GBD - Tel Aviv’s latest burger diner to deliver delicious burgers

Tel Avivians like to go out, but they also love to order in, and are used to ordering deliveries of pizzas, burgers or sushi (the most commonly delivered foods).

Our very favorite deliveries are of burgers, which we find usually survive the trip well. In recent years, much to our delight, Tel Aviv has turned into a burger capital, with new pop-up places reinventing the sandwich by adding creative toppings (some great and others strange), using different types of meat or baking special buns. Whatever you can dream up, the Tel Aviv eateries are doing.

GDB burgers have been a special secret for those in the know. Local foodies used to line up for the burgers that were served from a small stall in the Carmel Market, and later, in different weekly pop-ups around Tel Aviv. Now, partner butchers George Abado and Arthur Kushnir, from the boutique butchery “Georges Duboeuf” (get the pun?), aka GDB, joined forces with the “We Like You Too” group of restaurateurs, and together they decided to add GDB burgers on Ibn Gvirol street.

A good burger must be made from very good meat. And the GDB burger is first and foremost a piece of very good meat that has not been destroyed. The meat is locally grown Holstein beef, which is dry-aged for at least 21 days, rendering it deep, rich flavors. The meat is so good, it doesn’t need much – a little salt and pepper and careful, knowledgeable grilling. That’s it.

And that is what we loved about the GDB burgers.

The meat was delicious, chopped (rather than ground), seasoned with salt and pepper, and grilled to the exact rare-medium degree. A perfect burger if ever we had one.

Aside from the burgers, GDB serve meat toppings – from sliced sirloin to aged Denver cut, or lamb-bacon, as well as their classic burger, served with arugula, jalapeño pepper and aioli. Other toppings include Italian Taleggio cheese.

The buns – baked on the premise – are more brioche than burger buns, and they all have a strange-looking black square on top. “What is it?” we asked, and discovered it was a layer of black garlic that adds a smoky aroma and tastes slightly sweet and salty. Certainly it makes for a very noticeable hallmark.

These days, according to lock-down regulations, GDB only delivers, but they know how to do it right. The burgers arrived warm and delicious, the meat was prepared to perfection, and we loved the fries.

In fact, the meat was so good I had to try part of it without the toppings.

We tasted one burger with sirloin slices and one with lamb-bacon toppings. Both were great and very satisfying. Not only were the meats perfect, but the toppings and side orders were fantastic too: great buns, wonderful sauces and fantastic fries.

The fries at GDB are the good kind – not made from industrial frozen chips but cut and fried at the restaurant, and the portions were very large.

If ever you crave a good, hearty burger, we say this is it.

The price is right too. Regular burgers go for NIS 45, a meal with fries and a beer or soft drink is NIS 61, and special burgers cost from NIS 62-NIS 78 , including fries and a beer.

And it’s not only the burgers. Another recommended dish here is the steak & chip: 150 grams of aged beef sirloin, aged for 21 days and grilled for NIS 79. There is also a vegan option and a few delicious desserts. We chose the Crack Pie. While we did say “too sweet” when we first tasted it, soon enough we were fighting for the last bite.