Two Hickory’s burger patties with smoked bacon, pulled pork, Cajun onion rings, American cheese, fries & slaw.
Price: £13.95.
Calories: Unknown.
Hickory’s occupies a prime riverside spot in the centre of the well-heeled town-sized city of Chester, and is possibly the only restaurant in the town/city centre with its own free parking, albeit down a narrow lane that doesn't suit the massive ridiculous off-road jumbo busses that the well-heeled folks of Chester seem to favour.
Hickory’s also isn't a burger joint. There's a lot on the menu, but the choice of burgers is basically the small one, the big one or the chicken one. I wasn't terribly hungry and was initially going to have the smaller Hickory’s Burger. But with the combined voices of 150,000 readers every month asking "what would Burger Lad® do?", I ended up with the XXXL Roadhouse.
The burger part of the menu...
I'll get to the burger in a minute, but let's back up a moment. Parking behind Hickory’s involves walking around to the front, and that involves walking past a little window that allows a look right into the smokers, which is a great little touch. There are also clearly sufficient vents around the building to allow the mind-altering smell from these smokers to fill the air. This made it very, very difficult for me to choose a burger over some of the other delights on the menu here, with ribs probably in podium position.
It's also a very popular mad-busy place, for this was an afternoon on a working day, and we were given a table with a stop time. This is rare, and while I can understand the practicality of it, it comes across as a bit rude even when presented politely. The servers are far too polite and friendly to say "take it or leave it" but that's the feeling I get.
So, with the will-power of the consummate professional I am, I glance at the ribs, the wings, the Po-Boy, the Cubanos sandwich and the gumbo, and order my big burger. If there's even a fraction of the smell of this place goes into this burger, it'll be fine and my mind will be at rest.
The Roadhouse Burger and Slaw...
A short wait - well, with a stop time to the table, it simply wouldn't do if half of it was taken up waiting for the food to appear - and my burger did appear. There's really a lot going on in this burger, and as a result it was very tall and held together with a skewer. Whether that skewer actually needed to be a steak knife, or whether that was just a gimmick, who knows, but I took it out and the stack held together reassembly well.
Most of the height came from the two large beef patties and two large onion rings, while the olfactory department was taken care of by the pulled pork it would seem. In addition to all that, there were two cheese slices, lettuce, a large piece of tomato (removed), sauce, pickles and bacon.
Carefully picking the stack apart to investigate the contents, and remove the tomato, my initial thoughts were:
1. Look at that fantastic chunky beef!
2. What's up with the bacon?
What do I mean? Well, if you think of a southern American smokehouse -style burger, you'll probably have dark, maple-cured and/or streaky bacon in mind. But what they've included here is the light gammon-esque stuff that you're more likely to see on a British breakfast plate. It was odd. Good-odd, or bad-odd, I hadn't decided and will come back to.
A generous stack...
Have I mentioned the smell?
This burger smelled great, just like everything else here. That's the glory of a smoker. Everything should be prepared in smoker. Soup. Cheesecakes.
I got my eager chops into it - for all its height, once it was squashed down to bite-height, it looked much more realistic. I got biting into the cheese-covered patties first and discovered two things. Firstly, that a good blend of meat had been selected, and secondly that it had been cooked longer than I'd like.
The blend, well I've no idea what it was because it wasn't stated on the menu, but I know I liked it. There was a good fat ratio, and plenty of tasty cuts, the combination of which worked really well. The effect of this well-developed blend was slightly muted by not being offered medium, which is a real shame. I wonder if this was in a smokehouse in Alabama, if the burger would be returned in order to be cooked properly?
Up close - double everything...
It's all about personal preference though, and the easiest way to navigate that minefield is simply to ask the customer how they like it done.
Side-tracking for a moment, and this burger was big enough not to need anything on the side, but it also came with slaw and fries. I wasn't particularly enamoured with the slaw, but the fries were really good. Quite thick, very crispy with a fluffy core and slightly seasoned.
But back to the burger. Pulled pork is often a terrible topping because it's overdone. Here it's done right, provided in topping-sized amounts so that it doesn't overshadow the beef. And given its strong woody barbecue tones, you could see how that would be possible. I stuck a fork in and scooped a bit out on its own - nice stuff.
I find myself somewhat in a post-pulled-pork phase though, and these days I wouldn't choose it. It happened to be in the burger I was having today, but it didn't form any part of the decision.
The house sauce was a silent partner here. It didn't have a strong taste and there wasn't enough of it. As I said, there was a good fat content in the beef, and plenty of cheese, so I wasn't finding it too dry, but just to jazz things up a bit, about halfway through my burger, I poured a dollop of the Hickory’s BBQ sauce on the top.
The cheese and lettuce did cheesy, lettucy things, but I'm going to end by going back to that breakfast bacon. I don't think a thick slice of basically gammon will work in many burgers, but it did the job here. Because the setting was a heavy smokey sweet BBQ affair, the plainer approach to the bacon worked as a sort of counterbalance.
I've been to a lot of places now where burgers aren't the main focus of the menu, and aren't the best thing on the menu, and I think that's the case here. A really good solid effort with lots going on, but I think I'll be ordering a rack of Kansas ribs next time.
7oz beef, chestnut and bacon pattie topped with sticky sprouts, flaked ham, three cheese mix and shoe string potatoes in a pumpkin and sage bun served with naked fries.
Price: £12.90.
Calories: Unknown.
I hate Christmas. People buying crap so that other people can pretend they like it, but can't through it away in case it offends. It goes on too long, starts way too early, this year beginning even before bloody Halloween.
And in the burger world, establishments have decided it means a Christmas special burger, and other establishments who might not actually want to do one, have to do one in order to satisfy the market.
And there is a market for Christmas burgers, clearly. That's where the downsides end. The upsides mean of course that there's an abundance of burger specials kicking around, letting chefs showcase their talents.
From the menu...
It's only mid-November, and I'm here at Splendid to eat their Christmas Burger, which just launched. For those of you who haven't been (what the hell is wrong with you?), Splendid is splendid and the only reason I haven't eaten more burgers here is because their chicken is bloody amazing.
It's probably my favourite place in Manchester, certainly in the top five, and a warm welcome is always assured. An added bonus today is that there are no car keys in my pocket so I can also enjoy the delights of Splendid's drinks menu.
That drinks menu was cast aside however, when I spotted a Pilsener on the specials board. Today, apparently, is international Pils day so I'm having a lovely example from local brewery Brightside.
Anyway, the burger. It takes Splendid's house blend of beef all pattied up with chestnut and bacon in the mix, and tops it with sprouts, ham, cheese and tatties.
Christmas a la Splendid...
But it is a lot more than that. The sprouts aren't the boiled-to-buggery crap of 1970s canteens, they're shredded, fried and caramelised into "sticky sprouts". Splendid does things right. The ham is flaked and the cheese is a three-cheese mix, which sort of harks to American Christmas three-bird roasts.
Even the bun has been christmased-up. It's a pumpkin and sage affair with a lovely colour and specks of sage throughout. All of this has my taste buds in overdrive. To be honest, Splendid could take the Christmas label off this and I'd happily eat it in the summer.
Splendid's owner Mike explained that the cheese mix involves two cheddars and mozzarella - in other words proper cheeses - and the patty looks pink due to the bacon in it.
Two-tone cheese and sprouts stand out...
It arrived looking suitably marvellous. Quite slim, but tall, and with two items sticking out the top, as is the trend with Christmas burgers. These two items are a stuffing ball and a pig in a blanket. You'll see from the pictures, that mine had two stuffing balls. This was quickly rectified with the effervescent Bronagh bringing out a little sausage on a big plate, which cracked me up. It's always fun at Splendid.
The height of the build came largely from the patty, which seemed a bit thicker than the usual house standard, something I put down to the extra volume from the chestnut and bacon.
Plenty of glorious ham...
The sprouts in here were faintly noticeable in taste, more so in sight, their dark green toned adding a distinct restiveness to the aesthetics. This dark green picked out and complemented the similar shade in the spots of sage throughout the bun.
