Mike B.
Yelp
There are saints...and then there is Chiheb a.k.a Banana Joe. Like everyone else who uses Yelp and that other travel site to find the best places to dine while traveling abroad, my wife and I were lured into this burger joint during our honeymoon by the cacophony of five star reviews scattered across the interwebs. We went in expecting a good, cheap burger after hitting up all the Mikkeller bars and To Ol during the day. What we left with was, indeed, a few great, (and massive) affordable burgers, but also hours worth of stories, a new friend, and a bolstered appreciation and perspective for the experiences of someone whose background was so different from our own.
I won't go into everything Chiheb did for us while we were at his establishment, as I don't think it should be expected he go as above and beyond as he did for my wife and I. With what I witnessed during our two times at the restaurant, I don't think we're the exception, though. I watched Chiheb treat every customer like they were his own family, happily serving up his burgers, chatting about his life, and having spirited conversations with just about every patron that entered his door. I observed the man do things they tell you to do in the Bible. I listened to him passionately chat about his home country, his incredible journey to Denmark, his day job (of course he works at a hospital), his family, and his views on why he treats the people who enter his humble burger joint the way he does, regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender, or even their ability to pay fully. If you don't have an intimate and educational experience at Banana Joe, it's either extremely busy (Chiheb runs the restaurant by himself) or you need to check yourself...because the problem definitely isn't the man flipping the patties.
As for those patties, the burgers themselves are pretty damn tasty. My wife and I both got the Banana Joe Special, a juicy monstrosity of medium/medium-rare beef, heaps of perfectly melted cheese, and fresh veggies, as well as a curried "special sauce" and fried egg that ooze everywhere and double as a great sauce for the fries (also well done). There isn't much in the way of drinks, but do you really need anything other than an ice cold Coke or Fanta for your burger munching needs? As a self-proclaimed burger fanatic, I've had a lot of burgers considered the "best" all around the world. While this wasn't the mind-blowing, life-altering experience I've had a few times, I doubt you can find a better burger in Copenhagen. Chiheb also cooks some mean fish...but that's a story for another time and place.
Coming from somebody who had just hiked Trolltunga and Preikestolen, devoured Swedish meatballs in Stockholm, and also dined at Noma and Restaurant Krebsegaarden while in Copenhagen, eating at Banana Joe was one of the highlights of my wife and I's three week honeymoon in Scandinavia. Chiheb is truly a special dude, and it was an honor and privilege to enter as a guest at Banana Joe...and leave as a friend.