Five Guys Burger & Fries

On Thursday 26 February I was lucky enough to be invited by KMI Brands to the launch of a new cosmetic and wash bag range alongside that of a new perfume and aftershave at the Sanctum Soho Hotel. What promised to be a night of high end perfume and designer bags meant that I spent most of the day pondering (read worrying) about what to wear, and forgot to eat. 

By the time I had arrived at Oxford Circus to meet BeautyqueenUK I was so hungry I was considering nibbling on my own arm to keep me going. Instead, in a case of monkey see monkey want, I clocked the Five Guys Burger & Fries joint on Argyll Street and dragged the missus in to try it out.

I had seen mixed reviews of Five Guys through various forms of social media - the burgers always looked stunning and resulted in me craving one, but the main complaint from visitors was that £8 for a burger was a touch too expensive. I disagree after my visit and if you bear with this post, I’ll tell you for why (a nice Gavin & Stacey reference for St David’s Day). 

We wandered into the brightly lit red and white restaurant at about 5.45 p.m. and approached the serving counter. As soon as you walk in, thanks to the open cooking area packed with people all tasked with their part of making the dream work you can instantly smells the cooking patties. By the time I had walked the twenty yards to the counter I was drooling, my stomach was crying out and to be honest I could have ordered everything on the menu. 

You order at the counter, are given a number and then wander round and wait to be called. When ordering you pay for the type of burger or hot dog that you want and then get to choose from a range of free toppings to add. I opted for the £8 cheeseburger with lettuce, pickles, grilled onions, ketchup, mustard and relish, whereas the missus opted for a small cheeseburger burger with grilled onions. 

Considering that by now people stood next to me could hear my stomach churning I also decided on a portion of Cajun fries for £2.75.

You can see the full menu on the Five Guys website here.

The five minutes we waited for the burgers seemed to take an eternity, but while waiting I was intrigued to watch what appeared to be a well oiled machine pump out burger after burger to equally ravenous customers. 

Grabbing the bag and making a beeline for the nearest table I have to say that I was really impressed as I opened the bag. The burgers, wrapped in tin foil were larger than I had expected. When I think of gourmet burgers from places like Byron, Dirty Burger and Honest Burger (their burgers cost around the same) the offering from Five Guys was larger - cue a big drooling grin (not a pretty sight). The fries came in a cup but they had clearly thrown a load on top and considering it was a regular portion there were enough for both of us to munch away on after the burgers had been devoured.

So, my cheeseburger - heaven wrapped in tin foil as it shall now be known is shown below along with a few pictures of me motoring my way through it. Oh dear god, just thinking back to eating it now makes me want another. This is like burger crack they are so addictive.

The patties used in my large cheeseburger were hand-made and Five Guys pride themselves on the fact that everything is fresh and that their restaurants don’t have freezers. You could tell and I was greeted by a rich, meaty patty, full of flavour and no signs of dreaded grease. Even though there was no signs of grease the patty remained moist and juicy. I can hand on heart say I’ve not had a more flavoursome patty, ever.

Every topping had a distinctive taste - the grilled onions were plentiful and juicy, the pickles added a nice sharpness and the relish bonded it all together.

I think I may have found the perfect combination of toppings and bite after bite was a taste sensation. We actually waited for it to be cooked longer than it took me to demolish it. It was gone in sixty seconds. As I worked my way through it the missus literally just sat there in stunned silence.

Like everything in life perfection is rare, and while the blend of spices on the fries makes them tasty with a nice warm after burn there is just a bit too much for my liking. Between us we couldn’t finish off a regular portion. About thirty minutes later and boom, the fries started to repeat on me and at the event I had to keep popping outside to burp! 

When we arrived at Five Guys we didn’t have to wait long but as we were eating the queue grew, and grew and then grew some more to the point that it was nearly to the door. I would probably be miffed having to wait for the burger but it is testament to the following that Five Guys is building in the UK.

To summarise, the best burger I’ve had in years and I can’t wait for an excuse to wander up into central London again. This knocks the spots off Byron, Honest Burger and Dirty Burger. Sorry guys, Five Guys is the best.

FORGET THE REST, TRY THE BEST

What is your favourite burger experience?

To find your nearest Five Guys click here.

To read more about the launch of the limited edition Sanctum Soho fragrances (the male aftershave is out of this world) you can do by clicking here.

You can see and buy the stunning Dan Gold designed wash/clutch bags for him and her here.

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Burger & Lobster - Soho

I’m a big fan of lobster - I love the stuff and since they removed the lobster tank from our favourite local fish restaurant I have been dying to find somewhere else where I can satisfy my cravings.

The first time I attempted to get into Burger & Lobster in Soho I rocked up on a Friday evening to be told that there was a 2 hour wait - WHAT?!? In the end I had to make do with watching others scoff down lovely looking food while I ended up in Burger King with a bottom lip so low I was in danger of tripping over it.

As a treat from her birthday a few weeks ago I took the other half along in the middle of the day in the hope of finally getting my ass onto a seat, a plastic bib round my neck and lobster in my belly. To Soho we returned and even in the middle of a Monday afternoon the place was packed. We waited 10 minutes before being seated.

The drinks menu was great and the range on offer far exceeds what’s on the food menu, in fact it’s probably about three times the size! I opted for Brooklyn Lager while Rachel went for Aspall Suffolk Cider (so predictable).

