Danish burger joint gaining international recognition
How a converted petrol station on Landgreven became one of the world's five best burger joints
A converted petrol station on Landgreven, a few blocks from Kongens Nytorv, does not look like it holds international titles, but Gasoline Grill has done exactly that. Coming into the spotlight in the past few years, this burger has landed number five in the World’s 101 Best Burger Places this year.
The organic, smash burgers first drew crowds in 2016, when Danish owner Klaus Wittup started grinding fresh beer out of the old petrol station kitchen. This newfound taste for burgers developed while studying in Wyoming, recognising the different sensation of an American cheeseburger.
Since its initial opening, which was a simple note on Wittup’s Facebook page, the burgers have featured in the US media outlet Bloomberg’s “World’s Best Burgers” and appeared on Netflix’s Somebody Feed Phil.
This turned a single roadside stand into a queue-out-the-door institution with ten locations across the city, in popular locations like Tivoli Gardens and Broens Street Food, quickly becoming an internet sensation.
Mia, 20, a local who eats here often, says the burger stands out from the competition.
"You can tell it is made differently from others; it is a pretty good burger."
American exchange students, unsurprisingly, are harder to win over. Natalie, 19, admits it’s not what she would get back home.
"It's better than other ones I have had here [Copenhagen], but I still think America does it better."
The mixed reactions from international and locals capture what makes Gasoline Grill’s rise notable: A Danish take on an American classic, good enough to be ranked among the world’s best but still measured by exchange students from the very country that inspired it.
