Here at Eat Out, we’re dedicated to progress. To science. To the discovery of truth. In the light of this, we recently undertook some research: a survey into the complex social ritual of burger eating.

The hypothesis
The rise of the gourmet burger in South Africa has been nothing short of meteoric. Driven by exciting new ingredients and gourmet sides, the humble hamburger of the nineties has grown into something else entirely. With the clout of pizza or sushi, the burger has become a dish all of its own, worthy of its very own restaurant, its own excursions, and its own ‘best of’ guide.

The history
So what made us into a nation of burger lovers? David Raad of Cape Town burger chain Hudson’s suggests that the trend started overseas a little while before it reached SA shores. “It was the right timing, with the recession,” muses David. “People were looking for a well-priced meal with substance.” Enter the gourmet burger, with an opportunity to taste all manner of things in a wholesome format.

So, how often are we eating burgers? Are we a nation of ‘BLT’-eaters, or do we go for more exotic fillings? And which toppings do customers most identify with, in terms of personality?

The results
270 of you responded to our survey. Not quite a large enough sample for the statisticians, perhaps, but enough to give an idea of the trends of South African burger eaters. An amazing 58.21% of our respondents say they go for burgers once every two weeks. Another 19% say they go at least once a week, and 3% say they go at least twice a week. (Who are you, and why are we not invited?)

Though we love to eat burgers out, it seems they’re a little more effort to make at home. Only 8.8% of you said that you make them at home once every fortnight, though 40% manage it once a month. 41% only make them once in a blue moon and the remaining 9.9% never make them at home at all!

Statistically, beef burgers are the most popular of the patties, garnering 53.5% of the vote. Chicken burgers take the silver (16.9%), and lamb the bronze with 12.1%. Bringing up the rear are ostrich burgers (9.6%), veggie burgers (15%), falafel burgers (3.2%). There were also a resounding two votes for fish burgers, and one for mushrooms.

The top ten toppings:
1. Cheese 21%
2. Lettuce 16.7%
3. Gherkins 13%
4. Avocado 11.3%
5. Bacon 11.2% (almost a tie!)
6. Mushrooms 8.5%
7. Feta 4.9%
8. Peppadews 2.8%
9. Pineapple 2.3%
10. Tzatziki 1.5%

Bun fight
Artisan bread may be on the rise, but it seems that when it comes to burgers, South Africans like to keep it simple. The winning bun? A cheap white one, with 30.5% of the vote. The runner-up, whole-wheat, takes 16.1% of the vote, with foccaccia a close third with 15%. Wheat-free and rye make up only 5.3% of the vote. Other suggestions from the peanut gallery include pita, bun-less burgers and sourdough. Several participants also proselytised on the necessity of sesame seeds atop aforementioned roll. Noted.

The tipple
When it comes to pairing our burgers with beverages, it seems we’re a nation of beer (23.7%), Coca-Cola (19.6%) and red wine (15.4%) drinkers. Despite the sudden appearance of the so-called ‘spiked milkshake’ on menus around the country, only 1.1% of you lot confess to drinking them. Perhaps there’s still hope, though: ordinary milkshakes still make the perfect pairing for 6.6%.

On the side
Chips, as you might expect, reign supreme in this department, with 52.6% of the vote. Onion rings come in second with 28.9%, followed by chilli poppers at 10.9%. The remainder of you lot want salad, wedges and sweet potato fries. Amen to that!

Your favourite burger joints
Royale Eatery won the Cape Town vote, with Hudson's coming in at second with just two votes less; Dukes took the JHB prize; and Ed’s Diner came out tops of the Pretoria restaurants you picked.

You also recommended:

In Gauteng: Burgerville, Cappucinos, Catz Pyjamas, Chickin Tyme, Gourmet Garage, Metropolis, Narina Trogen, The Office, Salvationcafe, 

In Durban: Sapore (Nottingham Road) 

In Cape Town: &Union, Banana Jam, Beefcakes, Bungalow, Café Caprice,  Café Manhattan, Clarke’s Bar and Dining Room, Cooked in Muzineburg,  Cubana, Da Vinci’s, The Dog’s Bollocks, Eat Out of the Box, Espresso.kom, Greens, Harvey’s at the Mansions, Knead, Loading Bay, Manuka, Pastis, Pirates, Richard’s Supper Stage and Bistro, Saints, Starlight Diner, Starlings, Sotano by Caveau and  Zapata .

In the Winelands: 5 Ryneveld, 96 Winery Road, De Akker, La Romantica, The Long Table, Radish and Stormsvlei Farm Stall and Restaurant. 

In Knysna: East Head Café.

In KZN: Billy the Bums and Butcher Block.

As for chains, here are the top four:
1. Steers 43.9%
2. Spur 22.3%
3. McDonalds 9.6%
4. Wimpy 6.9%

And finally…
Since we’re dedicated to serious research, we thought we’d enquire which ingredient you most identified with. Here are the results:
1. Cheese (I am amazing and everybody loves me) – 37%
2. Avocado (I am only in a good mood sometimes, but when I am I am amazing) – 26%
3. Bacon (I am a team player and work well with basically everything, including chocolate brownies) – 14.9%
4. Artisan cheese made from the milk of a goat named Josephine (I will be Instagramming this meal) – 9.2%
5. Figs (I am bohemian and refined) – 4.6%
6. And, our favourite suggestion from the audience: I'd be the bun. I keep all the s@!t together!

By Katharine Jacobs