Burger restaurant near Daeheung Station for a customized set: Quokka

These days the mornings and evenings have gotten quite cool with a nice breeze. The unusually long, hot summer is slowly passing and fall might finally be on its way haha. The midday sun is still pretty strong, but stepping into any shade cools you down instantly, so lately just walking around has felt good.

I happened to have a bit of free time on a weekday afternoon, so I was walking around from Gongdeok Station to Daeheung Station running some errands I'd been putting off. By the time I finished, lunchtime had long passed, and my stomach was growling so loudly lol. Since I had to eat alone, I kept thinking 'what should I eat today?' and figured I might as well go for something filling and delicious, so I started looking around the alleys near Daeheung Station.

Then, right at the entrance of an alley, a cute-looking storefront caught my eye. I ended up walking in like I was drawn by a spell!

So today I'm introducing a handmade burger spot near Daeheung Station — Quokka Bite :)

Where is Quokka Bite, and what are its hours?

Quokka Bite is located at 11 Baekbeom-ro 24-gil, 1st floor, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea. Hours are 11:00–21:00, with a break time from 15:00–17:00. You can also call ahead.

It wasn't hard to find since it's not far from Daeheung Station, and it's also a convenient spot to reach from Gongdeok Station, so it would work well for anyone searching for good food near Daeheung or Gongdeok.

Inside Quokka Bite: terrace seats and quokka goods

The first thing that caught my eye as soon as I arrived was this cute little terrace. There were tables set up under parasols, and the vibe was really nice. I thought that once the weather cools down a bit more, sitting here with a warm handmade burger and a cold draft beer would be perfect. Especially for anyone who loves the burger-and-beer combo, this is a spot that's hard to walk past haha.

The midday sun was still too strong that day, so I only got to admire the terrace with my eyes and went into the air-conditioned interior instead. But stepping inside gave off a completely different feeling from outside.

Overall it had a warm, cozy atmosphere, and true to the store's name, it was filled everywhere with cute quokka plushies and merchandise. Just looking at the quokka's signature cheerful expression made me feel happier too lol.

Even going in alone didn't feel awkward at all, and the table spacing and overall layout felt spacious enough that it would suit anyone looking for a good solo dining spot near Daeheung Station.

Flame-grilled handmade burgers from a Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef

Sitting down and looking over the menu, I was a bit surprised by something. I thought it was just a cute neighborhood burger joint, but it turns out Quokka Bite is a flame-grilled burger brand launched directly by a chef trained at Le Cordon Bleu. Learning that it's run by a chef with 10 years of experience suddenly made me even more curious about the burgers haha.

Reading the brand story written up in the store, I learned that the chef started this brand because of a happiness they couldn't forget — a single bite of a burger eaten hastily, crouched in a corner of a busy kitchen, back when they were working in Australia.

Smile With Every Bite

That's probably why the store's slogan is this. Once I knew the story, the cute quokka character and the brand's overall vibe made even more sense together. Rather than just piling in lots of ingredients to make something big and flashy, they focus on making the bun, patty, vegetables, and sauce come together naturally in one bite. Especially the combination of a savory brioche bun and a flame-grilled beef patty — just reading the menu made me even hungrier lol.

Can you order without cheese and swap the side to sweet potato fries?

What I picked at Quokka Bite was the Avocado Smash Quokka Burger set. I left out the cheese, and swapped the default fries side for sweet potato fries instead.

The menu was quite varied, too. From the basic Quokka Burger to a double-patty burger, chicken burger, hot chicken burger, and shrimp burger, there was plenty to choose from depending on your taste. After much deliberation, I went with the Avocado Smash Quokka Burger set since I really love avocado ‼️‼️‼️

And here's a little personal ordering tip. I don't really like the smell or texture of cheese, so I nervously asked if they could leave it out — and the staff happily said yes. They kindly told me they'd cook it to fit my taste, which put me in a good mood from the moment I ordered.

Swapping to sweet potato fries was really the right call. If you're heading to Quokka Bite, I'd personally recommend trying the sweet potato fries at least once haha.

Patties grilled over flame the moment you order

After ordering and sitting down, the kitchen started grilling the patty right away. I could hear it sizzling on the open flame grill, and before long the whole restaurant filled with the savory smell of meat and smoke. The wait was around 5 to 10 minutes, but since I was starving, the smell made it feel even longer lol.

