Gwanak burger restaurant with rye toast patty melt: Daily Fix

Now that the weather has gradually gotten cooler, there are more days when I want to feel the breeze and walk around rather than stay indoors. I had barely ever been to Gwanak-gu in my life, but I found myself back near Seoul National University Entrance for the first time in a while.

🍔 A burger spot where crispy rye toast, a rich Korean beef patty, and a cool breeze came together for a proper autumn meal

I had an errand near Seoul National University Entrance, so I stopped by Daily Fix Seoul National University Entrance for a light meal, thinking I would walk all the way to Syarosu-gil afterward.

It is on the ground floor close to Seoul National University Entrance Station, so it was easy to find. What caught my eye first was the open-front layout, with the whole front of the shop opened up. A gentle autumn breeze was drifting in, so even while sitting indoors, it felt a little like eating on a terrace. The yellow benches and wood tables also made the interior feel casual and neat.

Is it easy to eat alone near Seoul National University Entrance?

There are seats that work well for one person, and every table can order through a tablet, so it looked like a pretty convenient spot for a solo meal near Seoul National University Entrance too.

• Double Cheese Burger ₩15,900
• Bacon Cheese ₩12,900
• Pastrami Sandwich ₩15,900

• 18 Fries ₩6,900
• Chili Cheese Fries ₩9,900
• Chicken Strips ₩19,900
• Chicken Wings ₩14,900
• Chili Cheese Nachos ₩14,900

That day, I ordered the new patty melt, a classic cheeseburger, veggie sticks, and non-alcoholic beer.

What does the rye toast patty melt taste like?

I started with the patty melt I had been most curious about, and it definitely felt different from an ordinary hamburger. Instead of a soft bun, it has a rich Korean beef patty, cheese, and caramelized onions between crisp-grilled rye toast.

Cut in half, the patty was quite thick. One bite brought the toast's crunch first, followed right away by the patty's juices and the cheese's savory richness. The gentle sweetness of the long-cooked onions joined in too, making it salty, savory, and deeply flavorful. It landed somewhere between a grilled sandwich and a handmade burger, which made it a fun change from the usual.

With the thick-cut fries that came alongside it, just one plate was quite filling.

A classic cheeseburger that stays true to the basics

The classic cheeseburger was good too. It is a relatively simple build of a Korean beef patty and cheese inside a glossy bun, but with a basic menu item like this, the patty has to be good in the end, right? The juicy patty with melted cheese was, as expected, a combination that is hard to go wrong with. Rather than piling in lots of flashy extras, it focused on the meat and cheese flavors, which suited my taste well.

Veggie sticks I kept reaching for

The veggie sticks were the unexpected thing I kept reaching for. You dip carrots and celery in the sauce, and having crunchy vegetables between bites of patty and fries refreshed my palate every time. I ordered them for health reasons at first, but later I kept picking at them simply because they were tasty, haha.

With a cold non-alcoholic beer alongside it, it suited that day's weather so well. A bite of burger and a sip of a cold drink in the autumn breeze gave me a proper weekend feeling without having to go far for an outing.

Walk to Syarosu-gil after your burger

Among the restaurants around Seoul National University, it is a good fit for days when you want an easy, unfussy meal, and it is close to Seoul National University Entrance Station too. After eating, I slowly walked over to Syarosu-gil. After filling up on burgers, walking a little made the guilt feel just a tiny bit lighter... haha.

If you want to find food around Syarosu-gil, have a handmade burger, and continue with a walk nearby, the route was quite good too. Personally, the classic cheeseburger was tasty as well, but if I went back, I think I would order the patty melt again for its memorable crispy rye toast.

Final thoughts

• 🍔 The patty melt's combination of Korean beef patty and crispy rye toast was especially memorable.
• 🧀 The cheeseburger is a straightforward, well-executed combination focused on patty and cheese.
• 🥕 The veggie sticks brought surprisingly good balance between the hearty burgers.
• 🌬️ The open-front shop has an especially lively atmosphere in cool weather.
• 🚶 It is easy to reach from Seoul National University Entrance Station, then continue on to a Syarosu-gil walk.