a big group. I sat downstairs for the first time on Saturday and I realized that you get to see a lot more people downstairs. Upstairs you're pretty much isolated. So if you're about 2 - 4 people, I would suggest you sit downstairs, but a bigger group would definitely be more comfortable upstairs.
Ladies, you won't be bored on your trip to the bathroom. There's a really funny quote waiting for you in there. It's also done in a really cool way, because it's written in mirror image and placed right next to a mirror, so you have to read it through the mirror. Hard to explain, so go check it out!



 Here's something that Neighbors is missing: Hypnotic shots!


Best time to be there?:
I don't think I've ever gone to Flo and not found anywhere to sit. There's a constant flow of people coming in and out, so you're generally safe whatever time you get there. I would recommend around 10 - 10:30 p.m. That's when the music starts to build up a little bit, making it the perfect time to start your night.

That's all for the pub, now on to my apology/review.

Burger Nation

It was heartbreaking to see one of the best coffee shops, Cafe Najjar, replaced by a burger place, yet somehow exciting because I always have to go to Achrafiye to get myself a good burger.

I finally had dinner at Burger Nation last night, and here is what I thought.

The Food:
The food was really good. I have to say, there was nothing I tried that I did not like. There was an insane burst of flavor. I first of all definitely recommend that you choose to "make your own burger" instead of picking one off the menu, because then you get exactly what you're craving. And I also definitely recommend you choose garlic mayo as your sauce. The flavor is so out there, trust me you will be using your fries to wipe off any of it left on the plate.

The Atmosphere:
It's very modern, and it kind of puts a smile to your face. The outdoor seating is great, and they have heaters for when it's too cold. The inside is nice as well, I really like the paintings on the wall. Even their place-mats are entertaining to read!!



The Service:
I just want everyone to keep in mind that Burger Nation is still relatively new, and that this happens everywhere. But the service really wasn't that great. The appetizers (try out the onion rings by the way!) took a while to get to us, they even completely forgot one of them. Although we had ordered our drinks, I had to ask twice about my diet 7up, and my friends' milkshakes took a while because apparently the bartender wasn't there to make them. Other than that, they were really friendly, and I'm going to assume that this happened because they've newly opened. Let's hope the service gets better!

2 comments:

yasmine said...

I love Flo as well. Good place to chill.

I have to agree with your take on Burger Nation. The service was real bad - we went there and I had a problem with my food, I didn't want to make a big deal since it was only their first week but funkyozzi took them to task (she spoke with the manager, owner, and waiter)and they STILL did nothing about it.

Anonymous said...

Hi Yasmine and L.H., I'm one of the owners of Burger Nation, and I think both of you for the review!

First of all many thanks for the feedback which only helps further improve on any aspect we are criticized on. We did and still face some hiccups on the service aspect and we assure you we are working on them diligently!

However, I have not been approached, and I'm one of 3 partners with 2 residing outside the country so you must have mistakened the manager with the owner.

I will certainly discuss your feedback in order for you to have a fully satisfactory culinary and service package. For any further feedback, please do not hesitate to email me @ bn@burger-nation.com

Best regards,
Karim