That bun had a slightly orangey colour to it, which was presumably the pumpkin, and towards the end that did come through - you can taste its distinct flavour on the roof of your mouth ever so gently.
The beef used at Splendid is good, very good. See previous reviews. The bacon in it does sap a bit of that beef's natural juiciness away, giving you an entirely different experience to eating the bacon and beef separately. That difference though, is pretty much the whole point of Christmas burgers.
A stuffing ball for scale...
The two-tone cheese looked great all the way round and had been melted properly. Melting cheese isn't difficult but a lot of places don't bother.
The whole stack sat on a bed of garlic mayo, which along with the cheese, contracted the moisture-sapping qualities of the bacon, balancing it all out nicely. The garlic itself was subtle. In fact the whole thing was subtle. This was not a big bloated dirty burger with a whole Christmas dinner in a bun. It was a carefully crafted example of elegance and restraint, with plenty of ingredients each hitting subtle, but different notes.
Inside The Christmas Burger...
But the star of the show, in my opinion, was the ham. Flames of Splendid's Christmas 1kg bone-in ham, which is somewhat of an institution in Manchester. It's on the Christmas menu separately, and the burger borrows bits of that very same ham and duly steals the show that's going on between these two pieces of pumpkin brioche.
It's so nice in fact, that one of my favourite parts of this experience was when a piece of ham fell out onto my plate and I could get it with my fork and pretty much melt it onto my tongue.
Splendid has probably released the first burger of the ever-expanding festive season and has set an incredibly high bar for others to follow.
As for me, I'm going back to November for a while longer. Humbug!
Get in the Christmas spirit with the Meat Lovers WHOPPER® sandwich, a delicious combo of a WHOPPER® patty topped with tasty chorizo. Chipotle sauce gives an added depth of flavour and the burger is finished with creamy mayo.
Price: All £4.99 for the burger only or £6.69 as a meal.
EXCLUSIVE: Burger King reveals line-up for the Winter Whopperland promotion.
Winter Whopperland 2015...
You’ve got to admire the people at Burger King. They know we will always go out of our way to book annual leave, travel down to London and sample their promotional burgers before they are on-sale but today they actually arranged a pre-launch preview for us at the BK nearest to BLHQ.
When I arrived I was told which burgers were in the 2015 Winter Whopperland promotion and to be honest the news that the Quattro Cheese Whopper was back didn’t fill me with much Christmas cheer. It's a hefty burger and we reviewed it last year, so it wasn't the intention to do it again. However, the BK people told me it was a new version, so I did find myself getting stuck into all three. It's a tough job, but someone has to do it!
Up first though I went with another returning burger – the Meat Lovers Whopper. This has had a slight tweak for the 2015 Winter Whopperland promotion. Last year the version we reviewed had ham on it which wasn’t overly impressive. It looks like BK is in agreement with that sentiment and have re-jigged the Meat Lovers Whopper this year to replace the ham with chorizo slices.
Exclusive first look...
There are three very reasonably sized slices of chorizo on-board, alongside familiar Whopper favourites such as lettuce, tomato, fresh onion and creamy mayo. Also on the Meat Lovers Whopper there is a decent amount of bacon and the burger is finished with a new chipotle sauce, again reinforcing the tweaking and refining going on in this year's promotion.
Presentation was good today and the ingredients all looked fresh so no complaints in that department. I removed the tomato on all three burgers because I really didn’t fancy them (long-time fans will know this particular burger topping and I do not get on).
BK Meat Lovers Whopper 2015...
You get that signature flame-grilled flavour first which is then complimented by the sharp-ish tang of the onion. I was expecting more of a dominant flavour to the chorizo but it was more subtle than I expected. When eaten individually it certainly has quite a distinctive flavour but is somewhat reduced when eaten with the rest of the build. Still, whoever made the decision to swap this for the ham they used last year should be applauded. Burger toppings are always subject to much opinion, but ham, unlike its cousin’s bacon and pulled pork, just doesn't really work.
I was picking up a slight heat on the palate too which at I attributed to the chipotle sauce. We’re not talking jalapeno-level heat, more of a hot paprika with a smoky element I would say, and it was really good.
Now with chorizo...
Despite a good supply of bacon it didn’t really come across in the taste test which was unfortunate. What you do get throughout however is the beef and fresh onion combo which is offset by the subtle sauce and the very, very creamy mayo.
I’m also not much of a fan of mayo so for me I’d prefer to see this burger without it so that you can truly focus on the chipotle sauce. Throw on some pickles and you’ve got a pretty respectable High Street burger. That said, BK is flexible and if, like me, you don't like mayo (or tomato) just ask for it without. Have it your way, etc!
Lifting the lid on the latest High Street promotion...
The next burger I would be testing is the updated version of the Quattro Cheese Whopper. Now at first I only counted two cheese elements – the crunchy cheese patty which was on the Crunchy Cheese Whopper and the cheddar cheese sauce. But after a little bit of investigative work I uncovered that the cheese patty is in fact made up of three different types of cheese. And boy this burger is cheesy!
This is a very creamy burger and lovers of all things cheese will be all over it! I have it on good authority that our very own Miss Milkshake® and Admiral Burgerbar are big fans of the Crunchy Cheese Whopper but for me I’m not a major fan. Personal taste, but a lot of people are going to love this.
BK Quattro Cheese Whopper...
On the Quattro Cheese Whopper you have the BK Whopper patty alongside the cheese patty, cheese sauce, lettuce, tomato and more lashings of that creamy mayo. It’s a very over indulgent burger and is very rich and creamy throughout, epitomising the excesses of Christmas eating. Personally I was struggling with this one but like I mention earlier it’s all about personal preference. For me it was screaming out for another ingredient, be that fresh onion, pickles or even jalapenos just to cut through that sea of creaminess.
After that cheese onslaught I was faced with another cheesy burger and this is the chicken element of the promotion – the Quattro Cheese Tendercrisp, to wind up BK's 2015 Christmas triumvirate.
This is a mightily heavy burger! And weighing in at 945 calories this is really going to satisfy your hunger! As long as you love cheese! And like its Whopper counterpart this again features the crunchy cheese patty and cheddar cheese sauce alongside the same salad items – basically the chicken version of the Quattro Cheese Whopper.
BK Quattro Cheese Tendercrisp...
It is very much what is says on the tin – cheesy! The Tendercrisp patty is quickly becoming one of my favourite fast food chicken patties. Unfortunately though it gets swept away in that wave of a creamy, cheesy and mayo combination. Like I touched upon earlier, it is all about personal preferences and for me the Quattro editions at Burger King are just not an enjoyable experience. Again that’s just me. Luckily I knew this would happen and retained some of the Meat Lovers Whopper to take away the creamy overload. I also noted that this must be the first ever promo to not feature one single slice of the standard cheese normally used.
For that Christmas association it would have been nice to have seen something similar to the recently released in New Zealand, Chicken Cranberry Tendercrisp. I do appreciate that the majority of people like cheese more than I do, but a lot of the "gourmet" places do Christmas burgers with actual Christmas-type ingredients and as NZ shows us, the ingredients are available in BK's repertoire. I'd love to see something properly Christmassy from BK in the UK in 2016.
Cranberry Tendercrisp next year...!?
Running alongside all three promotional burgers are two new sides; Shaker Fries with a BBQ seasoning which are priced from £1.79 and Chicken Strips with a tangy BBQ dipping sauce (£2.49 for two pieces or £3.99 for four). Unfortunately I didn’t get to try these on this occasion but they sound appealing.
Of the three, I would definitely say my favourite was the Meat Lovers Whopper. I think I mentioned in a previous review that BK now appear to have a set of recurring promotions that sit well alongside their more daring innovations and I believe this is the third year of the Winter Whopperland. There’s not much association with winter or Christmas with this one (apart from the Gingerbread Latte) and is arguably the easiest route for BK to take. But the fact that last year's burgers are returning, albeit with some sizeable tweaks, is indicative of their popularity and therefore sales. As well as a massive upsurge in innovation this year, BK is also very good at giving us what the majority like and want.
