Burgers, Shakes, with a Side of Side-eye: The Great Burger in Harajuku

June 27, 2024

Sometimes you just want a tall glass of chocolate milkshake. Unfortunately, in Japan, it’s not such a popular item on the menu. Maybe it’s because it’s packed with calories. Maybe it’s because it’s sickeningly sweet. Whatever the reason, it’s a heart’s desire (or in this case, gut’s) that can’t be fulfilled so easily.

So where do you go to pack more pounds that you probably don’t need? An American restaurant, of course. (Honestly, a Filipino restaurant would do a good job at that too.) Enter The Great Burger, styling itself as a South California-inspired burger joint. Nestled among the trendy shops along Harajuku’s Cat Street, this spot promises a slice of Americana in the heart of Tokyo. It’s part of the LDFS family, the same folks behind Good Town Doughnuts and Jennifer Seven, all purveyors of American delights.

Walking into The Great Burger is like stepping into a cute little diner with a bit more flair. The menu is written in English first, with Japanese in smaller fonts. You can’t help but wonder if their customer base is mostly foreigners, or if they just want to make their Japanese patrons feel like they’re on a culinary trip to the U.S.

Their extensive menu boasts a variety of burgers, from your classic cheeseburger to the rarer wagyu and lamb burgers. Toppings include blue cheese, avocado, gorgonzola, baked apple, and more. Vegans would also be pleased to know that they have plant-based options. Fries come in shoestring or wedge varieties, and for a few extra yen, you can upgrade to onion rings.

Beyond burgers, they serve sandwiches, omelets, hotdogs, waffles, and grilled meats. Their dessert list is equally expansive, featuring sundaes, cakes, puddings, and pies. If there were a contest for wide food variety, they’d be strong contenders. (Though let’s be honest, a Chinese restaurant with 100 numbered dishes would probably win.)

With such a tempting menu, you might wonder about the taste. The burgers are juicy and succulent but lean towards the Asian-sized portion. The fries are fresh and crispy, leaving little to complain about. After all, I’ve dined here more than once. Are the burgers as great as the restaurant’s name suggests? Well, maybe not “great,” but definitely “perfectly pleasant.”

Where The Great Burger falls a bit short is in the service department. During my visits, the staff often seem like they’d rather be elsewhere. They go through the motions with the usual Japanese phrases, but the enthusiasm feels lukewarm at best. I don’t know if it’s part of the whole “American-style” vibe, but it certainly lacks the warm, attentive omotenashi hospitality Japan is known for.

In any case, I’m not really there for the staff. This blog post started with a chocolate milkshake craving, and I’m happy to report that after going all the way to Harajuku, browsing the menu, and realizing I have a blender at home to make my own milkshake, I ordered a chocolate sundae. It was delightful.