With the strap-line ‘Probably the best burgers in Bristol, possibly the best in England!’ high expectations are built up when you go to the Burger Joint. Never fear though, you will not be disappointed. So popular, they outgrew their premises on Cotham Hill last year and can now be found along Whiteladies Road.
With the ethos that burgers don’t have to be fast food (forget all about your Big Macs), the Burger Joint specialises in hand-made luxury burgers with so many combination choices, you can make up your dream dinner in a bun.
It’s not your usual ordering system; our table was topped with menus, forms and pencils to tick your choices.
I went HUNGRY; and when I am hungry, let’s just say I am not at my most sociable. Decisions were to be made quickly in order to feed the beast that was threatening to sneak out. Luckily, the form takes you through the steps, starting with the meat (or vegetarian options if you are that way inclined). With beef, lamb, chicken, venison and wild boar on offer I wanted a bit of everything, but went for the more standard beef so I could concentrate on the toppings.
The burger starts at £7.50 (little bit extra for boar or venison) with an extra £2.50 to double up on burgers. They are MASSIVE though so doubling up is only for the serious eaters amongst you. Then comes the choice of toppings: a choice of 14 different items including a variety of cheese, meat and veg. With just a bowl of granola to keep me going so far that day, my eyes may have been slightly bigger than my belly….my toppings included black pudding (yum), bacon and grilled peppers (token healthy topping). You get a free side and two sauces as standard. After much deliberation I went for the burger relish and garlic mayo. My choice of sauces have potential for refinement, but otherwise it was a pretty epic choice, even if I do say myself. I did however struggle through the big side of fat chips!
Meanwhile, the dinner date went for streaky smokey bacon, monterey jack cheese and jalepenos – with mayo and fiery chilli. His verdict: “probably the best burger I have ever had!” Strong words.
A refreshing drink of elderflower and mint presse helped out with the masses of food. They have a pretty wonderful selection of drinks on offer, including local ciders and beers, extending their philosophy of serving locally sourced goods.
Only slight dampener was once our burgers were finished we were pretty much ignored by the staff, which was a shame as it was good throughout the rest of the meal. When you’re a burger fan like me though, the Burger Joint is a tough one to beat! Just prepare yourself for a seriously feast! Desserts were off the cards for us. In fact all I could really handle was a lie down.
