Burgers | burger bucket list

Back once again… Sorry for the year plus gap… Shit happens! The main thing is I’m back and here to stay. I’ll try to keep you updated every few weeks with my expeditions around London to find you the greatest burgers! We’re off to an awesome start this week as I went to Bleecker! I’d been meaning to go here for quite some time now and had been recommended by more than a dozen peeps; and pretty much all of them had the double cheeseburger on the tips of their tongues!

Now this burger is a prime example of the simpler the better! It’s made up of 2 unbelievably juicy beef patties, 2 slices of American cheese, onions and Bleecker’s own secret sauce, all nestled in a sesame seed bun. That first bite I took was inspiring! I immediately felt so happy that I was finally tucking into this masterpiece. The combination of the ingredients just complimented each other so well like a symphony of flavours. I swear I could of dropped it on the floor and I would of gladly picked it up and eaten it!

Seriously though, I think I’ve found my new go-to burger! It was well constructed and stayed intact the whole time even with all the juices dripping through. I remember I started zoning out while I was devouring it. I didn’t even realise how quickly I’d finished it; I was in a state of euphoria… And I got a colourful aura like I got neon guts!

For those that know me, they know that I’m not particularly keen on chips/fries. But the Angry Fries were insane!!! They consisted of just your regular fries with a mix of hot sauce (which tasted a lot like Frank’s Red Hot) and blue cheese sauce. It’s a killer combo! Highly recommended!

Overall, this was one of the most satisfying burgers that I’d had in a while. It’s definately up there as one of the best i’ve had. I want you to feel as ecstatic as I was when I was demolishing this meal… I’ve just made myself stupidly hungry thinking about this burger, it’s time i go eat!

Location: Bleecker, Old Spitalfields Market, Unit B SP 4, London, E1 6EA.

The Porky Burger

Posted on March 4, 2016 by G.Tank

Now I don’t usually blog about the actual places that I visit; mainly because I try to focus on what’s important, the burgers! Today is the exception, as it was the first time that I had actually been invited to try out a burger; but what makes it more special was that it was on the grand opening weekend of Porky’s BBQ’s 5th establishment! It was an awesome feeling!

The Porky Burger consists of a succulent beef patty (cooked medium just how I like it) topped with pulled pork, streaky bacon & melted jack cheese with a bit of lettuce.

I was in awe after the first 2 bites! This was a damn good burger! I could see all of the juices oozing out. Even though it might seem like there’s a lot going on with all the different meats, they actually complemented each other really well. The patty was perfect! The pulled pork was amazing as it had retained its juices: most people get it wrong by leaving the pulled pork out, and when they do that it dries out; this wasn’t the case with the Porky. The bacon was nice & crispy. But what made it all work was the cheese. It acted like the glue which held it all together so sublimely.

The build of the burger was well crafted. Like I said it was the cheese that made the burger structurally sound! Surprising, as juicy as it is the bun never got soggy. I think that’s partly due to the way I was holding it up for the juices to drip out (you can see all the juices on my plate above). I can honestly say that I enjoyed every bite!

I also got the Chilli Cheese Fries (sadly I forgot to take a picture). The portion size is massive, you could easily share them between 2/3 people! They consisted of fries (obviously), cheese, chilli beef, jalapeños, and kidney beans.

A big shout out to the staff. They really stepped it up in terms of customer service. I could see that with everyone. They were very attentive down to the last detail! I’ve forgotten the name of the girl who served me, but she was really helpful. I asked her what she recommended as their best burger, and she was absolutely right in suggesting the Porky Burger. Even the manager (Jaf) of the establishment was awesome! He kept checking in on me, and the other guests making sure that everything was in top order. What topped it off was his suggestion of having the Banoffee Pie! God daaayum that was tasty!

Me & Jaf

Jaf finished the night off by bring us over a couple of shots of Pickleback (a whiskey shot with a pickle juice chaser). I fortunately had to decline the offer because I was driving, but I made my partner in crime and Jaf take the shots for me! Let’s just say once they’d finished them they looked at me in shock like “seriously, who in their right minds would invent a shot like this?” But as Jaf said, “it’s a Memphis thing!” What a great start to the weekend. I highly recommend you try this place out!

Location: Porky’s BBQ (Chelsea), 343 Fulham Road, London, SW10 9TW.

The Mexicali Spicy Burger

Posted on March 2, 2016 by G.Tank

If you like spicy burgers, this ones definitely for you! Although, I wasn’t 100% sold on it to begin with. The first few bites weren’t all the flavourful. It felt as though I was just eating a decent cheeseburger. I had to lift the bun up just to double check that there was indeed some spices in the damn thing! It might just have been sheer coincidence that every bite I initially took that I indirectly avoided them all.

The Mexicali Spicy Burger consists of crisp baby gem lettuce, tomato, red onions, jalapeño chillies, smoky chilli cheese, and topped with Burgista Bro’s own burger sauce and chipotle mayo.

