I had never been to another side of Muntinlupa that’s not Alabang until I attended this year’s Munzinelupa. I live in a city far, far away called Malabon, and it took me a three-hour bus ride on a Saturday just to reach Picked Café in Muntinlupa. To be fair, it’s just one easy bus ride (looking at you, Makati commute). Since I was already deep down south of Metro Manila, a friend told me to stay for a little while and explore the south a bit. He recommended a fiesta in the next town, but I wasn’t too keen to stay ‘til late. So, he suggested a nearby burger joint instead.
The burger place is Hey Ho Garage Burgers. According to him, it’s popular and it’s one of the good restaurants in Muntinlupa. Popularity is easy to obtain, but what is “goodness” especially when it comes to a ubiquitous snack? I wonder.
Hey Ho is located inside a quiet village in Muntinlupa. Tucked inside a garage complete with a graffiti, it’s easy to assume that Hey Ho is just another gimmicky concept. That’s until you get your burger of choice. That’s when you’ll realize that their burgers are special.
The selections of grilled-to-order one-third pound burgers here ranges from a simple cheese burger to more experimental ones. The Lulu, for example, has a thin spread of peanut butter and chili-onion jam. Weirdly enough, this odd addition to the savory burger works so well you’d want peanut butter on every burger you’ll have after. It’s a balancing act between the heat of the chili-onion jam and the the creamy peanut butter.
The buns, on its own, are also interesting. While it looks and feels like the usual burger buns, Hey Ho Burgers’ buns taste a little sweeter and a bit buttery. This is possibly the reason why even the spicy Timebomb burger doesn’t overwhelm the palate. The said burger features layers of green-chili poppers (a snack on its own), jalapeños, and sriracha aioli with their juicy patty and a spread of cream cheese.
With an array of options, Hey Ho lets you try three mini burgers of different flavors in one order through their Boatless-Burg-Cruise. This is great for diners with small appetite. Each order of the trio comes with your preferred side—go for the onion rings!
Hey Ho Burgers has only one branch, but they have a van that frequents Bauan in Batangas—yeah, far south again. But as someone from northern Metro Manila, I’d be willing to take a three-hour bus ride just for these burgers.
Hey Ho Garage Burgers is located in Big Bend St., Park Homes Subdivision, Tunasan, Muntinlupa City
Art by Aira Ydette