London seems to be the new home of the burger. Burger chains are sprouting up all over the capital. Some better than others. Walking through Brixton market, a queue of people snaked outside what seemed a simple ‘burger joint’. Everyone knows that when people are queuing to get into somewhere, its bound to be great. So we queued.
After waiting just over half an hour to sit at the bar, my mouth salivated seeing the chef prepare the prized burgers with clinical precision.
‘Honest Burgers‘ at Brixton Market isn’t a very large space, but it makes you feel one with the preparation process and that makes it a little bit more memorable. The 35-day dry aged beef is sourced from Ginger Pig Farm, which you can tell from every bite. The burger is firm to touch but soft and juicy with every bite.
I went for the Xmas special consisting of a perfectly medium cooked burger patty on a bed of rocket leaves smothered in cranberry sauce with a healthy sized piece of deep fried camembert cheese complementing the juice flowing from the pink burger in a glazed soft bun, served in a white dish reminiscent of an old home cooked meal. The bun soaked the juices but did not fall apart. My colleague went for the ‘CHEESE’ option with onion relish, lettuce and Stilton cheese. If you are not a fan of Stilton like me, you may go for mature cheddar or Red Leicester. All burgers are served with home made triple cooked chips rubbed in rosemary salt.
A side of house chipotle mayonnaise was ordered over the traditional dipping sauces. And it provided a serious kick to the delicious chips.
As soon as it had begun it was quickly over and a moment of sadness fell. There was nothing left. Even asking for the bill was a sense of occasion, as it was handed to us in an old metal container. For London, it was relatively cheap, paying £23 for two burgers, two soft drinks and that delicious chipotle mayonnaise.
Honest Burgers are peppered over five locations in London; Brixton, Soho, Camden, Kings Cross and Portobello Road however none of them take bookings so make sure you get there early.
Reviewed by guest contributor Nikolai Attard. Follow him on twitter: @niikattard