Eventually I did come across the Jalapeño chillies; my first thought was that they were just ok. Don’t get me wrong, they tasted lovely, but I wasn’t getting that burn I was expecting. HOWEVER, once I got like half way through the burger the Jalapeños hit me like a mule kick to the face!!!

Overall, I wasn’t too impressed with the build of the burger, as the bun fell apart when I was about three quarters of the way through it. And also the placement of the main components could have been evenly distributed; I didn’t get that even taste and balance in every bite!

Location: Burgista Bros: 132 Uxbridge Road, Shepard’s Bush, London, W12 8AA.

The Red Iron Burger

Posted on February 26, 2016 by G.Tank

I was fairly excited to try this burger. More than anything I hadn’t really eaten much in the day; so it would be an understatement to say I was hungry! This is the signature burger of Red Iron Burgers; as such the presentation was definitely on point. Nothing makes more of a statement than a steak knife holding the burger together!

The Red Iron Burger consists of caramelised red onions, jalapeños, fresh red onions, lettuce, tomatoes, with layers of mixed cheese, and topped with Red Iron Burger sauce and garlic mayo, served in a sesame seed bun. It comes with house rustic chips.

I was more than satisfied with this burger. Even though it was fairly large, it never got boring. I had my patty cooked medium so that the juices would be oozing from each bite. There was a good balance of flavour. At first glance you might be thinking “they’ve over done it with the sauce, haven’t they?” But really, considering the size of the patty; it makes for an excellent combination. The sauces were not over powering at all, and allowed me to appreciate the taste of the patty which had a beautiful flame grilled finish.

It is safe to say that the build of the burger held the test of time… or rather the time it takes to finish it! I did notice that the bun was getting soggy, but that is only natural considering how much had been crammed in it.

A big shout out to my best friend: the tissue dispenser! It saved my beard from being drowned in sauces and juices on more than one occasion. The fact that it was all over my hands is not surprising at all. I knew that this burger was going to be a bit of a challenge just by looking at it. I’m starting to see a correlation between messy burgers and how god damn good they are! If this theory holds up, it means the messier the burger, the better it is! But I’ll delve further into this on the rest of my burger expeditions!

Location: Red Iron Burgers, 280 High Street, Uxbridge, UB8 1LQ.

This place can get quite busy at times, but you never really have to wait more than a few minutes to be seated.

The Smokey Robinson

Posted on February 19, 2016 by G.Tank

Don’t judge a book by its cover… The first thing I thought when I saw this burger was “What the hell is this?” It looked like it was in a right state! It was even really messy to hold with all the sauces n juices dripping out. BUT, once I took that first bite, I was somewhere close to cloud 9.

The Smokey Robinson consists of a juicy beef patty, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, caramelised onions, bacon, topped with ketchup & smokey P&B mayo served in a brioche bun!

I must say, its definitely worth getting your hands dirty. Don’t worry, as they provide you with a ton of tissues! The best way to know whether a burger has been built to perfection is to see if its build lasts while you’re eating it. Not once did the bun break or get soggy and fall off. I seriously couldn’t put it down. Before I knew it, I had finished it! 😦

Honestly, I really don’t know what they put in the Smokey P&B Mayo, but its damn good!!! It complemented the patty beautifully. The bacon was perfectly cooked too! (I hate it when the bacon is overcooked n all hard n chewy, but this was far from it) This was something special; each bite was effortless.

Location: Patty & Bun, 54 James Street, London, W1U 1HE

Every time I’ve gone there its been busy; and you can’t make a reservation. You’ll probably have to wait about 20 minutes to get in. But believe me when I say its definitely worth the wait!

Welcome to the Burger Bucket List

Posted on January 30, 2016 by G.Tank

burger-bucket-list- First thing you need to know about me: I’m a massive foodie! I love all types of food; and I will always try almost anything at least once, no matter what it is (only food… lets keep your minds out of the gutter)… I’ve eaten all sorts of exotic meats (that’s what she said… what did i just say? I know you were thinking it!); from Crocodile, to Kangaroo, even Python! Yeah that’s right, I’ve eaten a snake! So now you know that I’m serious!

Anyway, lets get back to the matter at hand. My favourite food has always been the Hamburger; a succulent juicy beef patty, garnished with a bit of fresh green, a slice of cheese, and topped off with the best sauce imaginable (everyone has their own in mind, so I’ll let you fill in the blanks). I mean, you can’t get any better than that! Am I right? Well if you’re not convinced, I am going to be showcasing some of the best burgers that I’ve eaten (I’ve actually lost count how many burger joints I’ve been to), and try to find out what else is out there that is good enough to make it on to my Burger Bucket List!

For those of you who are searching for the best burger of all time, come with me on an amazing journey as I seek out to find the best burgers that you MUST have before you die!!!

I live in London, so the majority of the reviews that I give will be from here. However, if I come across something unbelievable on my travels; you better believe you’re going to know about it!

So, watch this space…

Source: Wolf Waffles

	Gagz on Bleecker’s Double Cheese…
	mylifeasishan on The Smokey Robinson