Burger cravings are real. And you better believe it, they can get too much at times. But there are moments when you say to yourself – you want something different from the usual fare in Karachi. This week, my quest for that finding that one-of-a-kind burger led me to Howdy, conveniently located not too far from where I work at DHA Phase 6, Karachi.
Howdy styles itself as a pioneer of the gourmet burger in Pakistan, all the way back in 2012. They have been operational for 8 years now. After enjoying success in Lahore and the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, they opened their stores in Karachi as well.
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This fast food franchise is relatively new in Karachi, with two outlets in the City of Lights. One (where we visited) is located at Khayaban-e-Seher, DHA, Phase 6, and the other one is located on the food street of Lucky One Mall.
Howdy is renowned for its burgers, especially their beef burgers. After hearing so much about them, we just had to give it a whirl. Oh and that’s just the beginning. Howdy’s got more than just burgers and here’s what we ended up trying.
Shall we begin?
The Howdy Menu
The menu is pretty diverse by the way. You won’t just find burgers with a variety of meat options, they also have sandwiches, steaks, rotisserie chicken, and desserts. It all seems pretty standard fare at first glance, but in our experience, Howdy does things rather differently than other fast food joints.
Just by taking a look at their menu book (I swear it’s not a card), you can see how much effort and creativity has gone into the process.
What we ordered
Burger – Son of a Bun
Like I said before, Howdy is known for its beef burgers so it wouldn’t be fair not to try it. They recommended trying Son of a Bun, a double-stack beef burger with double cheese and turkey strip. My colleague went with the recommendation and here’s what he thought.
First, let’s take a look at how it looks because *whispers good looks matter*.
Ok, we will be honest. Son of a Bun was just wow. It was juicy. The meat had a smoky aroma, and the sauces and the double cheese slices was like the cherry on top.
The fries on the side, which are called Country Cowboy served as a great compliment to the burger, crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, just how we like it.
Burger – Super Prawn Star
I opted for a ‘flavor of the sea’ aka Howdy’s Super Prawn Star burger. Because like I said, I wanted something different.
Now let me make one thing very clear here. I’m not at all a seafood fan. But on occasion, I sample it.
Despite my biases, I insisted on trying this one out. Thankfully, it was amazing. It looked pretty inviting, smelled just right, and was good on the tastebuds.
What I’m trying to say is that Super Prawn Star is a treat for seafood lovers. Even people like me, who are just occasional seafood eaters, can definitely give this a try as well.
And may I just add that the cheese patty between the meat was delightful? It was nom nom nom!
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With Super Prawn Star, we tried Howdy‘s regular fries (the one we talked about earlier) and their curly fries (just to be fancy). But unlike the regular fries, the curly fries, aka the Frenzy were a bit more crispy and crunchy. And I liked them better with my burger.
Steak – Beef Bone Marrow Steak
Now, we are about to reveal the star of the evening, which is *drumrolls* the Beef Bone Marrow Steak. You guys, if I tell you that nobody is doing steaks like Howdy in Karachi then you have to take my words as gospel and try it out yourselves. I’m not even kidding!
It was a perfectly balanced meal and in my opinion, this stuff is enough for 2 people. It comes with mac n cheese, spinach, and artichoke, roasted garlic, aubergine, fresh salad, broccoli, and mushrooms on the side.
The steak is cooked medium rare and it just melts into your mouth. If anyone wants to have the ‘fine dine’ experience, head over to Howdy and order their Beef Bone Marrow Steak. Trust me, it’s worth every penny.
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Dessert – Chocaine
No meal is complete without a dessert right? Can you even enjoy your food if you didn’t go for ice cream or a cupcake afterward? Desserts are very important and keeping that mind, we tried Chocaine, which is a really beautiful chocolate Nutella cake with peanut butter on top.
This cake hit right in the kokoro with the perfect balance of sweet and salty. People who enjoy the combination of Nutella and peanut butter will love Chocaine. It’s THAT good.
Ambiance and Service
As soon as you enter the restaurant, you can feel the Western country vibes. The servers are dressed in cowboy hats and suspenders and the overall look of the restaurant is very unique. You can see tables on barrels, cowboy-themed wall decor can be seen everywhere and even the beverage bar is really cool.
As you all know, we are still living in the COVID times and thus restaurants are strictly advised to follow SOPs. On that front, Howdy ticks off all the right boxes. The staff was wearing face masks and a bottle of hand sanitizer was provided with our food so that we can keep the virus at bay.
To put it simply, it was a lovely experience. The service was great and the way Howdy was following the SOPs is really commendable.
A cut above from the rest
Here’s why Howdy stands out. They are not only serving gourmet burgers in the K-town but their steaks and desserts are just as good. It’s basically a place for everyone and they aren’t compromising at the quality.
Sure, it’s a little bit pricier like most gourmet burger places in K-Town. But their product differentiation speaks for itself.
Plus, if you visit their outlets during the ‘Wowdy Howdy hours’ which is 4-7 p.m., you can avail great deals like this one below.
Have you tried Howdy yet? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
