The biggest challenge when going through the menu at The Sandwich Factory is where do you start? With a wide variety of options, and of course the fact that they have a new item on offer to tempt you each time you walk through the doors – customers certainly are spoiled for choice.

Funnily enough, there are two sides to that coin as owner and the culinary brains behind each dish on the menu Hisham Cader points out. “We always plan that the new products we introduce will be for a Limited Time, but more often than not the response from customers is so positive that most of the items make it onto the main menu. While it is really great that customers love what we create for them, our menu has definitely grown much faster than we had anticipated, there may be a few cuts in the near future!”.

Having commiserated with our predicament he also pointed us in the right direction, informing us that TSF was about to launch a ‘Burger Appreciation Week’, sounds like the perfect time to do a review of the wide selection of burgers on the menu.

So where do we start? The 3D Burger (loaded with 3 patties and all the trimmings) though tempting was definitely too much to take on when trying to taste as many options as possible. What really caught my eye was the stuffed burger range, a pretty nifty TSF Special – who wouldn’t like a patty stuffed with even more meaty, cheesy goodness. My choice the Western BBQ burger, a delicious burger patty stuffed with gooey cheese and jalapeño’s, and topped with crispy onions rings and BBQ sauce. Priced at Rs. 590, that’s a pretty good deal when considering the size of the burger and more importantly the fact that it’s freshly made with good quality meat and fresh toppings, and not to forget the incredible taste.

Next up was the Chilli Cheese Burger. If there is one thing I know it’s that Sri Lankan’s love a fried egg on top of their burger – so it’s no wonder that this has been a best seller. The burger is collection of layers starting from the lettuce and tomato base, the meat patty topped with Chilli Con Carne and a perfect fried egg as the crowning layer. It can get a little messy but, packed full of flavor, and priced at Rs. 520, this burger is definitely worth a little mess.

Talking about layers of deliciousness, one thing that is great about the TSF burgers – which happens to be something that most people forget – is structure. The base of the bun is wide and just the right thickness to hold the patty steady and support the entire burger. In addition each of the layers is carefully laid out with all ingredients and sauces evenly spread ensuring that every bite tastes just as good as the one before it. No issues of getting a chunk of tomato or onion in one bite and none in another. Eventually all the runny juiciness of the burgers will get the better of it, but once you are almost at the end – you don’t really care, at least I didn’t.

Another favourite on the menu is the Spicy Crispy – perfect for all you chicken lovers, there is obviously a reason this is one of their best selling burgers. Melding the best of both worlds by combining TSF’s best selling sandwich – the Philly Cheese Steak – with one of their most popular menu items – the burger – the Philly Cheese Burger is yet another example of a ‘Limited Edition’ introduction that made it onto the menu due to its popularity.

Other worthy choices include the Mexicana, The Jalapeño (yes another from the Stuffed Burger Range) and the Cajun Grilled Chicken. For all you traditionalists of course, what would an American Themed restaurant be without the Half & Quarter Pounders. Vegetarians will not be disappointed as many of the burgers in the TSF menu are available in Paneer, and we hear the Paneer Spicy Crispy is especially good.
If you are a burger lover – and actually even if you are not – TSF is definitely worth a visit for some of the best burgers in town and great value for money on what you are getting. ‘Burger Appreciation Week’ sounds like an event worth checking out, especially since we hear it will include a few Special Edition Burgers.

See the complete TSF menu on their newly launched website at http://www.thesandwichfactory.lk.