Honest Burgers

The other day I was in King’s Cross and craving a burger. I needed something I could take on the train and I haven’t been impressed with Giraffe’s offerings (at least in terms of burgers – that hot dog topped with pulled pork on the other hand…). A quick search turned up Honest Burgers, a restaurant with a few locations in London, one of which is right around the corner from King’s Cross.

I’ve been twice now and both times it was full. The crowd was mostly young and skewing slightly London hipsterish. They have a good, if limited selection of American bottled beet (I think it was the usuals – Sam Adams, Brooklyn, Anchor, etc.). I had the Honest Burger both times – cheese, bacon and red onion relish. The burgers are good. The patties look hand made, they have a nice char and are still pink in the middle (they check to make sure you’re happy with medium when you order). They’re served on a brioche bun which just manages to handle the juices from the burger and still keep together. The real stand out is their fries. These might be the best fries I’ve ever had, anywhere. They’re season with some kind of herb mixture, the perfect saltiness and crisped to perfection.

Honest Burgers doesn’t come close to Bleeker Street in my opinion, but they’re aiming at different kinds of burgers. Bleeker Street serves the kind of delicious American burger that you would get at a dive bar in the States (hence my undying loyalty to their truck). Honest Burger is a bit more refined. It’s up there with Patty & Bun, though less impressed with itself. While Patty & Bun might have a slightly better burger, the restaurant is tiny and I’ve had terrible service. Honest Burger is bigger, more friendly and you can get a good burger with excellent fries for under £10.

THE VERDICT

7/10 – Probably the best burger you’re going to get (in a restaurant) for under £10 in London

Benito’s Hat vs Mi Casa Burritos in London

I’ve long been a fan of Benito’s Hat – I used to leave work half an hour early so that I could make a detour through Goodge Street just to get a little taste of Mexican goodness. While it may not be the same as going to a burrito place in the States (it’s been a while, so I don’t think I could really make a fair comparison), they make a big burrito with flavourful fillings and fresh vegetables. They have decent margaritas (some locations have  amazing watermelon margaritas). A couple of years a go they opened a location in the newly refurbished King’s Cross and I’ve eaten there almost weekly ever since.

Mi Casa, on the other hand, feels like someone took a picture of a burrito shop and tried to recreate it without ever actually eating a burrito. I had the pork and H had the chicken. Both were bland and overcooked. It didn’t seem like anything had been salted much less seasoned with chilli powder, cumin, etc. The balance of ingredients was off as well, with very little cheese and guacamole. Finally, as I ordered they thinned the refried beans with water. The result was a very runny burrito.

So if you’re in London and you want a burrito, go to Benito’s Hat. If you’re really craving Mexican food and you’re near a Mi Casa, don’t do it. It will only make you sad and angry.

THE VERDICT

Mi Casa: 2/10 – it seems like they are actively trying to make bad burritos

Benito’s Hat: 8/10 – hard to beat their burritos in London

Spit & Roast

Continuing with the Kerb theme, Spit & Roast is a food truck serving amazing buttermilk fried chicken sandwiches. I’ve eaten there a couple of times now, and their sandwich with coleslaw and Korean hot sauce is excellent. The chicken combines crispy skin with tender meat. The hot sauce is just hot enough – you feel the heat, but you’re not chugging water. Both Korean hot sauce and Sriracha are becoming staples in US cities, so it’s nice to see someone in London picking up on this trend. I haven’t tried any of their other dishes, but this is my go to spot when I’m passing through King’s Cross on a Tuesday.

THE VERDICT

8/10

Bleeker St Burgers

I had a religious experience when I bit into this burger. I don’t know what kind of black magic  makes beef taste this good, but I would sell my first 1.5 kids to know. The burger was almost rare. I think that a rare burger often doesn’t have the structure to stay together, so Bleeker St hit the sweet spot. I also had a side of angry fries – basically buffalo french fries. These were delicious, but messy. A fork would have been nice (I went back and looked for one, but didn’t barge in front of the line to ask). Get thee to Kerb.

THE VERDICT

9.5/10 – the best burger I’ve had in the UK

Meat______: A Quest to Experience the Burgers of MeatMission, MeatLiquor and MeatMarket

Over the past few months, I have had the pleasure of visiting each of the locations of the Meat_____ chain: MeatMission (2 dinners), MeatLiquor (1 lunch) and MeatMarket (1 lunch). I am a creature of habit, so I ate the same thing every time – the dead hippie.

Of the three MeatMission is the best. The music, the appropriation of the Christian mission’s decor (including a stained glass window on the ceiling) and the ability to order large quantities of beer in a growler make it the easy winner. Both the burgers I had were excellently cooked, the fried pickles were delicious (and I don’t like pickles) and the fries were perfect.

MeatMarket was a closed second, but might not be as good for dinner. I ate lunch on my own and was able to crowd into one of the high tables without trouble. If you have a group or you want to have a more leisurely meal, MeatMission is the way to go. It’s not that MeatMarket isn’t welcoming, it just has a more ‘eat and go’ vibe.

MeatLiquor was my least favourite (which still makes it better than most places i’ve had a burger in the UK). Located just a few minutes off of Oxford Street, it attracts a London city type that isn’t really my scene. It’s probably better for dinner if you don’t want to make the trip to Shoreditch, but MeatMission definitely has a cooler feel.

THE VERDICT

MeatMission 8.5/10

MeatMarket 8/10

MeatLiquor 7/10