I therefore don’t want to end on a negative, as personally I think BK have had a very good year with promotions and look forward to seeing what surprises they have for us in 2016!
Burger Lad®
McDonald’s My Burger 2014 Finalist
We are the people's burger website™
Enjoy!
For more burger related news and comments follow me on Twitter:
It certainly appears so. Reddit user patsimenz posted the following image in the Fast Food subreddit.
McDonald's Australia Loaded Fries...
Looking at the picture it shows the option of Bacon & Cheese or Guacamole & Salsa.
It seems Bacon & Cheese Fries have been available before in Japan as part of an "American Vintage" promotion. These were reviewed by our good friends at Travelling McDonald's and you can see their review here.
A quick check of the Macca's website doesn't reveal anything at time of writing so we're speculating this is a new promotion.
What do you think? Would you like to see Loaded Fries make an appearance in the UK? If so what flavours would you hope to see at your local McDonald's?
Burger Lad®
McDonald’s My Burger 2014 Finalist
We are the people's burger website™
Enjoy!
For more burger related news and comments follow me on Twitter:
BREAKING: McDonald’s 2015 Festive Menu REVEALED HERE
Another EXCLUSIVE for Burger Lad® with the reveal of the McDonald’s Festive Menu for 2015 and it sounds like a great line-up!
Up first we have the Festive Feast with Sweetcure Bacon & Cheese which is a brand new burger.
McDonald's Festive Feast...
This is described as “A 100% British and Irish beef burger with sweetcure bacon rashers, black pepper cheese slices, red onion rings, Batavia lettuce and a creamy black pepper mayo in a toasted bun.
We’d heard rumours of at least one burger in the line-up featuring a new sauce and that has made its way onto the Spicy Chicken Winter Melt– another new build!
McDonald's Spicy Chicken Winter Melt...
I’m lovin’ the sound of this one; “Succulent chicken breast fillet in a crispy coating with a cheese slice made with Emmental, spicy fire-roasted pepper sauce, slivered onions, cool mayo and Batavia lettuce in a toasted sesame seed topped bun.
Running alongside these two new burgers will be three returning items which are very, very popular over the Festive season. These include Cheese Melt Dippers, the Festive Pie and a Galaxy® Caramel McFlurry.
The Festive Menu will start at McDonald’s from Wednesday 25th November.
We never reveal our “sauces” on BURGER LAD®… but if the person that gave us this exclusive information is reading I’d just like to say a personal thank you from me and the rest of the BL® team.
You’ve read the rest… but you know we’re the best!
Burger Lad®
McDonald’s My Burger 2014 Finalist
We are the people's burger website™
Enjoy!
For more burger related news and comments follow me on Twitter:
Seasoned beef burger, spicy pulled jerk pork, brioche bun, sweet onion chutney, herb mayo, Caribbean slaw, fries or dressed salad.
Price: £6.95.
Calories: Unknown.
Turtle Bay is a chain of Caribbean restaurants with approximately 25 locations throughout the UK. The brand has not been without recent controversies. News of their tipping policy was reported by The Observer back in August. This was followed up in September by reports of the chain having to apologise for using software to “black up” photos of its customers and give them dreadlocks as part of a marketing campaign.
Turtle Bay opened its Cheltenham restaurant in March 2015 and we had always threatened to check it out. I even reached out to them via email asking if we could come in to do a review but had zero response (their website has a section showing all the good comments received by holding a blogger event in Huddersfield).
But once we heard of the tipping policy we decided to give it a wide berth. Until now… you see we walked past one night and the island bar inside looked kinda cool and the lighting really made the place look inviting. This was certainly more a date with Miss Milkshake® than a bona fide review session but with a burger on the menu I couldn’t possibly make it through the afternoon without turning my attention to a review could I?
Inside Turtle Bay, Cheltenham...
Inside the centrally based Cheltenham restaurant there is a really good vibe going and we really wanted to sit at the island bar right by the “wall of stereos” (see above). There was also another reason for our visit – COCKTAILS! And at Turtle Bay a very generous 2’4’1 Happy Hour (running from 11:30am until 7:00pm and then again from 10:00pm onwards) means that for £6.95 you can get any two of the same cocktails from an impressive menu. What could go wrong…!?
This is a good venue. You can very much just come in, have a few drinks at the bar and order some food if you wish. On the flip side (and like 98% of the tables here) come in for food and order a few drinks. There is a difference…
I think I only saw one table not eating and that was a couple of blokes with a pint of Red Stripe each. Inside today, this was very much ladies (or girls) lunching in smallish party-sized groups or couples. It was packed, and I mean every table was taken! We were sat at the bar and for us, the best spot in the house!
I’ll mention the bar staff working today (Saturday 21st November 2015). Excellent. Really friendly, chatty without being obtrusive and always on hand to advise on the cocktails they were serving us or ready to take our food orders. In fact, after about our 4th cocktail (more would follow) one of the lads said “I wish I was having the day you’re having.” It was that sort of service that really changed our perception about the place instead of this “we’re doing you a favour letting you in here” that you too often get from other establishments.
We kicked off with a Beach Food Platter (£12.95) featuring Spicy jerk chicken wings, pepper roti, sweet corn fritters, and garlic ‘n’ herb flatbread. All were very tasty – my personal preference being the fritters but the unusual thing here is to give you three of everything. This makes deciding who will get that last wing a relationship maker or breaker.
Beach Food Platter minus two fritters...
After more cocktails and really enjoying the atmosphere in there (blatantly coming back in the evening because there’s something about the window lights I just need to see in the dark) we ordered the Curry Shrimp and Mango One Pot. Now this was really very good and served with flatbread was excellent value at £9.65. I was starting to see why this place is so popular.
After all this and yet more cocktails I very nearly passed but in the end I did order the Street Burger– available in Turtle Bay’s Lunch ‘n’ Light menu priced at £6.95. Again, an exceptional offer as this is served with either Caribbean slaw, fries or a dressed salad. I opted for the fries.
Turtle Bay Street Burger...
The burger itself is fairly reasonable. It’s cooked well done but has a juiciness which was certainly commendable. The jury is out on whether it is handmade on the premises or whether it is frozen and delivered in.
You certainly pick up that Caribbean spice from the burger. Scotch Bonnet reigns supreme in almost all the dishes we tried and this was certainly the case with the Street Burger. It’s not overpowering or silly in terms of heat levels. It just gives that slight glow to your palate which is an enjoyable sensation.
Great value at £6.95...
There’s a respectable amount of spicy pulled pork on the Street Burger and it’s got a slight BBQ flavour which I believe could be from using Encona Jamaican Jerk BBQ sauce as the base. The brioche bun was quite tall I thought but was super light and squishy. It just seemed to lack that buttery taste which I associate with brioche.
Big, light brioche...
I didn’t think much of the sweet onion chutney if I’m honest. It didn’t really feel like a “chutney” in terms of texture. This felt more like a couple of pieces of onion which had been sweated down slightly – it was missing that relish-type feel you expect from a chutney. The few pieces of onion did however bring a sweetness as stated in the description.
The Street Burger is finished with a herb mayo which works quite nicely with the rest of the ingredients on-board. It contrasted nicely with the spice from the seasoned patty and there didn’t appear to be too much of the stuff. Sometimes too much mayo can really ruin a burger but this wasn’t the case at Turtle Bay.
Hmmm... chutney...!?
So after today would I return to Turtle Bay in Cheltenham? Based on my experiences I would say that is a resounding yes. The staff were excellent, the bar seats exactly what we were looking for and the list (and price) of cocktails really very much made this an extended happy hour!
The food is good and very reasonably priced with a touch of Scotch Bonnet running throughout the dishes we tried. The atmosphere and vibe in this restaurant is relaxed with a buzz of conversation and you can’t help enjoy yourself taking it all in.
In terms of the burger, it’s a reasonably tasty entry to our review library but nothing amazing, but on the flip side not terrible either. With some work on the chutney and putting some fresh rocket salad on it this would possibly raise the standard. Again I’m not certain if these are made fresh or frozen and delivered in. Would I have it again? Probably not. But then there’s so much more to Turtle Bay than just a burger.
