It’s a wonderful thing to visit new countries and taste authentic, local cuisine. For many this is the highlight of traveling. But if you’ve been on the road for a while or if you’re an expat sometimes you just have to have the taste of home. Enter Circle Cafe. An unassuming café that specializes in burgers and other American short-order favorites on Cua Dai Road about a third of the way to the beach.
For many Hoi An expats, Circle Cafe is a must-have hit at least once a week. Tourists have been discovering it too and several Trip Advisor reviewers claim Circle Cafe burgers are the best they’ve ever had!
Yes, Circle Cafe makes some of the best burgers in Vietnam. What’s the secret? It’s the Juicy Lucy – a Minneapolis invention stuffed with cheese before cooking – that’s the huge crowd-pleaser served with the warning to take care as the hidden molten cheese will be piping hot. But chef, Anh, has a deft touch with all her creations: from BLTs to Vietnamese staples including the backpacker favorite – hangover noodles.
Meanwhile, Jeff keeps front-of-house running smoothly and customers are invariably smiling contentedly. The customer service is exemplary and on our visit the prevailing good mood was infectious. We settled in among cheerful yellow-slatted table-tops and, as we sipped our icy cold beers waiting for the burgers to arrive, Country Music star Alison Krauss drifted across the room. For a while I was transported to country town America but the oh so familiar Asian traffic hubbub outside dragged me back to earth eventually.
At Circle repeat customers are common.
