Friday Foodie: BurgerFuel

I was generally excited when I heard a new casual burger place was coming to my Broad Ripple neighborhood because I like burgers! But I didn’t get specifically excited until I learned BurgerFuel is a popular New Zealand chain and Indiana is getting the VERY FIRST United States location. The restaurant is quite successful in many other countries with fans requesting a local option for years, so it’s crazy that Indianapolis became the first attempt at bringing the delicious goodness across the ocean. A friend from school obsessed over BurgerFuel when studying abroad and ecstatically invited me to check it out during the opening week.

I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I quickly found my way around the bright purple restaurant with real-life sports cars parked in front. I learned how to use a “doofer” (a cardboard burger holder to avoid multiple sandwich pieces falling all over your plate) and I picked up on their use of aioli, of which I definitely approve. I also found out about their multiple vegetarian and vegan options, which should please quite a few of my friends.

The style is fast casual with ordering stations at the front of the restaurant. The area was packed and the music was loud, so it was a bit of a sensory overload. Everything on the menu sounded good, but I settled on the “C N Cheese” burger with cheddar cheese, tomato relish, and Dijon mustard while Husband ordered the “Bastard” burger with bacon, smashed avocado, chia, and papaya. I chose a side of the sweet potato fries and Husband tried the “Motobites,” a fried mush combination of pumpkin, carrot, and chickpea. I was too full to try one of their gourmet shakes, so I decided to save that for another time.

Verdict on food? My burger was great! Juicy and flavorful and full of cheesy goodness. I was surprised that my fries and Motobites were pretty dry with little improvement done by the different aioli flavors. Prices were pretty reasonable ($7-$10 per entree). Service was friendly. Atmosphere was clean, colorful, and cheerful.

Indianapolis has multiple burger options, so I’m not sure if I would preferentially chose BurgerFuel over something else, but it’s definitely a spot that deserves another visit to check out additional menu options (like chicken!) and get the full experience without so many (opening week) people. It already has such a following, though, that I don’t think my opinion is really going to change much.

Overall Rating: 4/5

What does everyone else think of BurgerFuel??