We Crossed The Border To Try JB’s Viral Woodfire Burgers So You Don’t Have To

Woodfire has loaded burgers in Johor Bahru

While gourmet burger joints are aplenty in Singapore, we reckon Woodfire JB competes with most of them. The Malaysian burger joint, which has been trending on social media for a while now, is known for their huge loaded burgers. They have outlets all across Malaysia, including several in Johor Bahru that have gained a strong following among Singaporeans, us included.

Food at Woodfire

My colleague and I tried two out of the 10 burgers they had on the menu. Despite that, we started questioning our abilities to finish them, as they arrived much heftier than we had pictured. 

First up, the most raved about of the lot: the Brisket Burger (RM39.90+). This burger was packed with a juicy beef patty, beef brisket, caramelised onions, lettuce, sliced cheese, and pickles. They use a brioche bun, which is a lot more buttery and soft than a standard burger bun. 

After I got over the initial struggle of trying to fit this beast of a burger into my mouth, I was met with a delicious burst of flavours. The sweetness from the onions, savouriness from the beef patty, saltiness from the cheese, and tang from the chopped pickles all came together remarkably.

Although the patty was meaty and juicy, the brisket was a let-down: dry and hard to chew through. The toughness of the brisket ended up posing made it even harder to chew through what was already a dense burger.

Next, we had the Gourmet Chicken Burger (RM20.90+). This featured chicken as the protein of choice, a switch-up from their generally beef-dominated menu. Though this burger paled in comparison to their much more interesting options, it was still quite a banger in all its simplicity. 

The chicken thigh was juicy and crispy, though it lacked the additional spice that would have given the patty more dimension. But where the chicken lacked, the sauce made up for in its flavour. It was like a buttermilk sauce: creamy and savoury with a subtle dash of spice. 

Of course, no fast food meal is complete without a serving of fries, so we got their Coney Fries (RM13.90+) to share. The curly fries, which were already perfectly well-seasoned on their own, were loaded with a tomato and minced beef sauce, and a drizzle of nacho cheese.

Each coil was nicely crispy, and we noticed that they did not turn soggy even after being loaded with sauces. The tomato sauce lent a nice tanginess to the fries, but we felt that they could have added more minced beef to the mix. 

We washed down the burgers with a Vanilla Milkshake (RM16.90+) and a Salt Cola Float (from RM4.50+). The former was like a milky melted down vanilla ice cream, and the latter was a fizzy coke with a pinch of salt, topped with vanilla ice cream. These drinks were not particularly outstanding, but they did the job in quenching our thirst in the intense Malaysian heat. 

Ambience at Woodfire

We dined at the chain’s most visited outlet in JB, which is located at Johor Tourist Information Centre AKA Jotic, a seven-minute drive from Johor Bahru checkpoint. The space itself adopts a bright red and black interior, with plenty of booth seats for groups of five and six. 

Woodfire – Eatbook review

TLDR; we think that Woodfire is pretty deserving of all the hype they have received over the past year. Though the burgers are not as affordable as what you would get at other Malaysian burger chains, it is worth the extra penny for the quantity and quality you are getting. 

These burgers might give your jaw a workout, but they are indulgent, beefy, and definitely worth coming back for, especially if you love cheeseburgers. 

For other good eats in JB, check out Zen Plus Korean BBQ for an all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ buffet starting from just $15! Else, check out The Bagel Factory, a new bagel cafe located a 15-minute drive from JB customs.

Website | Full list of outlets
Woodfire is a halal-certified eatery. 

Photos taken by Paula Formantes.
This was an independent visit by Eatbook.sg.