Fletcher Davis of Athens, Texas claimed to have invented the hamburger. According to oral histories, in the 1880s he opened a lunch counter in Athens and served a 'burger' of fried ground beef patties with mustard and Bermuda onion between two slices of bread, with a pickle on the side.

I have no idea when the first Burger came to Hyderabad and who brought it there. I have no idea if the Vada Pav was inspired by the Burger…or was it the other way around. But my first memory of a Burger was deeply connected to Universal Bakery in Secunderabad.

Well, in all fairness, the Burger made an innocuous entry into my life when I was just a teenager. Why it did not appear before and why it did not delay its arrival I have no idea, and I must confess that I am more of a broadsword chronicler than a precise chronological one.

So let’s give Universal Bakery pride of place in the history of the Hyderabadi Burger…at least in my books.

Very soon after my Universal discovery, every bakery and its Uncle started serving Burger variants. And there were many. Some had more meat, some had less. Some featured ‘patties’ and some used a sliced or shredded meat. Some faked it with chips on the side. Some served the very real fries. But the shredded meat, mayonnaise and coleslaw OoozaBurger was definitely Universal’s contribution to the city of the Nizam.

Burgers and hot dogs were familiar menu choices for many years, but I think it would be honest to confess that Hyderabad per se, had no clue about what the real Burger was all about.

Some fancy restaurants began serving what they called Open Burgers, but even as a kid I realised that the best part of approaching a Burger was lost if you had to knife-fork it.

No. Burgers were meant to be hand eaten. Something had to drip out of a juicy burger. The lips had to be smeared with some sauce or the other. And the bun and meat combo had to be a filling snack.

Burgers you see, are typically Meals on the Go. And in a country where many of the next generation were conniving to go to the US, the Burgers soon became evidence of where you had gone and eaten.

You ordered a Burger (yeah so what if you still called it a Berjer) and the Cafe would serve you a concoction. Perhaps you knew that what you were eating did not  even remotely resemble the Texas Burger. But life was a simple song in those days. And you acted world traveller gourmet and chomped on sweet bread buns and picked meat pieces from your teeth with a matchstick.

In the meanwhile American Symbolism had become quite a religion. Levi’s Jeans with their Indigoed Denims. Big Macs and Cokes, the Red M and the Red C.

Sure there was the Chinese (or Japanese) invasion and noodle strings were drawn. But there was no direct conflict between the Chinkies and the Yanks. Strangely enough, we who were a part of the British Empire, did not quite get into the fish ‘n chips or a bangers ‘n mash kind of thing.

While we woke up soon enough to a Coke vs. Pepsi kind of standoff, the Thums Up brand was a local challenger and he street fought his way into the mindshare.

At this time something happened that renewed my faith in God. The Americans who went to town thinking that they were the victors in World War II, soon found competition in every sphere. And in an ironic twist, the Germans and Japanese who had surrendered to the Yanks in WWII brought the Americans to their knees on the highways. Mercs, BMWs, Audis, Porsches, Hondas, Toyotas, Hyundais and Kias soon displaced American Legends like Ford and Chevvy.

But in Hamburger land, the Americans remained unchallenged. And the Big Mac became a symbol of Americanness. Undisputed.

But wait…MacDonald’s who began to get complacent with their Maharajah Status suddenly walked into the Burger King.

Admittedly this confrontation was slow and thinly spread simply because the Big M had proliferated around the world and got what is known as the early mover advantage.

But that was in the past. Burger King has now arrived on Indian shores. And the Big Whopper is all set to give Big Mac a run for the juice.

Having had the good fortune of trying and falling in love with the Burger King servings abroad, and having tried Hungry Jack’s their Australian franchise, I was elated when I heard that BK was opening up in Hyderabad.

So when invited for a preview at the BK outlet at Forum Sujana Mall, I went there with pleasure. I am normally a bit choosy about how far I am ready to travel for a meal, so this Kukatpally trip was a bit of an adventure…but so worth it.

What strikes you first is the fact that the burgers here look like they’ve been cooked just now and just for you. There’s a freshness in the veggies and the meat is a succulent piece. And the way they’ve indianised their offering is amazing.

Imagine. The fries could be had with a mustard topping…or even a Minced Meat (Kheema) topping. Just a portion of these turbo charged Fries was good enough to satiate.

Of all the standard burgers I tried, I liked the Kheema Burger which mixed up the crunchy and juicy feels to deliciousness.

The Burger King Whopper is legendary. And you can get it made to order. I tried both Mutton and Chicken. Mutton gave me the 100% Burger Eating feel. The chicken left me disappointed. But the insides…from the lettuce to the mayo to the tomatoes and onions…and the sesame seed buns…were all chompions. And no, that is not a spelling mistake.

They have a variety of sodas and shakes. The Mango Tango is recommendable. And if you have a sweet tooth, asked for 180…the ice cream in a cup that refuses to fall out of an upside down cup…it’s so thick.

By December they tell me there are going to be four Burger King outlets. I know they’re opening up in GVK One..and I am looking forward to that.