Sweet Ecstacy: Is It Really One of the Best Burgers in the World?

When a burger joint is dubbed as having the best burger in the Philippines, you can’t help but walk in with high expectations. Sweet Ecstasy, or Sweet X, made waves back in 2020 after landing the 37th spot on Big 7 Travel’s list of the 50 Best Burgers in the World. That kind of recognition made me curious enough to give them a shot.

Unfortunately, despite the hype, my experience didn’t quite live up to the global praise.

Sweet Ecstasy isn’t bad, but it definitely didn’t live up to the world-class title it once earned. The food had its moments, especially the quality of the beef and the creativity of some menu items. But overall, the experience from flavor imbalances to service mishaps left me feeling more puzzled than satisfied.

The Cheeseburger

I always start with the basics because if a place can’t nail the fundamentals, then all the fancy twists don’t matter. Sweet X’s cheeseburger had a decent start. The beef flavor stood out and wasn’t drowned in too much seasoning, which I appreciated. The patty was well-cooked, juicy, and honest. The bread, however, was just okay. There’s nothing remarkable in it. But for the price, I expected fries to be included. It’s a minor detail, but it added to the overall underwhelming feel.

The Grilled Cheese Cheeseburger

This one sounded like a dream. My two favorite sandwiches combined! But sadly, the execution was a letdown. The flavors got a bit muddled. The heavy sauces overpowered the beef, which defeated the purpose of having a quality patty. The toast added a satisfying crunch, and the cheese was good, but the burger turned out too greasy. I appreciated the garlic sauce, but it couldn’t save the imbalance of flavors. In the end, we preferred the version with veggies as it felt more harmonious.

Soy Honey Wings

The wings without the sauce were stunning. The tempura-like breading was flawless, crispy, and clung well to the meat. The chicken was flavorful on its own, but we ordered Honey Soy and barely got any of that sweet-salty punch. No sauce was dripping and no hint of flavor was seeping into the skin. It just wasn’t what we expected. My husband tried the Honey BBQ version as well and he didn’t enjoy it either. Something about the flavor felt off, though we couldn’t quite put our finger on it.

We gave Sweet Ecstasy another, hoping to get that world-class flavors of a burger. We had them delivered as we couldn’t leave the house. I ordered via Tablevibe at 12:30 PM. Foodpanda marked it as delivered at 1:03 PM, but it actually arrived at 2:33 PM through Lalamove. The two-hour gap and the change of couriers left me frustrated. I don’t know whether the blame lies with Tablevibe, Foodpanda, or Sweet Ecstasy’s system, but this kind of service just adds to the disappointment.

The Smashed Steamburger

This burger was apparently the game-changer that helped Sweet X get on the world map. So I was eager to try it, especially since it combined their smashing technique with their popular steamburger. Sadly, it was another miss. The beef flavor disappeared. The patty turned dry and overly toasted, and the caramelized onions and cheese couldn’t bring it back to life. Did they smash the flavor away, too?

Ecstasy Fries

Fries topped with caramelized onions? I was intrigued. Surprisingly, the topping wasn’t the problem as it actually worked. The real issue was the fries themselves. They tasted stale, like a day-old Mcdonald’s fries. Even with the generous toppings, the dryness peeked through. The sauces were excessive that it eventually made the whole dish taste too sour.