Burger Lad®
McDonald’s My Burger 2014 Finalist
We are the people's burger website™
Enjoy!
For more burger related news and comments follow me on Twitter:
Our Christmas Burger comprises a juicy slab of crispy fried turkey topped with a sausage patty made from Ginger Pig Tamworth pork, along with smoked bacon, sprout tops, spiced cranberry ketchup, a cheeky slice of Ogleshield cheese and turkey gravy for you to French Dip the whole thing in.
Price: £12.00.
Calories: Unknown.
Hawksmoor. The temple of steak. Well, in London and Manchester anyway. I'm delighted to be here to review a new burger. Burgers, of course, are not their thing, but whatever they do, it's done well (as opposed to well done) and you are never going to have a bad experience at a Hawksmoor.
The Seven Dials London branch has done a Christmas burger before, I think, maybe some of the others. This year, despite the lady doth protesting, Manchester has decided to put it out too.
Christmas burgers are typically a display of decadence as we know, and Hawksmoor's is no exception, with turkey, sausage, bacon, sprouts, cranberry, cheese and gravy. But from the promo pics it also looks like it balances the excesses with some restraint in terms of the size, while the turkey and cranberry ketchup seem to ensure it tastes Christmassy.
The food and service (and drinks when car keys aren't a hindrance) are all second to none, and it's no surprise that Hawksmoor regularly makes most top-whatever lists. Even the seating is fantastic and I love the classic timeless decor of the place. The only grumble is the lighting, which is a bit dim for pictures unless you get a seat by the window (which I did today).
Sorry, Lawrence Llewelyn wotsisname must have taken over there for a moment. This is a burger review, so off we go. I'd happily while away an afternoon in Hawksmoor's bar.
Anyway, the burger looks like it is stacked from bottom to top with turkey, sausage patty, cheese, bacon, with everything having the same sort of diameter in a neatly composed build.
Christmas burger from the meat experts...
It arrived looking almost exactly as it does in the promos, and that's a rare thing. A lot of places simply don't put the same effort in the build for customers as they do for their professional photographers.
Greenery was provided courtesy of the sprout tops which looked distinctly unsprouty as they were large leaves spread out across the bottom, doing the job that lettuce or rockets might otherwise do.
The other thing I noticed was that the turkey was breaded and, tucking into that, it was something delicious. A light crisp and fantastic seasoning, I pulled a bit out to try by itself. The turkey, along with the light smattering of distinctive cranberry ketchup on which it sat, was the stand-out part of this burger for me. Just as with a beef burger, the "patty" whatever it is, should be the best part, such as was the case here.
Aesthetic perfection with tastes to match...
That's not to say that the supporting acts aren't terrific too, because they are. A special word for the Ogleshield cheese - this is idea, for this sort of thing (well, any sort of thing if you ask me). Its thick racletty consistency makes it ideal for melting over meat with tremendous effect. It blabbed all over, under, and through the bacon at the top of the stack, which was not only delicious, but a hell of a lot of fun too.
Ogleshield - the best burger cheese...?
On top of that gloopy glory was a few drizzles of what looked like mustard. There were a lot of clever touches in here. The bluntest instrument was probably the sausage patty - a flat, round sausage (of the Ginger Pig Tamworth) variety. Along with the bacon, it gave the obvious pig-in-blanket effect (albeit this little piggy's blanket had been somewhat gobbled up by a melty blob of one of the best cheeses around).
The sausage and bacon together, with their savoury strength, threatened to overshadow the turkey, and might have been had it not been crumbed and fried in a crispy suit of armour. That emphasised the turkey and as a result balanced out all the flavours in here, and kept the sausage in check.
I'd be surprised if there hadn't been considerable development in this, although I know not every staff member was involved in the tasting (!).
Lots going on inside...
There's still a full week of November to go and I've had two Christmas burgers already. A sign of the times perhaps, but as well as a showcase of skills and the joy of excess, food decadence and festive gluttony, the bar seems very high so far.
You've got several weeks to have this third burger at Hawksmoor in Manchester (or London if you must) and I strongly suggest you do, if you can tear yourself away from the best steaks in Britain, that is.
Finally, the sidekick to the burger is Christmas nuggets, a variation on Hawksmoor's legendary short rib nuggets - a little box of which I took home to enjoy later.
Christmas meat excess...
(Disclaimer - this meal was stubbornly provided free of charge, something for which I am eternally grateful, although I only discovered that as I tried to pay and had already written my notes. In no way does it affect my opinion of the food - at BURGER LAD® you know us better than that!)
A 100% British and Irish beef burger with sweetcure bacon rashers, black pepper cheese slices, red onion rings, Batavia lettuce and a creamy black pepper mayo in a toasted bun.
Price: £4.29 for the burger only.
Calories: 791 kcal.
Forget the John Lewis Christmas advert, the real main event at this time of the year is the McDonald’s Festive Menu– we broke the news of the line-up in another BURGER LAD® exclusive last week.
In the (ghost of Christmas) past we’ve seen entries such as the Winter Warmer (which had a re-boot last year) and the Festive Deluxe, but for 2015 the latest burger coming at you in the season to be jolly is the Festive Feast with Sweetcure Bacon & Cheese.
A BIG promotional box...
Arriving just slightly later than usual I placed my order and was instantly handed a promotional box. I wasn’t too concerned about how long this had been held in the warming bay as it was only just after that breakfast cut-off point.
The box was big, so logic told me that the burger inside would also be big… and weighing in at 791 calories this was confirmed when I took my first glimpse at the new seasonal burger at McDonald’s.
First look at the Festive Feast...
My goodness this had been messily put together with bacon, lettuce and red onion protruding all out of the toasted bun. The bacon was practically sticking its tongue out at me!! Presentation aside it is the bun we’ll talk about first.
I like this bun, I like it a lot. It’s like a lattice semi-brioche hybrid which is very soft and looks incredibly inviting. It’s not got a buttery taste like a traditional brioche but that glazed top and criss-cross on the top do look quite striking. Very impressive.
I mentioned above that this burger is big and it is because the patty used on the Festive Feast is the one used on the Big Tasty, which coincidentally has just come to an end (for the time being). Keep an eye on Twitter (from today!) for people asking when it will return…
It’s never going to win the “Patty of the Year Award” but the one I had today was fairly decent and not too dry which can sometimes be its downfall.
McDonald's Festive Feast...
For this review you will almost have to look past the photos as they don’t really do the Festive Feast much justice. You get a satisfying crunch from the lettuce and red onion and there was certainly plenty of everything on here. The red onion works very nicely with the black pepper mayo which I’ll discuss in more detail soon.
Due to that breakfast/lunch cross-over time period I always keep a sharp eye on the bacon used. And I am once again pleased to report I had the correct bacon. And this was absolutely loaded with it! I don’t believe I have ever had a promotional High Street burger with as much as this contained today.
Slightly untidy presentation...
Taste-wise you’ll have to have an impressive palate to pick it up combined with the other ingredients but it certainly contributes to the overall flavour. I broke a bit off and it had a very slight sweet and smoky flavour to it, but definitely bordering more on the sweet side. My only slight grumble was that it was a bit fatty but like I stated above – a very commendable amount on this build.
I’ve had some negative comments about the black pepper mayo being included on the Festive Feast and like any review it is all down to personal preference. For me it is a thumbs up as it’s nowhere near as offensively creamy as others I’ve had recently and that black pepper really is the defining flavour. I guess the black pepper cheese slices also contribute to this but I really couldn’t tell they were on there.
Lifting the festive lid...
You are going to get a lot of people asking what is festive or Christmassy about the Festive Feast and I can’t blame them. But in McDonald’s defence they are in the business of selling burgers and have to appeal to the widest possible demographic – and what is their most popular promotional burger? Probably the Big Tasty… and this is what I would call a Big Tasty v2.0 (swapping the sauces and salad items around a bit). If you’re looking for something a bit more leftfield and with a true Christmas-twist, go and check out any number of a plethora of independent burger joints now offering their Xmas special.
A very commendable bun...
