After our event, and then last night’s barbecue for St. John’s Eve……I did not feel like lifting a finger. I feel as if I’ve washed enough dishes to be able to treat myself to having lunch prepared for me.
So, I was craving a burger. To me, a well prepared burger is one of the most divine dishes ever. EVER. I always think of Jimmy Buffet’s “Cheeseburger in Paradise”, and I think to myself, I could probably dedicate a song to quite a number of foods, and a good Cheeseburger would be on the top of my list.
But, even though burger places are cropping up like weeds here in Barcelona, I truly do not think not one of them have a) tried a burger in the US, or b) asked someone American to teach them how to make a burger. You see, my benchmark for burgers is when you bite into them, you get that teeny little bit of grease on your chin. There is nothing worse than a dry burger. Here though, they seem to think that you should make burgers with lean beef, so you never get that juicyness. But Negro Carbon has made a good effort, and I give them a B+. Their burgers are made with Argentine beef, which is amazing, and they are substantially better than all the other burger places that abound in my neighborhood and others.
But, the service is terrible. We waited 35 minutes for our burgers……I mean, were they picking up the beef from the airport? Thank God they brought us out the fries and onion rings, because I was about to have a mini-meltdown!
The fries are definitely home-made, they remind me of the ones my mom would make when I was a kid. I am not sure if the onion rings are made there or not, but they are really, really good!
My boyfriend ordered the “La Gringa” burger, which if you don’t already know, Gringa and gringo means American. The “La Gringa” is made with cheddar, pickles, bacon, lettuce tomato, barbecue sauce and an onion ring.
And I chose my favorite, “Pipi -Cucu”, which has Swiss cheese, caramelized onions and sautéed mushrooms. When I first came to this restaurant, I wondered why on earth they would call a burger by that name. And the waiter told me it’s a story about an Argentine boxer who did a press release in France, and all he had to say was Merci Beaucoup, but instead he said “Pipi Cucu”. Anyhow, funny story or not, I love it. I have a thing for mushrooms and onions, so I can’t go wrong with this burger.
I don’t think I’ve ever gotten dessert here, because I am usually so stuffed after the burgers. But I am sure they will have something nice, maybe next time I should try something else……nah!
So, if you’re in Barcelona and are in the mood for a good burger made with excellent quality beef, come to Negro Carbon!
Negro Carbon
Pla de Palau 16
Barcelona, 08003
+34 93 319 1123
Expat Chef in Barcelona 