Friday is done. And if you’re one who believes in fasting during Fridays during lent, and probably no meat during the Holy Week, then this weekend would be a good time to stock up that flubby tummy. A good burger perhaps? With enough bang of taste to last an entire week. Let’s see. How about Charlie’s Burger.

First off, my apologies. No, not about talking meat during lent. I’m sorry that the photos of the burger are, how do I put it, dull and unappealing. Let me assure you that Charlie’s burger is far from unappealing. It’s one of the really good burgers that we’ve tried so far. Whether the best or better than which one, that’s something we’ll reserve in some burger challenge.

We consumed the burger in the car, not in the restaurant where lighting is ideal and the burger not crumpled in the wrapping. We were on the way to a kiddie birthday party, with little time to spare. Also, I was disheartened with the serious lack of parking space at the Charlie’s Grind and Grill. A cold, uncaring staff only makes the feeling much worse. She simply shrugged her shoulders and said there’s no parking. A suggestion would have been appreciated. What does she want me to do? Have a car wash just so I’ll have somewhere to park the car?

Well, well, come to think of it, maybe that’s the plan. But hey, enough of the rant. I still like this burger, served in a burger joint separated from a car wash by a plastic curtain.

It’s the last place on earth you’d expect to find a burger joint known for its really good burgers (fish and chips, as well as chicken wings, I’ve heard). The instruction given to us was to look for a car wash somewhere near the Pasig Provincial Capitol. Along Shaw Boulevard coming from the direction of EDSA, turn right at the rotunda in front of the Provincial Capital (with the Petron Gas Station at the corner), we were told. Then take a left turn. That was it. The instruction was short of one block and it took us another 15 minutes to find the place. To make your life easier, the address is 16 East Capitol Drive. Here’s the map.

The moment I took a bite of the Black Angus Burger, the bestseller suggested by the staff, the car wash ceased to exist. My blood stopped boiling. I started regretting not going inside the restaurant to enjoy the burger amidst bright orange chairs. I started eating the burger (and taking the photos of the burger) inside the car. That’s why I apologized at the start of this post.

Nobody told me about the parking problem. So, when you go there, expect a parking problem and prepare yourself. That way, you’ll enjoy your burger better than we did.

Like game card collection that’s almost complete, it’s difficult to look for the remaining pieces in our to-go list of burger joints. There are around four or five burger joints left in our list (which could expand if you have suggestions of great burgers to try). The Charlie’s Burger is one of them. One down. Three (or four) to go.