At £4.29 (where I visited) for the burger only this is quite an expensive indulgence for a McDonald’s burger. It is, in essence a bacon cheeseburger with an enjoyable black pepper mayo which, along with the red onion is the defining flavour. And again top marks for the bun, this is certainly one I’d like to see again in future McDonald’s promotions. Aesthetics aside this is a pretty enjoyable burger but if you’re looking for a taste of Christmas (whatever that is) then you could be setting yourself up for a fall.
Pros: Lattice bun, black pepper mayo, promotional box, lots of bacon, texture ticks all the boxes.
Cons: Presentation, price, cheese missing in action, not Christmassy.
2015 has been an exceptionally good year for McDonald’s fans. We started with the return of the McRib which was followed by a new burger – The Grand. We then saw Great Tastes of America return with the introduction of Shaker Fries. This was followed up by another new burger – The BBQ Smokehouse and then Great Tastes of the World. Throw into the mix the fact they’ve been trialling table service and the introduction of the Signature Collection shows us that the Golden Arches will continue to mean business in 2016. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Touchscreen kiosks and table service must mean that Create Your Taste is on the horizon (I believe the patties used in the Signature Collection could be the ones they will use). You can guarantee that whatever initiatives McDonald’s bring to consumers in 2016 we’ll be on the frontline reporting and reviewing!
Burger Lad®
McDonald’s My Burger 2014 Finalist
We are the people's burger website™
Enjoy!
For more burger related news and comments follow me on Twitter:
Succulent chicken breast fillet in a crispy coating with a cheese slice made with Emmental, spicy fire-roasted pepper sauce, slivered onions, cool mayo and Batavia lettuce in a toasted sesame seed topped bun.
Price: £3.89 for the burger only.
Calories: 540 kcal.
Another November day, another Christmas burger, this time from the biggest chain of all, McDonald's.
You'll have already seen Burger Lad's review of the beef offering on McDonald's festive menu and I'm here to tell you about its chicken sidekick.
Lovely promotional box for this one...
This was also my very first experience with McDonald's touch screen ordering (first look brought to you by Burger Lad®) which caused me to have a salad instead of fries (not paying enough attention) but that was rapidly swapped quibble-free, with a smile.
After reading Burger Lad's review, I had quite high hopes for this. I tend to enjoy McDonald's crispy chicken in most of its guises and this was going to prove no exception.
Unlike Burger Lad®, I was given a near-perfect build, which of course doesn't alter the taste of the burger but definitely enhances the experience. In reality, they are never going to meet the exacting standards of the marketing photography shots but like I said this one really wasn't far off. It did look very inviting.
The Spicy Chicken Winter Melt - a mouthful of words...
As for the name of it, there was definitely "spicy" although "melt" was a stretch. It certainly wasn't dry, thanks to the mayo and sauce but the cheese wasn't melted.
And that cheese is described as "made with Emmental" which is nice, but does beg the question "and what else...?" It was a welcome addition though - not all the chicken offerings get cheese - to a fairly uncomplicated but well thought-out build.
The sesame seed bun looked the part - a good dark shade punctuated by these white seeds - it's a classic look and very inviting.
Inside, this special included McDonald's crispy chicken breast which is nearly always good. A piece on its own to check - yep, good. I was enjoying this burger.
Ingredients all present and correct...
The lettuce was Batavia but it could have been any other type for all it added to the taste (an issue at every burger joint - lettuce in my view adds nothing).
Like the bun though, its dark green hues do add considerably to the aesthetics of the thing. Again, I pulled some out and was pleased with its freshness.
Not everyone is keen on mayo on a burger. Pre-BL that was me but I am now, for the most part although there are definitely exceptions.
The cool mayo, as opposed to the black pepper variant BL encountered, worked really well with the spicy sauce and neither was slopped on in great quantities. Subtlety seemed to be the name of the game here and it worked.
Inside the Christmas chicken burger...
It's not really a major departure from chicken items we've seen before - tweaking ingredients seems to be the plan but calls for outrageous creations at McDonald's are simply unrealistic.
What it is however, as a whole, is a completely new item and a very enjoyable one at that and I haven't even got to the best bits yet.
These best bits are of course that spicy sauce and the onion. I'm over the moon that they opted not to include tomato here - would've ruined it.
McDonald's crispy chicken is nearly always good...
Described respectively as "spicy fire-roasted pepper sauce" and "slivered onion" they gave a slight warmth and that sharp tang that fresh onions give. Again, provided in sufficient but generous proportions, these two ingredients gave the warmth you'd expect from a festive special.
As ever, the spiciness wasn't food-challenge stuff. It was light and built steadily, being kept in considerable check by the mayo. A pretty classic combination that McDonald's use to great effect.
The onions were brilliant and were probably most responsible for the taste of this burger lingering beyond the final bite.
When the marketing blurb says "let your taste buds sing", maybe this is what they mean.
It's only November so this and its beef counterpart are going to be around for quite a few weeks. Go and get one, and tweet Burger Lad® with your views.
I enjoyed this and that of course means it's two out of two for McDonald's this Christmas.
A quarter pound of juicy 100% Canadian beef topped with a creamy peppercorn sauce, melted processed white cheddar cheese, heaping amounts of grilled onions and leaf lettuce all served on a toasted, cross-split bun topped with rolled wheat flakes.
*** UPDATE *** Our very own Admiral Burgerbar called a McDonald's in Canada and has the following information: Quarter Pound Beef Patty, Leaf Lettuce, White Cheese Slice, Grilled Onions, Peppercorn Sauce, Glazed Split Bun. Started Wednesday 25th November 2015 until stocks run out. Priced at $5.49 for the sandwich and $8.29 as part of a meal (Halifax, NS).
There is a new McDonald's burger on the horizon... it seems it is already on-sale in Canada but there is nothing on the website... yet!
As you know, our investigative burger journalism is second to none (well apart from Burger Business maybe) and we've heard on the grapevine that a burger called the Jolly Burger is available at McDonald's Canada.
Twitter user @claustrophoebic has mentioned it in a tweet...
Jolly burger and chicken celebration now available at Mcdonalds! 😄 #jollymcdonalds😂😂
A photo posted by Larry Van Louie (@rally_larry) on
So what exactly is the Jolly Burger and is that its correct name? It looks like an artisan style bun with a Big Tasty sized beef patty, lettuce, cheese and grilled onions. We'll find out more and update you when we can! Looking at the packaging and running alongside the Chicken Celebration this would appear to be McDonald's Canada Festive Menu. Have you tried the mysterious "Jolly" burger?
Burger Lad®
McDonald’s My Burger 2014 Finalist
We are the people's burger website™
Enjoy!
For more burger related news and comments follow me on Twitter:
As part of a promotional tie-in with The Peanuts movie, it appears McDonald’s Thailand are releasing another burger with black buns known as the Snoopy Black Burger.
Below is a promotional image of the burger due for release soon. It doesn’t look like anything particularly exciting with chicken, lettuce and tomato and some sort of brown (BBQ?) sauce. Judging by the video there is definitely a chilli element involved. International McDonald’s blogger, Travelling McDonald’s who runs the website McDonald’s Around the World is now based in Thailand so expect to see a review from him soon.
McThai promotional image...
In the UK we saw the release of the Halloween Whopper recently by rival Burger King.
Coloured buns are not new to McDonald’s consumers in the Far East, with a fairly recent black bun Halloween-themed burger called “Ikasumi” and in China, a Yin and yang duo of black and white burgers was released in 2012.
Black and White burgers in China...
Would you like to see McDonald’s bring coloured buns to the UK? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below. Here's a promotional video of the new Snoopy Black Burger:
Burger Lad®
McDonald’s My Burger 2014 Finalist
We are the people's burger website™
Enjoy!
For more burger related news and comments follow me on Twitter:
Solita's Christmas burger starts on Monday. They let us have a sneak preview.
Last year, Solita added deep fried sprouts to the burger, and this year is no different. Back again. If you've ever had boiled sprouts at your grandma's and hated them, forget all that. This is from a different planet.
The Solita Christmas Burger...
