Battle of the Burgers

I almost forgot that I pretty much started this year waxing lyrical about the Meat Liquor burger, I had plans to keep ranting about burgers up and down the country, but so far I think I’ve only managed about three more in London and one in New York (oooh).  I was quite obsessed with Meat Liquor for a while and it kept drawing me back.  I can’t say the same for the Lucky Chip number.  Although I liked it and I’ve heard many a person swear by it, it just hasn’t managed to creep into my psyche and entice me back like Meat Liquor.

At the bottom of the four I’d like to tell you about here is the Bar Boulud one, which I know is loved by many and I don’t deny that it’s a damn fine meaty sandwich.  To me though, it’s a bit too fancy for a burger.  There’s all sorts going on and you can barely finish the thing.  Plus the atmosphere’s all wrong to be eating burgers, I felt like I had to use a knife and fork for instance, and to add insult to injury it’s got quite a price on it.  I had the Piggie which came in at £12.75 with fries at an additional £4.25.  I won’t deny that it was tasty and hats off to Bar Boulud for its deliciousness, it’s just not what I want from a burger nor what I want to pay.  To me they should be simple.

Coming in next would have to be The Three Compasses on Dalston Lane.  This was entirely unexpected – I’m not sure I even realised I was hungry until I saw people eating them.  They call them the Stephen (as in Fry) burgers and they are mighty tasty and only £6.  Love.  There’s no messing around, good burger, good bun and good fries.  They would perhaps rate higher, but they had sold out of the beef burger (they’re that good apparently) the night I was there and I settled for a porky-chorizo burger and very tasty it was.

Next is Burger Joint in the Parker Meridien Hotel in New York.  This place is fun.  You’re made to feel like it’s clandestine by them hiding it behind a massive red curtain in the foyer of a very smart looking hotel.  Once you’ve served your time in the queue you go round the corner to see a hipster style joint and very informal.  It’s a fun contrast.  It feels more fast food than the others I’ve talked about as you order from the counter and grab a seat where you can.  All in with fries it comes to just over $10 and was incredibly tasty – a welcome treat after a late night followed by a long morning of art galleries.

Last and quite the contrary to the least is the mighty Honest Burger.  They have two restaurants, the only one I’ve been to is the one in Brixton market and it was incredible, the other is in Soho.  Juicy, juicy burger – by far the tastiest meat of any burger I’ve ever committed to memory.  The bun was tasty, not quite as tasty as Meat Liquor, but seriously the meat makes up for it.  Their chips are rougher and more rustic than your typical fries – skin on and seasoned with plenty of salt and a little rosemary.  This  wouldn’t normally please me as I like a good fry, but they were amazing and I’d already been sold on their extraordinarily tasty burger.  They are great. Yum. Yum. Yum.  And great atmosphere with friendly staff to boot.  I’ll be going back.

So…this is how my 2012 list of burgers goes from best to worst (I know the year’s not over yet, but bride-diet shouldn’t really permit any more to be consumed, but I’m weak willed, so it might):

1. Honest Burger, Brixton

2. Meat Liquor, Bond Street

3.  Burger Joint, Manhattan

4. The Three Compasses, Dalston

5. Lucky Chip, Netil Market

6. Bar Boulud, Knightsbridge

Where do you think should be on my 2013 hit list?