And while I was eating, delivery riders kept coming in one after another. Even though it was an odd time slot slightly past lunch, the steady stream of delivery orders made me think this place is also pretty well known for delivery handmade burgers around the Daeheung–Gongdeok area.

What the Avocado Smash Quokka Burger looks and tastes like

The burger I ordered finally arrived!

The moment I saw the tray, I just had to take pictures lol. Between the glossy brioche buns sat a hefty patty, packed with green leaf lettuce, tomato, and avocado. I especially loved how generous the avocado portion was. The burger itself was much thicker than I expected, so at first I thought 'how am I supposed to eat this?' lol. But you know a handmade burger is best enjoyed by pressing it down with both hands and taking a big bite.

Starting with the sweet potato fries

Before diving into the burger, I picked up a sweet potato fry first. Freshly fried and still warm, it was crispy outside and soft inside. There was a subtle natural sweetness from the sweet potato that paired really well with the salty burger — a sweet-and-salty combo that worked great.

I personally prefer sweet potato fries to regular fries, so my satisfaction was pretty high with this choice. If you're deciding on your set side, I'd definitely recommend swapping to sweet potato fries too!

The smoky char you notice in the first bite

Now for the main event — the Avocado Smash Burger. I pressed it down with both hands and took a big bite. The first thing I noticed was that signature smoky char. The outside of the patty was grilled to a savory, deep flavor, while the inside stayed juicy, so the meaty flavor came through more the more I chewed. It wasn't overly greasy or heavy either — it was surprisingly clean to eat.

I had worried leaving out the cheese might make it a bit bland, but that wasn't the case at all. If anything, the meaty flavor and smoky char of the patty came through even more clearly.

And what I liked most about this burger was definitely the avocado. Having something soft and creamy nestled between the rich beef patty made everything taste that much smoother. On top of that, the crisp green leaf lettuce and tomato and the house sauce tied the whole flavor together naturally. The smoky char of the patty, then the softness of the avocado, then the freshness of the vegetables — it all came in sequence. So even though the burger was thick, it wasn't overwhelming at all. In the end I finished every last bite by myself lol. I started eating because I was hungry, but by the time I finished I felt genuinely full and satisfied.

A cute quokka fan from the owner

As I was wrapping up my meal, the owner of Quokka Bite gave me a cute little quokka fan as a gift. These small gestures somehow stick in your memory for a long time. It had a cheerfully smiling quokka drawn on it, and it was so cute that I thought I'd survive the last of this summer's heat with it haha.

The burger was delicious, but being looked after so warmly right up to the very end made the whole meal end on a happy note.

Next time: burgers and beer on the Quokka Bite terrace

I actually visited alone this time, but as I walked out after eating so well, I suddenly thought of my husband. He really loves burgers and tends to go looking for good handmade burger spots on weekends. He's pretty particular about things like the meaty flavor, the smoky char on the patty, and how fresh the vegetables are, so I thought he'd really enjoy this place.

So next time I'm planning to come back with him. Once the weather cools down a bit more, sitting on that terrace I spotted earlier, each of us with our own burger and some beer, sounds perfect. My husband would probably get the double patty burger, and I'm thinking of trying the Nashville hot chicken burger this time. With a cold draft beer on the side, it'd make for a proper weekend date haha.

What was good about Quokka Bite?

This visit to Quokka Bite left a strong impression less of fast food and more of a proper handmade burger place where you can really enjoy flame-grilled patties and fresh ingredients. In particular, these are the things I liked.

• Flame-grilled burgers from a Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef
• Beef patty with a vivid smoky char
• Savory brioche buns
• The combination of avocado and fresh vegetables
• Menu items like cheese can be customized to your taste
• Side can be swapped for sweet potato fries
• A comfortable atmosphere even for solo diners
• A terrace where you can enjoy beer and burgers together

Above all, I loved that visiting alone didn't feel awkward at all. If you're looking for a good solo dining spot near Daeheung Station, or want a proper flame-grilled handmade burger around Gongdeok or Mapo, I think it's worth a visit at least once. Next time I'll be bringing my husband to properly enjoy beer and burgers on the terrace lol. You know how eating something delicious makes your whole day feel a little happier? That day, I had a satisfying meal at Quokka Bite and headed back out to finish my errands in a great mood.