#HAPPINESSEXPERTS
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#HAPPINESSEXPERTS
Let’s admit it: nobody walks into a burger joint thinking about how many calories they’re about to eat. But guilt is always lurking somewhere in the background, thoughts about the gym, or that “bikini operation” just around the corner.
So, since at Hideout Burger we believe that knowing what you eat is a good thing (even though enjoying it is even better), we’re going to answer the question that causes all that uncertainty—straight up, no beating around the bush, and with a lot of hunger, because it’s already 2 p.m.
Calories, calories, calories… Some people have the word in their mouth all day long but don’t really know what it means. Like using the expression “the icing on the cake” without knowing what icing actually is.
Well then: calories refer to the amount of energy a food releases in the body. Whenever we do any activity, our body burns calories, when the heart beats, when we breathe, when we move, when we eat a burger…
Basically, being alive requires energy in the form of calories, which we get through food.
The recommended daily calorie intake depends on the kind of life we lead, our weight and height, the exercise we do, and our sex (the biological one, although the other one plays a role too, of course).
Do burgers have a lot of calories?
A burger can have very few calories or a huge amount, it all depends on how it’s made. In fact, if you eat it “the sad way,” without a bun, without fries, and without sauces, it’s a fairly normal dish from a calorie point of view.
What makes a burger higher or lower in calories?
The key is in the details. As we know, a burger isn’t just meat and bread, if it were, life would be much more boring.
The meat is the starting point.
A standard beef burger provides a good number of calories, especially if it has a decent fat percentage, which is what gives it juiciness and flavor. In smash burgers, the meat is pressed directly onto the griddle to create that addictive golden crust. The result? More flavor… and yes, also more calories than a simply grilled patty cooked quickly on each side.
Then there’s the bun.
That soft, slightly sweet, shiny brioche didn’t get there by accident. It’s a fundamental part of the experience, but it also adds its share of calories. And be careful—its impact is often underestimated.
And then come the big “culprits”: melted cheese and sauces.
Each one on its own seems harmless, but together they turn a normal burger into a delicious calorie bomb.
Is it worth it? Absolutely.
Okay, but give me numbers: how many calories are we talking about?
To put it into context, a simple burger without too many extras can be around 250–300 calories. That would be meat, a basic bun, and that’s it. Pretty reasonable within a normal meal.
When you add cheese, it easily goes up to 400–500 calories, which is still a manageable number for most people.
The big jump comes with double burgers, extra cheese, bacon, and loads of sauces. That’s when we’re talking about 700, 800, or even more than 1,000 calories.
Yes, maybe that’s a lot, but life is meant to be enjoyed, not to be doing burpees at 5 in the morning like an idiot. Unless you aspire to become the leader of an Instagram cult.
Not at all.
A burger is not junk food by definition. In fact, in the origin of the burger, the burger was a dish designed to provide the healthy, necessary calories for a large part of the day. The problem isn’t the burger, it’s the frequency and the context.
Eating a good burger from time to time won’t ruin your diet, just like eating a salad doesn’t automatically make us healthy people, or reading a book doesn’t qualify us to win Pasapalabra.
As we said before, everything counts: what you eat the rest of the day, the rest of the week, and your overall lifestyle (and remember the sex part).
Smash burgers are not “light,” and they’ve never tried to be. Their goal is different: maximum flavor with well-thought-out ingredients. Quality meat, the right technique, and combinations that work.
That’s why, even if they may have more calories than a basic burger, they’re also much more satisfying. And when something truly satisfies you, you eat better than when you’re left wanting more.
Think of it this way: if there were a Barça–Real Madrid match every single week, it would eventually lose its charm because it would become routine. The appeal of that match lies precisely in its scarcity and exclusivity.
The same goes for smash burgers: if you ate one every day, it would lose some of its magic. But treating yourself when your body really asks for it turns the experience into something special (even if repeatable).
So, now that the case of how many calories a burger has is closed: if you’re into smash burgers made with care and you’re in Barcelona, come and try the smash burgers at Hideout. You’ll understand exactly what we mean by enjoying life without guilt.
We’ll be waiting for you at Hideout Poblenou or Hideout Eixample, different restaurants, same pleasure.
And if calories are what worry you, take a look at these weekend plans in Barcelona: you’ll need an extra energy boost not to miss any of them.
