RESTAURANT OF THE WEEK Billionbox has some pretty strong opinions

The food at Billionbox / Courtesy of Shuttle Delivery

A small burger joint in central Seoul's Gyeongnidan neighborhood issues a pretty strong opinion on its competitors. "We believe that other burgers are shit," it tells you all over the store — on signs out front, inside, on the menu, on worker uniforms and also on some versions of their packaging.

It's a bold claim, and also one that makes customers think of shit as they order and eat the food. This tactic has certainly accomplished its goal, as it has resulted in worldwide infamy. Every few years, an image of the store arises online and people around the world speculate about where it could be. Even Newsweek reported on it in 2021, quoting the owner saying that the restaurant draws from hip-hop culture, and that the logo copies U.S. streetwear brand Supreme.

The first time one of my friends back in Canada shared a viral picture of Billionbox, I went there and tried it for myself, way back in April 2020.

At the time, Billionbox was a pretty sparse restaurant. It had only three seats, all of which were fashioned out of stepladders (now I believe there are only two). Having risen during the pandemic, it definitely focused on takeout orders and delivery, not the in-house dining experience.

As for the ubiquitous message about other burgers, I found that ironic too, since the restaurant was decorated with merch from U.S. burger chains like White Castle and In-N-Out. This left me not taking their boastful slogan about other burgers being shit seriously. (Those homages have since vanished from the store.)

So how's the food? That's one of the last questions everyone seems to ask when a restaurant goes viral. On that first visit, they had a pretty basic menu of sliders with minimal toppings. If I remember correctly, at the time they had two burgers, a single patty and a double. It was inoffensive and not too remarkable, other than for the low prices and corresponding small portions. But they didn't commit any of the other mistakes that are common at local burger restaurants (e.g. stacked too high, impossible to pick up, weird meat, bulgogi sauce, sweet pickles), so the food was enjoyable.

The buns are basic and the meat is fine, and if you're familiar with White Castle you'll definitely see a resemblance. The Cheese Sliders come with a beige-pinkish sauce that I believe (without ever having been) is a copycat of In-N-Out's tangy Animal Sauce, made with ketchup, mayo and a few other ingredients.

They have since expanded the menu significantly. Earlier this year, they expanded to offer seven different burgers, including a Shrimp Slider, a Salt Slider with wasabi, a Perrari Slider with chili peppers and a Fried Vegetable Slider. They also have chicken tenders — regular or spicy — and a Chicken Tender Slider. There are options to order multiple different sliders and a sign displayed at the restaurant boasts that their largest catering record is 1,410 sliders. I ordered two, the Cheese Slider and the new Shrimp Slider, which was surprisingly tasty. I'm curious about the others and definitely will be back.

The message "We believe that other burgers are shit" is displayed everywhere you can look inside Billionbox in Itaewon's Gyeongnidan neighborhood. Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar

As far as burgers in HBC and Gyeongnidan go, it is certainly in the top 10. But you don't hear your friends back home talking about Phillies' burgers. Billionbox may not fully live up to its braggadocio, but don't let that stop you from enjoying their burgers, which are not being done the same by any other burger joint in the area. Just try not to think about shit while you eat.

The Itaewon location is on Shuttle Delivery, for those in the area. For everyone else, Billionbox has sprung up all across Korea, with further Seoul locations in Gangdong District and Songpa District, Gyeonggi Province locations in Seongnam's Bundang District, Gwacheon, Siheung and Hwaseong and other locations in the metropolitan cities of Busan, Pohang and Gwangju. The other locations introduce other amusing catchphrases, like "Eat Slider, Life Better," "You can't make everyone happy, you're not a burger" and "Get Lunch or Diet Trying." Billionbox is open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 9:40 p.m., although there may be a break in there from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.