There are two essentially options and the clue is in the name of the chain - you can have burger or lobster. Alternatively and only if feeling brave or like a contestant on Man vs. Food you can opt for both. The specials board basically lists weights of lobsters and the price. While we were there you could opt for a 6lb lobster for just over £140. Ouch! 

We both ordered lobster and I was surprised when the full lobster arrived with a healthy portion of fries, a lovely looking salad and a gravy boat full of the richest and creamiest garlic butter. 

Whichever option you order the price is £20 plus your drinks and that is spot on in terms of value for money. As the pictures show, it wasn’t a small lobster and after tearing away and dunking the melt in your mouth meat in the garlic butter I was in heaven. I loved the food.

The fries were crunchy, perfectly salted while the salad was crunchy, had a variety of textures and just the right amount of dressing. After wolfing down the lobster and fries I have to say I was stuffed to the gills and couldn’t finish the salad - for shame!

If you are looking for somewhere different, somewhere that cooks seafood to perfection and a happy relaxed atmosphere then this place is for you. Even the waiting staff were uber polite, attentive and nothing was too much trouble for them even though the place was packed.  

Burger & Lobster have six different restaurants across London and you can visit their website here to find your nearest. 

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

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Honest Burger - Camden Lock Market

Confession time - I’ve become slightly addicted to finding and trying out burger joints in London. 

After an enforced break from work due to illness and suffering from extreme cabin fever I spent day after day trawling the internet looking for the best, more succulent looking places to try.

I have 10 places in my sights and aim to have them all visited and reviewed by the end of September. 

Burger at the Oasis (sadly no longer with us), a burger joint in Las Vegas sits at the top of my all time favourites while Dirty Burger is the best I’ve tasted in my adopted home city. Can I find anywhere better? The challenge is on!

I had seen Honest Burger in Brixton Village when I attended an ilumi event a few months ago, and had that not been a food tasting evening I’ve have wandered straight in and bought one. The smell wafting from the kitchen was rich and meaty while the place was packed which tends to be a good sign. 

I vowed there and then that an Honest burger needed to be consumed.

The first branch opened in Brixton in 2011 and since then a further five have opened in Camden Town, Soho, King’s Cross, Portobello Road and Oxford Circus. 

After a visit to London Zoo and with a stomach that was growling louder than an Asian Tiger we descended on Camden Lock in search of food. The many amazing stalls aside (that’s for another time - in short, it’s a foodie dream on a Sunday afternoon) had me drooling but I was on a burger mission and after searching high and low (seriously, 15 minutes) we finally found the entrance to Honest Burger. 

To say that it’s a narrow entrance is something of an understatement. If you blink you will miss it, it’s actually opposite Shaka Zulu and Gilgamesh.

Having never been to the chain before I had no idea what to expect but I had seen a few reviews that suggested I was in for a treat. What struck me first of all was how close the tables were together. While the place was empty when we arrived this wasn’t a problem but as it started to fill up on a warm afternoon it became quite stuffy inside and when I’m eating I don’t particularly like to be nearly sitting on the lap of the stranger sat at the table next to me - it’s one of the reasons I try to avoid places like Wagamama.

Browsing the menu doesn’t take long. Like Dirty Burger the choices are quite limited - a picture of the menu is below.

The menu

The staff were really attentive, they gave us time to cast an eye of the menu before taking our drinks order - I opted for traditional lemonade which looked great when it arrived in a jam jar with plenty of ice. It was so cool and refreshing and set me up for the meat treat on its way.

I ordered the tribute burger at £10 while my partner in crime had the cheese burger priced at £8.50. Not cheap by any stretch of the imagination but the burgers do some with fries. Again, the staff knew their stuff and were attentive, they even came back to check how we wanted the burgers cooked.

The waiting time was reasonable, a good ten minutes to sip at our drinks while watching the world go by and there is no better place to people watch than Camden Lock Market on a warm sunny afternoon. 

As the cheese burger was placed down I think I drooled a like bit with envy, especially when my burger rocked up with a film of grease covering the entire top of the brioche bun. I was so hungry even this couldn’t put me off. There were plenty of crispy fries that were perfectly seasoned and full of flavour.

The Cheese burger

After dismantling the burger to take a look I was impressed that the bacon was cooked really well and was crunchy, just how I like it. There was plenty of American cheese and the relish mixed with the mustard pickles combined wonderfully. The patty was cooked medium and again I couldn’t argue with the preparation, it looked fantastic and as I took the first bite there was a taste explosion in my mouth. The beef patty was rich in flavour and juicy without releasing a spray of grease and fat onto my shirt. 

As we entered I was really hungry but after finishing the burger I was actually so full I struggled to finish the fries. 

My Tribute burger

While I think it is slightly overpriced and I was disappointed by the seating layout, how greasy the brioche bun was I couldn’t argue with the fact that it tasted amazing and filled me right up. Chomping away on a burger where you can taste the rich beef while watching the world pass you by was a fun experience. 

I don’t think I’ll be visiting the Camden Lock branch again unless it’s empty however I will be trying the  larger Honest Burger in King’s Cross on a more regular basis, especially as it is just around the corner from my office.

Honest Burger doesn’t beat Dirty Burger or the specials at Bryon Burger but you could do a lot worse, especially in Camden Market with the ‘special’ £4 Chinese meals on offer.

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Where is your favourite burger joint? Why not let me know in the comments below?

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog.

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