Buffalo Burger

Buffalo Burger was founded in 2008 by the Turki brothers, Suhail and Loai among them, and it started without a dining room. The first branch, in Mohandessin in Cairo, was what the company calls an invisible restaurant: a kitchen that sold burgers only by delivery, long before delivery apps made that model common. A second opened in the Sheraton area.

It has since grown into more than 50 branches across Egypt, reaching Alexandria through a franchise partner in 2018. The company says it supplies them from its own Egyptian factories, and it presents itself as a fully Egyptian brand.

The menu is built on pure beef patties that customers order by weight, 150, 200 or 400 grams, and on a house Buffalo sauce that turns up on most burgers. As in much of the region, the bacon is beef bacon, and many burgers pile on fried extras: onion rings, cheddar-jalapeño bites, mozzarella sticks.

More than 50 branches across Egypt, including Cairo, Alexandria, Tanta and Hurghada.

• Wimpy (South Africa, since 1934). An American burger bar named after Popeye’s hamburger-loving friend, now a South African institution. Also built on beef, heat and cheese.
• RocoMamas (South Africa). South Africa’s loud smashburger chain, with ribs, wings and a build-your-own menu. Also built on beef and cheese.
• Steers (South Africa). South Africa’s flame-grilled burger chain, home of the King Steer. Also built on beef and cheese.
• Dairy Queen (United States, since 1940). The ice cream chain that quietly sells a lot of burgers, especially in Texas. Also built on beef, heat and cheese.