The only difference between this preview version and what will be sold commercially is the pig in the blanket, sticking out the top. The ingredients weren't available yet - the turkey had only arrived moments before. That's fair enough though because firstly it's early, and secondly it isn't actually "in" the burger, it's sticking out the top, along with a roast potato cube and a stuffing ball on a skewer. That's the thing with Christmas burgers these days - things sticking out the top.
The brioche is gone and Solita's burgers are seemingly now in seeded buns, this one at least, and it bloody works. Brioche has perhaps had its day and Solita does tend to blaze a trail.
Anyway, by way of disclaimer, this burger was provided free of charge, which as ever makes absolutely no difference to my opinion of it, and only affects the level of gratitude extended to the amazing staff at Solita.
It arrived in a jaw-dropping display of festive excess, again very much in keeping with the whole Christmas burger feel. I was looking forward to this.
Solita's take on Christmas...
I put it down for a moment to get a few snaps of it for you, but remained very eager to get stuck in.
And so, before my salivation became too obvious, I bit in. And it was sweet. First sensation before anything else was the sweetness. That's the cranberry and port sauce that isn't pervasive but applied quite sparingly and works wonders with the other flavours in there, especially the sprouts.
Aesthetically, it was very appealing even with the missing sausage. On top were a roastie and a stuffing ball. I made the executive decision to remove those and eat them first. They taste like stuffing and roast potato, respectively, and were perfectly serviceable, adding perhaps a bit more to the look of the burger than the taste. But to be honest. I'd chosen sweet potato fries as my side dish, and it takes quite a bit to beat those.
From top down, I actually found the bun a bit better than brioche. Maybe it is because I eat a lot of burgers and most of them are served in brioche. As great as it is, one tires of it eventually. What's been selected in its place is a seeded bun, which not only looks better, but also does the same job of keeping stuff in, for which brioche is famous.
Say CHEESE...!!!
Inside this bread were three different meats, and we will come to those , but first the cheese. Lots of cheese. Described as a slice of Monterey Jack, either side of the beef patty, in effect it was a melty cheesy gloop that rode all over the other ingredients. Marvellous stuff, resulting in considerable melty goodness all over the place.
And that meat... Well, we had gammon, turkey and beef. I could leave it there but I won't. The beef, of course, was the 7oz patty from the Inka grill that Solita does to perfection. You could have no other ingredients but the cheese and this would be nice. I've covered it before in other reviews. Stunning stuff.
But the other meats helped make this Christmassy. The gammon, first of all. A couple of thick chunks. Now, admittedly due to the slippy cheese and the sheer size of this beast, most of the gammon fell out. I'm no stranger to burger ingredients falling out, so this wasn't a big deal. It all tastes the same! But having fallen out, it gave me a chance to try it alone and it was nice. Hammy, as you'd hope, with limited fat and a lovely savoury saltiness that comes with the territory.
The gammon content was quite significant but the other meats didn't fall out.
An amazing stack...
The other meats in question were led by the turkey. Well-breaded and significant in quantity, it almost defined the meat part of this burger. It was absolutely lovely with a delicious crispy coating, and came very close to taking over from the beef in here.
But not quite. Solita's beef is so damn tasty that it takes all challengers within its bun and throws them to the dust, no matter how tasty they are. By emphasising the beef though, I'm not trying to detract from the flavour of the gammon and the turkey. The whole damn thing was great.
The sprouts and the cheese, along with the cranberry sauce, were what gave this this the "chrimbo" element and what set out its stall as a Christmas special. Is it any more special than last year's Christmas special? No. Is it a great Christmas special? Yes.
From Tuesday 1st December until Monday 28th December the Festive Menu at McDonald’s Italy will feature two burgers.
McDonald's Italy Festive Menu...
Up first, is the Festive Deluxe with Brie and Bacon.
This burger features creamy brie cheese, crispy bacon and salad on a special granary bread and weighs in at 782 kcal.
Running alongside this is the Festive Supreme with Raclette and Mushrooms.
“The taste of winter” is described as including tasty mushrooms, stringy Raclette cheese and salad all contained within a quinoa burger bun. Nutritionally this clocks in lower at 612 kcal.
The taste of winter...
Are you travelling to Italy between these days? Will you be trying the Festive Deluxe or Festive Supreme or both?
How do you think it compares to the Festive Menu at McDonald’s in the UK? Let us know via the usual channels.
Burger Lad®
McDonald’s My Burger 2014 Finalist
We are the people's burger website™
Enjoy!
For more burger related news and comments follow me on Twitter:
Price: Son of a Nutcracker £15.00, Butter Blood Baubles and Booze £10.00.
Calories: Unknown.
While most places do a Christmas burger, Almost Famous, these famous non-conformers, are doing two - the Son of a Nutcracker, and the Butter Blood Baubles and Booze.
Almost Famous isn't a place that does things by halves, so neither should I. It was therefore an easy decision to have both. This was also an interesting visit in terms of the core of the burger - the patty - (the third this year) as it marked a return to the previous meat supplier after a brief hiatus due to, well, reasons. The intervening patty coincided with the amazing new menu and was described as much juicier etc, while this new "exclusive" patty from Frost Butchers is also described as juicier still. How much juicier can a beef patty get before it becomes juice? Let's find out.
Promo pic for the Xmas Baubles...
BUTTER BLOOD BAUBLES & BOOZE
The first and slightly less ridiculous-looking burger of the two. While both have stuff sticking out the top, this one "only" has a candy cane, which I seem to remember being a component of last year's Christmas burger, or the one before.
The titular ingredients in the alliteration-heavy name here are:
You'd be forgiven for thinking that massive list of ingredients is your lot, but it isn't. There's also smoked cheese, pulled pork, not one but two of these super-juicy patties and of course the bun.
Told you, Almost Famous doesn't do "ordinary", and may I remind you that this is still the more subdued of the festive pair.
It's a double cheeseburger with substantial trimmings, and as well as the triple-ingredient balls, I suspect the substantial amount of sauce, mayo and melty cheese on this are going to conspire to making this as messy to eat as AF burgers usually are.
The Baubles burger in real life...
Sure enough when the red basket was deposited on my table, my emotions went from wow, to mmmm, to "what do I do now". There are many ways to eat an Almost Famous burger but none of them involve keeping your hands clean, and all of them involve using the kitchen paper on the table.
So, checking nobody was watching too carefully, I grabbed it and took a big bite as best I could. Mess everywhere, as expected, but maybe not quite as much mess - I'll come back to that.
Before I continue, I must return to the patty, because although I mentioned the return to the previous supplier, it appears that is due to happen this week but not today, not at Great Northern anyway. So these patties that I'm eating today are amongst the last batch of the interim supplier. Confused? Well, it's all juicy! This however is the one I had and loved on the Johnny Drama burger. Next time (and there will be a next time) it'll be all change again.
Back to the contents of the red basket and one stuffing ball had fallen out, the candy cane in the top was missing, replaced with a wooden skewer. But it doesn't really matter - I grabbed the ball first and shoved it down my throat. Delicious.
Messy & delicious...
I checked about the missing cane and it was explained the delivery hadn't come yet today. As I said, no matter - just the vagaries of restaurants and their suppliers.
It was also explained, as always at AF, that the beef is cooked medium, and is pink and was that OK. Of course it's OK!
In my burger though, no pink. Two wonderful tasty patties but not quite within the realms of "medium".
On top of those two fab patties sat lashings of pulled pork, which was really delicious and very generous. Probably the defining feature of this burger, which may divide opinion.
Amongst that pulled pork sat the strings of crispy leeks and onions which were also nice, reminiscent to the eye of shoestring fries and the like.
Further up in the attic of this burger, in the promo pics sat the bacon and cranberry jam and the mayo. I'm not convinced the mayo was there - I couldn't see it and I couldn't taste it.
What I could taste though was the jam - not quite as sweet as I thought it might have been, but that might have something to do with the BBQ element of the pulled pork. At any rate it was good, applied perhaps more sparingly than AF's normal style.
Prominent pulled pork...
The bun was the standard brioche as opposed to the pretzel buns they use on a couple of the new-ish menu items.
The stuffing balls, the jam and the crispy onions and leeks added a significant degree of festivity to the palate and let's be honest - the candy cane is there mainly for show.
It probably could've been a bit better if it had included the Mayo and been cooked medium but neither was a disaster. As it was it was basically an augmented BBQ cheeseburger and as such, damn tasty.
However, better was yet to come...
Promo pic...
SON OF A NUTCRACKER
When I first saw the promos for this, "The Towering Inferno" sprung to mind. Sticking out the top is a pig in a blanket (becoming somewhat de rigeur for Christmas burgers) and a substantial sausage roll with a whole roll-call of ingredients by itself - we'll come to that later.
Now, I'm not actually a huge fan of burger ingredients sticking out the top. I'd rather they weren't there, or on the side, or better still reconfigured to fit inside the burger. But firstly, it's Christmas and Christmas burgers seem to be defined these days by excess, and secondly it's Almost Famous, 'nuff said.
The inferno part of the tower in the pics seems to come from the chicken gravy which does actually come separately, so you can pour all over your burger to make it even messier.
In terms of ingredients, it isn't a massive departure from its stablemate to begin with, bringing over the bacon cranberry jam, the JD BBQ sauce and the brandy butter peppercorn sauce (as well as the beef patty, the cheese and the bun obviously).
Reality matches promo with this one...
But there the similarities end. There's one, not two beef patties, with the rhythm guitar being played by a sausage stuffing patty (a BBQ spiced one, which sounds interesting and very meaty).
But there's also a third degree of meatiness in the form of buttermilk fried turkey, which also gives this burger its significant height. The final addition here is what looks like lashings of creamy slaw, which I must admit make my mouth water uncontrollably.
If the other one was difficult to eat, this one is impossible. Impossibly, anyway, to get a full mouthful from top to bottom, so it requires the diagonal shuffle, a nibble here, a nibble there. Slaw and sauce and all sorts falling out before my lips could even make contact.
The sausage roll, one of the two items that take the term "topping" rather too literally, is just about as jam-packed with ingredients as the burger proper. It's sausage stuffing and chorizo, with more of that bacon cranberry jam, more cheese, and more BBQ spices all inside puff pastry. It's also not exactly small - you can see how it compares to the pig in a blanket, which is hardly Lilliputian itself.
As for the pig in a blanket, well it's a sausage wrapped in bacon. Pretty nice, but hardly as interesting as everything else going on in here.
Where do I start? Daunting and messy even before I do any dipping and pouring with the gravy. It's definitely the larger of the two specials, and it arrived with a table candle which made my pictures a bit less dark than they were for the Baubles.
Lots of gravy to go with it...
I took the pig off the top first and dipped it in the gravy. Delicious. The sausage was exactly what you'd expect, while the gravy was divine. Many people will feel inclined to pour it all over the burger as per the promo pics, but not I.... Well not right away anyway.
I got the sausage roll next - with noticeable chorizo in the mix. Again, head first into the gravy and again delicious. But enough of the accessories, there's a burger to be had.
With my aforementioned diagonal eating style in play, I got the sausage patty on the bottom first, followed by the beef with the turkey being somewhat masked to begin with by the slaw, although that did change as I went on. At this point I also capitulated with the gravy and threw some on, in amongst the slaw.
Now, we must talk briefly about the slaw because it is never going to be a mainstream favourite burger topping but it is, however, quite a favourite of mine, either on or beside the burger. As long as it is good slaw though, and not too dry. This most definitely fits the bill.
The combination of ingredients, although substantial and varied (so much so that there's no way I could rattle them off without checking the list), worked well. The distinct savouriness of the sausage patty gradually gave way to the turkey over time and it was fantastic. As much as I liked the sausage, I preferred the turkey. Fantastic, with the characteristic stickiness between the teeth and a jolly good crumb on it.
A magnificent burger...
This burger did have the brandy butter peppercorn mayo (say THAT ten times quickly with a mouthful of brandy butter peppercorn mayo) - a rather delicious little addition to a couple of particular mouthfuls but lost a bit amongst all the other flavours battling for the attention of my taste buds, not least the bacon and cranberry jam and TRIPLE meat.
If I liked the Butter Blood Baubles and Booze (shortened to "Xmas Baubles" on receipts) then I really loved the Son of a Nutcracker. Even without the stuff on top, this is a great burger with a wicked sense of fun, excess and sheer taste.
And finally, if this is the Son, God knows what next year will be like if they release Big Daddy Nutcracker.....
McDonald’s China releases new Black and White Burgers
We recently reported on McDonald’s Thailand releasing The Peanuts Movie promotional tie-in Snoopy Black Burger. Well China have gone one better and released both a black and white burger (it’s not the first time black and white burgers have been available there and you can see a picture of the 2012 editions in the link above).
Black and White return to McDonald's China...
My Chinese isn’t quite what it once was and Google translate isn’t very helpful on this occasion, but there are mentions of “Thai”, “Sichuan” and “Chicken or Pork?”
Our guess is that it is some sort of pulled pork and/or chicken in one of the flavourings above. Each burger appears in the promotional picture with green leaf lettuce.
McDonald's Snoopy Promotion...
Our tweet revealing the release of the Grey/Gray "Modern Burger" was shared worldwide so keep a look out for this latest promotion making news in the next few days...
So black and white bun burgers return to McDonald’s China. Are you travelling there soon? Would you try one or both? And what chances of them every appearing in the UK? Let us know your thoughts via the usual channels.
Burger Lad®
McDonald’s My Burger 2014 Finalist
We are the people's burger website™
Enjoy!
For more burger related news and comments follow me on Twitter:
McDonald’s Taiwan releases Year End Celebrations Surf & Turf Burger
Why does the Far East get all the cool stuff?
Hot on the heels of breaking the news about Black and White Burgers returning to China, McDonald’s Taiwan release a new Surf & Turf Burger celebrating the end of the year. Obviously.
McDonald's Surf & Turf returns to Taiwan...
Looking at the burger it looks like the standard beef with a salmon fish patty underneath and a white (tartar?) sauce with lettuce and an Asian-style slaw. Next to it is a wedge of lime so perhaps the sauce contains that!?
The other option is basically the same minus the beef and slaw. It's not the first time this burger has been released in Taiwan as it was also available at the end of 2014.
Surf & Turf burgers are not new to McDonald's. There was even one released as close as in Germany a few years ago called the Australia Surf & Turf.
Would you like to see Surf & Turf in the UK...!?
Would you like to see a Surf & Turf burger at McDonald’s in the UK? Let us know your comments via the usual channels.
Burger Lad®
McDonald’s My Burger 2014 Finalist
We are the people's burger website™
Enjoy!
For more burger related news and comments follow me on Twitter:
McDonald’s France Extends "Signature by McDonald's" Testing
McDonald’s France are testing the Signature Range again and have extended the line-up with two new burgers.
McDonald's France "Signature by McDonald's"...
Previously on-sale in December 2014 and tested in only three restaurants in France the range then consisted of Classic Worcester Burger, Blue Cheese & Bacon Burger and Spicy Jalapeno Burger.
The Twitter account for McDonald’s Pleumeleuc has confirmed that testing will continue in their region. Pleumeleuc is in Brittany in the northwest of France.
The Signature Range will consist of the Blue Cheese & Bacon Burger, Spicy Ranch Burger, and two new additions; BBQ Beef Burger and Chicken BBQ Burger.
As you know, McDonald’s UK currently have the Signature Collection in a number of select restaurants, with a further roll-out anticipated some time in 2016.
In the meantime, will you be in the Brittany region soon? Will you be looking out for this latest incarnation of the McDonald’s Signature Range? Let us know your thoughts via the usual BURGER LAD® channels.
Burger Lad®
McDonald’s My Burger 2014 Finalist
We are the people's burger website™
Enjoy!
For more burger related news and comments follow me on Twitter:
McDonald’s Belgium has recently launched a new burger called the Generous Jack. In terms of obscure names it is certainly up there with the Eggcellent Silly Double Beef from Hong Kong.
The Generous Jack...
