Burgers of the world

As eaten by me - traveller and burger enthusiast

[burgerandfriesontheside]

EXTERNAL REVIEW -

First review in 10 years -

Chicken looking questionable, too much chicken, also quite dry. Pulled pork good. Slaw okay. Chips okay. Mayo tasted weird - bit lemony (why?) Ratio of contents all out of wack. Structure uneven and worrying.

First bite = dry, difficult, underwhelming.

Last bite = glad it was over kind of.... 2/10 overall.

It had a tomato in.

[burgerandfriesontheside]

[burgerandfriesontheside]

# 10 Home town glory? GBK

For my good friends stag do Birmingham was chosen as the venue for male bonding shenanigans. Being a BHX roadman I was selected as the guide for the evening and like the Pied Piper I lead everyone to fun.

However the one thing I didn’t pick was the evenings sustenance but you would have been forgiven for thinking I did.

The chosen establishment was Gourmet Burger Kitchen in Brindley Place (NOT the mailbox as we thought)

I am sure they use the word GOURMET to try and justify the extortionate prices charged for everything - want fries? Pay extra. Want sauce? Pay extra… etc. I am not knocking the taste / quality of anything but I would have hoped that my £10 covered me for at least a dip…

That sound this was a good burger, and the presentation of the dish made me feel like I was in a Gourmet restaurant… kind of.

Venue - GBK

Burger - Major Tom (Medium Rare) - Brioche bun, 30 day steak burger, bacon, Red Leicester cheese (WIN) and blue cheese slaw. Pickle (because that is what makes a burger apparently) and ketchup.

Fries on the side? Super skinny and onion rings stack. Blue Cheese Mayo to dip it all in

First bite? Immediately hit the pickle. Removed all traces of green bastard and tried again. Succulent beef - slightly under seasoned for my liking but still juicey. Thick patty but still warm through even for a Medium Rare. Lightly toasted bun on the bottom, burnt on the top. Kind of added flavour in a weird way… would have been better golden brown not black though.

Main event - good burger, sauces and cheeses combined together to make an easy eat. Blue cheese mayo is not the best combo, grating cheese into mayo is not the best way of combining flavours. Skinny fries are way to skinny. Would avoid next time. Went cold in seconds.

Best bits? Red Leicester cheese for the win.

Gourmet? No - average and over priced but still a good burger.

5.6/10

[burgerandfriesontheside]

[burgerandfriesontheside]

Shake the bottle wake the taste....

[burgerandfriesontheside]

#9 Go Canne cause I can...

Have been here a few times before but thought it deserved a decent write up. As takeout burger joints in one of the most exclusive towns in France go, I was expecting more. Thats not to say this isn't great, but it could have been amazing. Still, a strong burger.

Steak and Shake Cannes 

The burger? Winnconstein Buttery Butter,  topped with fried onions, thin double burger patty (which is always my preference) Amercian yellow cheese in a amazingly soft brioche bun (we are in France so good bread was expected) Sautéed onions were a surprise, I expected crispy fried but they are delicious - added into the soft melted cheese the flavours from this burger. They worked brilliantly. Well thought out menu, held together until the last bite.

Fries on the side? Skin on fries and a incredibly rich Oreo milk shake. Decent BBQ sauce.

Main Event? - Worth waiting for - cooked to order burger - 6.3/10

[burgerandfriesontheside]

Copenhagen Finest (lunchtime snack)

[burgerandfriesontheside]

#8 Happiest Place In The World?

Copenhagen has been described as one of the happiest places in the world, and I am inclined to agree with that statement. They do lots of things very well - bacon, beer, but burger? Only one way to find out....

Place? Sunset Boulevard, Copenhagen Shopping Centre

Burger? American BBQ ciabatta bun, bacon, lettuce tomatoes ricotta mayo 

First bite? Crunchy bread gives the burger a delicious texture, and the thin meaty burger was juicy yet firm. Burger to salad ratio was a bit off, never been a huge fan of the sliced tomato in a burger but was all fresh cut so tasted great 

Fries on the side? Incredible, crunchy and fluffy, and the ricotta mayo was brilliant - this was so good I added it into the last few mouthfuls of the burger 

Copenhagen has a huge amount of American burger joints to choose from, and the competition makes for a great eat. 

A solid lunch time snack Burger 5.7/10

[burgerandfriesontheside]

#7 Bacoa-lona

As part of the annual pilgrimage to Barcelona for MWC fast food and late night meals are very much part and parcel of the trip. This year our accommodation has switched up so we had some more streets to explore. One of my colleagues said that he had eaten the “best burger ever” down the road.... I had to investigate.

Down the road we found the joint - nice little indie start up called Bacoa -

https://www.bacoaburger.com

They have 5 or 6 joints around Barcelona, and one in Madrid. Nice little set up, they have a choose your own menu still, similar to 5 Guys but more classy. Beef, Chicken or Lamb with a range of choice of each, three types of bun or with out bread and various toppings and sides. For those who don't like talking you can just tick the choices and write your favourite drink and ice cream down. Menus in English, Spanish and Catalan!

