Hong Yoo
Style, Eat, Travel
Korea's craft burger scene gets its biggest showcase as 45 brands join 10th American Burger Week 2026 American Burger Week promotional image (USMEF) The 2026 American Burger Week, an annual celebration of American-style craft burgers, is underway in its biggest edition yet, with 45 brands across the country participating through June 21.Organized by the US Meat Export Federation, the three-week promotion kicked off June 1 and marks the event's 10th edition since its 2017 launch. Participating restaurants offer dishes featuring patties and bacon made with US meat at a 20 percent discount. Orders placed through delivery app Yogiyo, a co-sponsor of the promotion, receive an additional 5 percent off, bringing the total discount to 25 percent.This year's lineup includes Zesty Saloon, winner of the 2026 Korea Burger Championship, and Melting Soul, which placed third in the burger category at the 2024 World Food Championship, alongside longtime participants and first-time entries.Over the past decade, some 150 craft burger brands nationwide have taken part in the event.The Korea Herald visited three participating restaurants to meet the owners behind the buns. Lil Burger (Hong Yoo/The Korea Herald) Lil Burger: A cheeseburger as track No. 1Before flipping patties, Lil Burger CEO Lee Kyung-cheol spent his 20s as a DJ and music producer, and burgers and tacos were his soul food. He learned the trade at Burger de Joseon, a burger restaurant near Gyeongbokgung run by his cousin and another participant in this year's event, before opening a place of his own.Music still shapes the way he builds a burger."When I composed music, the bass would sit on the beat and the melody and harmony would layer on top. A burger works the same way. Sauce goes on the bun, the patty on the sauce, then cheese and toppings on the patty. Harmony is what I value most," Lee said.The restaurant itself plays against type. Rather than a grab-and-go joint with disposable trays, Lil Burger is styled like a hotel, complete with a check-in counter, marble tables, carefully chosen cutlery and a vintage service bell. Lee says he wanted a place where friends and families could enjoy a simple but proper meal with some atmosphere. Lil Burger's Jalapeno Cumin Burger (left) and signature Cheese Burger (right) (Hong Yoo/The Korea Herald) The menu reads like an album, with every item numbered like a track. Track No. 1 is the signature cheeseburger. While preparing to open, Lee toured countless burger restaurants and noticed that the best ones all used US beef, so he built his signature around it.The patties are thick and carry a rich, beefy aroma, and a gentle sweetness runs through the burgers, which come with wholegrain mustard for dipping. The taco burger, developed with consulting from star chef Lee Won-il, is also beef-based, a deliberate choice over pork given the restaurant's confidence in its US beef.The jalapeno cumin burger has become the talk of the shop after Rei of K-pop group Ive ranked it among her top three in a burger tasting video. It's deserving of the praise. Unusual but intuitive, it delivers a smoky edge from a touch of barbecue sauce and deep umami."Burgers are American food, but I really believe there are so many people in Korea who make them well. I hope Lil Burger can play a part in getting travelers from abroad to recognize just how good burgers in Korea are," Lee said.89, Jayanggangbyeon-gil, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul Snickers Burger Club (Hong Yoo/The Korea Herald) Snickers Burger Club: Burgers until 7 a.m.Snickers Burger Club was born from a simple observation about Seoul's nightlife."After the pandemic, the share of foreign visitors around here grew enormously. They would go clubbing and drink, and while Koreans cure hangovers with gukbap, I kept wondering what these people would eat. It turned out to be burgers, so I decided to make a burger place that suits this club street," CEO Oh Tak said, running the store in Hapjeong.The bet paid off. Foreigners now make up about 80 percent of customers, and what began as an overnight-only operation has stretched its hours by popular demand. The shop now runs from 11 a.m. until 7 a.m. the next day. Snickers Burger Club's signature Snickers Cheese Burger (left) and Bulgogi Burger (right) (Hong Yoo/The Korea Herald) The menu keeps things simple and classic, anchored by a cheeseburger and a bulgogi burger. Oh says his patties are heavier than most for the price, a commitment he has kept despite rising US beef costs, and a combination of cheddar and white cheese adds a dense, creamy richness that jalapenos cut through and balance."There is nothing particularly special about it. I actually think the hardest thing is delivering the ordinary taste that people want. Rather than playing with techniques, what we want our cheeseburger to do is hit the exact flavor consumers are looking for," Oh said.At the bar-height tables, the burger arrives on a bun toasted in butter, layered with grilled onions, the two cheeses and jalapeno pickles. This simple cheeseburger has real heft, and anyone in search of an authentic American-style cheeseburger should look here.24, Wausan-ro 17-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul Oily Burger's new Bacon Cheese Burger (left) and signature Oily Burger (Hong Yoo/The Korea Herald) Oily Burger: Light enough for every dayOily Burger CEO Park Do-yun spent his early 20s working in fashion before burnout sent him to New York for what was meant to be a monthlong stay. The trip lingered with him, and he returned to the city to study for about a year and a half, landing his first job at Burger Joint in New York.Back in Korea, he opened Oily Burger in Daegu, North Gyeongsang Province, in 2016, before craft burgers had gone mainstream, and customers soon dubbed it the Shake Shack of Daegu. A Seoul branch in Jamsil followed and recently marked its first year."In Seoul, three things have to come together. The space, the visuals and the taste all have to be there for a place to be loved and to last," Park said.His fashion background shows in the details. Staff uniforms are made in-house by himself, and the Jamsil branch pairs an open kitchen and first-floor counter with a dining room upstairs finished in red velvet and wood.Despite the name, Oily Burger chases the opposite of grease. Park describes his style as clean and light, something customers could eat two, three or even four times a week. The signature Oily Burger blends American and Korean sensibilities, with raw onion and a sriracha mayo base developed through hundreds of test rounds to be spicy yet clean for Korean palates.The approach holds up even when eaten three hours after takeout; the burger remained delicious, with a clean finish, a subtle spicy kick, and freshness from the raw onion, lettuce and tomato.For Burger Week, Park introduced a new bacon cheeseburger, his take on a traditional American burger, and says sales in the first week have exceeded expectations. He has also recruited chefs with fine-dining backgrounds for the Jamsil branch, including one who worked at Jungsik, to add more Western touches to the menu.His ambitions reach beyond Seoul."My goal is to go overseas. I want to return to New York with our brand and make burgers with Korean elements there. Exporting it back has always been my dream," Park said.5, Baekjegobun-ro 41-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul
