Hamburger

Five Guys Burgers and Fries

~ eatinbrixton ~ Leave a comment

2 Electric Ln, London SW9 8FA

Telephone: 020 7733 8905

website: fiveguys.co.uk

Hidden in Electric Lane, so no-one visits but just orders takeaways or deliveries. They have a “handler” who collects the delivery orders, so that the restaurant is not crowded with the delivery people. It is red and white, has a long open kitchen with very busy people frying, putting on toppings and bagging up. Of course there is the limitless soda fountain and the rather lethal milkshakes. Everyone knows what Five Guys offers – its “famous ‘boardwalk style’ fries, (hand-cut on site each day and cooked in 100% peanut oil), add spice for Cajun fries. In the entrance to the restaurant bags of potatoes are piled up and on the blackboard they give you the name and place where they come from for the days chips, as we call them. For us they came from Myrtle Grange Farm in Yorkshire. They also have burgers, Hot-dogs and Sandwiches.

We are not going to describe the endless combinations of burgers, but assume they have everything you want, same goes for the beef hot dogs and sandwiches include a BLT, grilled cheese and a veggie offering. The list of milkshakes also seems endless.

We chose a Hot dog (with tomato, mustard and pickle), a bacon burger (with pickle and relish), one portion of chips (sorry fries), a soda and a malted vanilla milkshake. Drinks come first, so beware of the milkshake which while absolutely delicious can fill you up before the main event. In terms of calories you are likely to expend more on sucking through the paper (!) straw than take in from the drink.

The meals came slowly as it was 6.45pm and clearly everyone in Brixton was hungry so the takeaway and delivery orders were rolling in. But that gave us time to see the choreography. There was one other couple in the restaurant eating very slowly and the two of us. We were glad to eat in as this sort of food doesn’t travel well, as it steams inside the packets.

We were full before we were half way through, but we doggedly pressed on. This is something that you need to try every now and again – cholesterol willing. The bread was sweetish, the chips definitely different and the meat just right. We were full and happy and took our remaining drinks with us for the long walk home.

The bill came to £29.50

Honest Burgers

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Honest BurgersHonest Burgers: Unit 12, Brixton Village, London SW9 8PR

Having heard so many good things about Honest Burgers a friend and I decided to check it out for ourselves this Thursday lunchtime. Surprised to get a table as usually when you pass there is often a queue, (HINT: perhaps lunchtimes are a good time to go). We were met with a smile by the staff and much like the rest of Brixton village the chefs are on show so you can see your burgers being assembled in front of your very eyes.

The menu is short but sweet with chicken, vegetarian option (cauliflower fritter), a special and then three types of beef burger. Thrice cooked chips with rosemary salt come with every burger but can also be ordered as an extra for those who are greedy. Limited drinks menu (they don’t have a license, although I’m sure comply with the byob system that most of the market adheres to) but the homemade lemonade was delicious.

We opted for the beef burger options, the standard cheese filled with cheddar or stilton, lettuce and extra yummy onion relish and the house favourite ‘the honest burger’ with bacon, pickled cucumber, cheese and the same delicious onion relish. The meat comes medium rare and melts in the mouth and every extra, such as the pickled cucumbers and glazed bun, gives them that special something. Good portion sizes ensure that you can use your hands without too much mess, something they appear to suggest by only supplying you with a knife. Personally the icing on the cake was the thrice cooked and rosemary salt chips. Crunchy on the outside and with a fluffy centre these are like your grandmas best roast potatoes in chip form.

With such a hype surrounding it we were not disappointed with our visit. Cost was around the same as the rest of the market (£17 for two burgers, chips and a lemonade). This place knows what it wants to be, so if its variety you’re looking for this may not be the place for you however this is by far the best burger I have had south of the river.

http://www.honestburgers.co.uk/