At Buns Gone Wong, Crispy Wagyu Burgers Start at $7

Brian Wong pops up with his Oklahoma-style smash burgers weekly in Mapunapuna and Waikīkī.

I had been meaning to try the wagyu smash burgers at Buns Gone Wong for a while. The Instagram posts looked fantastic. But more than that, the price tugged at my Chinese heartstrings. A quarter-pound wagyu cheeseburger for $7? By comparison, a Quarter Pounder with cheese at the golden arches is $6.79.

So I head to Paradise Ciders on Koapaka Street, where Brian Wong has been popping up since July. As it turns out, he’s been cooking for many years, most notably at Hula Grill in Waikīkī.

I get a smash burger deluxe ($10), which adds fresh lettuce, tomato and onions to the OG burger’s ($7) single patty with American cheese, grilled onions and Wong’s special sauce. Having that salad on my burger makes it so much healthier. Right?

Wong suggests adding bacon ($2). Salads topped with bacon are always better.

Shaved yellow onions are smashed into the wagyu patty, Oklahoma-style, as it cooks on the grill. The raw onions that top it are sweet, so each juicy bite is full of savory-fresh contrast. The secret sauce (like a remoulade) makes it a three-napkin burger.

I order the crunchy tater tots ($4), which are served with that special sauce on the side for dipping.

If you’re hungry, you can get a double OG smashburger ($11), which is two patties with American cheese, grilled onions and special sauce. The double deluxe has two patties, American cheese, grilled onions, special sauce and fresh lettuce, tomato and onion for $14.

This meal is so big, I only intend to eat half. But it’s so good, I eat the whole thing.

The great thing, of course, is that you can enjoy the burgers and tots in an open-air setting with the ciders and seltzers that Paradise Ciders brews up on-site.

Wong started the pop-up as a joke after making burgers for friends. During football season in January, the owners of Davy’s Evolution Bar in Waikīkī mused that Buns Gone Wong would do well with their drinks. Wong tried it—and it was such a hit, he has been popping up there every Sunday, even beyond football season.

You don’t have to be a sports fan or a drinker to get Buns Gone Wong. This was probably the best burger I’ve had in many years, and the price makes it taste even better.

SEE ALSO: All Our Favorite Burgers in Honolulu

Parking at Paradise Ciders can be a challenge as it’s on-street only, but the workers in the industrial area are usually long gone by the time Wong opens.

Thursday to Saturday 4 to 9 p.m. at Paradise Ciders, 3057 Koapaka St. Mapunapuna; Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Davy’s Evolution Bar, 444 Kanekapolei St. Waikīkī; bunsgonewong.com, @bunsgonewong

Melissa Chang is a longtime contributor to Frolic Hawai‘i. @melissa808