The Place? - BACOA, Barcelona 

The Burger? - Pyrenees Beef, Manchego, semi cured cheese and 5 hour caramelised onions. Brioche bun

Sides? - Rusticas (Hand cut chips) with Garlic Aioli and Spicy Tomato Chutney

First bite - Juicy, extremely juicy. The burgers here are cooked medium rare, always a sign of good quality meat and this was no different. Tomato and lettuce but not in abundance, which I like. The brioche bun was lightly toasted and soft, but still strong enough to keep the burger encased throughout. The onions, caramalised for 5 hours (so the sales speak tells me) were reduced down to a delicious soft flavour, not over powering of the meat and amazing cheese. 

Last bite? The patty started to disintegrate throughout the meal, but for a medium rare that was to be expected. Still standing on the plate when the time came.

Fries on the side? Chutney was delicious, only mildly spicy but incredibly sweet. Perfect for the hand cut and cooked chunks of chip. Really crispy, almost like mini roast potatoes. Great combo with the burger. 

Scores -

Presentation -Strong. White plate, grease proof. White crisp chips cup. Simple but effective. 6.5/10

Sides - Win. Great switch up with the chunky chips.Garlic dip not mind blowing, but the chutney was great. 8/10

Main Event - Top 10 of my life. Great surroundings and company helped this, but the burger itself was decent. 8.5/10

Highly recommended 

[burgerandfriesontheside]

Tapas, but not as you know it.....

[burgerandfriesontheside]

#6 - Grand Old Duke

Farnham - Farnborough Air Show standby

Decent burger, short write up - 6.7/10

[burgerandfriesontheside]

#5 Between a Rock and a Hard place

This is only my second trip to the states, the first time I came over 12 years ago I had what I have forever since referred to as "the best burger I have ever had" so this trip had a lot to live up too... New Orleans is a party town, and every good party town has its golden mile, strip, walk of shame... Call it what you will. New Orleans is no different. Bourbon Street, named after the liquor it frequently serves is Mardi Gras 24/7 365, and every good party street has its burger shop where the tourists can get their fix. The place - Hard Rock Cafe New Orleans The burger? Cheese and bacon BBQ Sides? Fries and Ketchup First bite? Beefy burger - Americans do crispy bacon exceptionally well, and along with orange cheese (no idea the type - possible Jacks) toppings are good. Burger was not overly juice but certainly not dry. Nice balance of shrubbery nestled under the beef patty, but tomato slice ruined it. Never been a fan. BBQ sauce from the home of BBQ sauce should have been better, but this was a chain restaurant so consistency (bland) was expected Fries on the side? Fries as they call them over the pond are a winner in New Orleans. Skin on, thick cut but still thin enough to be a fry, insanely crispy with an amazing selection of dips to smooth the chip down the throat. Local slaw, contained apple which is a win most of the time, didn't work so well this time. Last bite - held together for most of dining experience, started to crumble towards the end. Two finger drop was required to get the final two mouthfuls in, but wasn't a let down. Wet wipe required Scores on the doors - Presentation - good. The knife through the heart is a reminder of both my love for burgers and heart attacks, but makes a statement. 6/10 Sides - fries very good. Ketchup standard. Coleslaw a disappointment 4.5/10 Main event - good burger but nothing special. As with any Hard Rock from around the world I'm sure. 5.5/10

[burgerandfriesontheside]

Between a Rock and a Hard place

[burgerandfriesontheside]

Hell Yeah Mooyah

#4

On a recent overseas trip to New Orleans, land of fried fish, mud baths and southern rap I took a break from the fryer and hit me up some beef!

Place - New Orleans Riverside Mooyah Burger

Burger - Cheese

Toppings - Lettuce, fried onions, Mooyah sauce

There is something about wrapping a burger in foil that gets the juices following - succulent brioche bun, lightly toasted, American cheese (when in Rome) and in house special sauce. Burger was juicy, cooked well. Nice cheese slice melted just so down the side of the bun.

First Bite - main flavour - beef. Solid beef. Lettuce was a little on the large side, but I do prefer a lettuce slice to lettuce shred

Last Bite - held its shape well. Bread was the main winner on this bad boy, soaked up the juices but stayed strong.

Sides? None this time, just a lunch time snack so kept it simple

Sauces - unsure as to the ingredients of the Mooyah House Sauce, I feel Mayo ketchup and pickles may have played a part but was a subtle flavour. 5.3/10

Presentation? Not its strongest point but function over beauty wins 4/10

Rating? As my second trip to the USA hasn’t disappointed, neither did my second burger. 7.6/10

[burgerandfriesontheside]

Mississippi Moyan

[burgerandfriesontheside]

Goat to hell

[burgerandfriesontheside]

Got my goat...

#3 - MWC Goats Cheese Burger

Where? Flaherty Irish Bar Barcelona

What? Goats cheese burger - tomato relish - chips and cesar salad on the side

First bite - strong goat cheese flavour, melting succulently over the burger. Toasted bun and rocket - I'm not usually a massive rocket fan but the peppery flavour bounces back from the strong goats flavour and neutralises it. Salty chips balance the meal just right. Cesar salad added some refreshment.

Second bite - the burger is cooked a little over medium so is still juicy but not very pink. I prefer this, I am not a fan of rare burgers. Leave that for the filet steaks.

Last bite - burger obviously a mix of lamb and beef so the flavour stands out over the goats cheese now. Took its time to come through but it's there now. The Tomato relish is more of a sauce, not the best flavour or texture but still adds a nice taste. Burger stayed nicely intact until the last bite. Not bad for a pub grub burger, won't change the world though.

Taste? 6/10

Sides? 5/10

Score? 5.5/10