The burger is part of the “Maestro Burgers by McDonald’s” range which is the European gourmet branding similar to the UK’s Signature Collection. France however offers the “Signature by McDonald’s” range.
Maestro burgers started popping up in Sweden first, alongside waiters and table service. The “Maestro” burger has also appeared in the following countries; The Netherlands, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Switzerland (under their “Signature Line”) and Finland as enjoyed by Bryan Roberts below:
Immersing myself into Finnish culture and cuisine with the Maestro Classic from McDonald's pic.twitter.com/sGXEniP5D0
Priced at over €5, the Generous Jack is made-up of two beef patties, long crispy slices of bacon, traditionally matured Maredsous cheese, Batavia lettuce, red onion, fresh tomato and an interesting sounding lemon-mayonnaise sauce. All on a flax and sesame seeded golden brioche bun.
Maredsous cheese is a Belgian cheese made from cow’s milk which is semi-hard and characterised by an orange coloured rind. It is named after the location where it was first produced – Maredsous Abbey, near Namur in Belgium.
The first of the new range of Maestro Burgers at McDonald’s Belgium, the Generous Jack has been on-sale since the 4th or 5th December and a few sightings have been reported. Nutritionally its in the region of The Grand, clocking in at 721 kcal. Running alongside the burger are the Generous Fries - a skin-on, more upmarket version of fries which I hope we see in the UK in 2016.
So McDonald’s continue to roll out more premium burgers across Europe under the Maestro brand. This joins other branding such as “Signature” and “McExtreme” - which is often found in Spain.
Would you try the Generous Jack? Perhaps you are travelling to Belgium in the next few days and could sample it? Let us know your opinions via the usual BURGER LAD® channels.
Burger Lad®
McDonald’s My Burger 2014 Finalist
We are the people's burger website™
Enjoy!
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6oz Chuck Steak Patty, Monteray Jack, Homemade Salsa, Mac Daddy Sauce, Red Onion, Rocket, Beef Heart Tomato, Crushed Corn Tortillas.
Price: £7.50.
Calories: Unknown.
Finally! Talk about ships that pass in the night. I've been trying, and failing, to get stuck into Fabulous Burgers for months. It's essentially street food though, and while they will have a permanent outlet (under a different name) at Beat Street's new venture from next year, so far they've been popping up at places and times that I just couldn't get to.
The current menu at FBB...
Properly rectified today though, and after a good chat with Ben and his business partner, I got stuck into El Narco, the newest but currently best-selling burger on their menu.
Now, the menu here isn't huge - today was three burgers, a hot dog, fries and nachos - and the burgers are essentially variations of the standard Fabulous Burger, with the house patty and "Mac daddy" sauce forming the transferable core across the range.
Ben explained the methodology of the El Narco recipe, including a mouth-watering description of how the cheese and red onions are steamed together. So mouth-watering in fact, that I had to continue eating the thing while he was talking. I was also told that the 6oz patty consists of chuck, brisket and marrow fat - all the tasty bits.
El Narco is ready...
The contents, which I will come to, are held in a full butter brioche about which they are immensely proud, and rightly so. It's a tasty item and more importantly performs its prime role of holding everything in well (and there's lots to hold in).
But when I say "a lot" I don't mean towering food-challenge belly busters or anything like that. This is a tasty sensible burger.
At its core is that patty, cooked pretty well done, but still quite juicy thanks most likely to the marrow fat. It's also quite thick so you certainly don't feel short-changed - exceptional value for money, actually.
The red onions are very noticeable, which is brilliant - amongst my favourite burger toppings.
Thick patty and clever toppings...
Also noticeable is the tomato, which is often taken out, but here because it was fused with the other toppings, I couldn't. As it happens, I actually didn't mind it anyway - quite sweet and not at all overpowering for a change.
At this point, perfectionist Ben apologised that the rocket wasn't actually rocket - the supply issues that occasionally affect all food outlets large and small. It had been replaced by small-leaf lettuce and rocket would be used again ASAP. It was a nice touch bothering to explain that and although I do like the slight nuttiness of rocket, it didn't actually detract from the overall appeal because there was a lot else to enjoy in here.
Not least the Mac daddy sauce, which is essentially a pickle-laden reverse-engineering of the sauce from a popular high street burger. That gave it a slight sourness, which bounced around the palate, competing with the salsa for attention.
El Narco up close...
It's the salsa and the crushed nachos that give this burger its sort-of Mexican theme. The salsa has a wonderful heat to it, built with coarsely chopped pieces of green chilli. Not stupid Scoville-heat but definitely noticeable, lingering and delicious.
And finally the nachos themselves, adding a crunch which offsets nicely the softness of the brioche bun.
So, a lot of textures, a lot of flavours, and good contrasts in this burger, all worked out with considerable effort in development, and lashings of pride.
It came through clearly that they are proud of the quality of their product and I'd have to say it's justified.
A good brioche holds this together...
I thoroughly enjoyed my burger and look forward to seeing them at their permanent spot where hopefully there will be creative specials to try (well, in fact they shared some of the ideas in preparation, so I KNOW it's going to be good).
As you read this, the tenure at Junkyard Golf is coming to an end, but check them out at Beat Street's Hogmanay party and, as I mentioned, the permanent outlet from 2016.
Reindeer Burger with Cheddar, Bacon and Cranberry Sauce.
Price: £6.80.
Calories: Unknown.
It’s been a fantastic year for BURGER LAD®. We have continued to deliver our expert burger analysis for all types of burgers, ranging from the latest High Street promotions, to street food vendors to quality fast casual dining restaurants. We continue to bring exclusive news and previews of the major chains’ limited time offers while reviewing gourmet burgers up and down the UK and further afield.
Personally it’s been a great year for yours truly, as not only did I get to contribute a mini article alongside Miss Milkshake® in the very first Gourmet Burger Kitchen First Bite magazine, but I have also recently started writing a regular monthly feature in QuickBite – the UK’s largest publication for the food to go and QSR industry.
Despite all the news and reviews we bring you there is one review that is an absolute mainstay in our top 10 most read, and that Ladies and Gentleman is the Real Burger 8oz BBQ Steak Classic– I can’t believe it is nearly three years since I first did that one!
Miss Milkshake® and I were shopping in Cheltenham recently when we bumped into Andrew, the owner and burger master at Real Burger. I’d not really had a chance to chat with him since he actually put our own burger creation on his secret menu so the first thing I asked him about was a Christmas special.
The Admiral has been relentless in his Christmas burger coverage in the Manchester area but I was very keen to see what Real Burger had on offer this year. You see Real Burger is so good they've had a recent copycat in Cheltenham attempting to imitate their menu. We certainly empathise with them, but when you are the best you have to accept others will try and copy you. And they do say imitation is the biggest form of flattery.
Across the UK there are all sorts of Christmas special burger gimmicks doing the rounds – buttermilk fried turkey on a cheeseburger, sausage rolls, stuffing balls, fried sprouts. All trying to top the previous year, all outstanding creations in their own right. A burger joint isn't a burger joint now unless it has a Christmas special. At Real they’re doing something a little more reserved (this is Cheltonian country!) – and using a meat you cannot help but associate with Christmas – reindeer.
Real Burger Cheltenham, Reindeer Burger...
Before you start crying for Rudolph and pals like you’re watching The Snowman just consider the health benefits for a second. According to a 2013 study by the University of Tromsø, reindeer meat is one of the healthiest meats you can find - especially relevant considering all the recent news about red meat in our diets being linked to a variety of health problems. According to the study, Reindeer meat is one of the leanest meats and compares favourably with fish when it comes to omega-3 and essential fatty acids. But enough of the science… what does it taste like!?
Simple but quality...
It’s good. I really very much enjoyed the reindeer burger tonight. The taste is gamey and reminds me of venison. The patty itself (I opted for the 6oz version ahead of the 4oz or 8oz options) was cooked perfectly with a slight pink hue on the inside but with a cracking chargrilled exterior and full of juicy goodness.
The taste of the meat is quite strong, it’s like a very fine cut of beef but better, almost deer-like but leaving a slight hint of liver to the palate… almost like you’ve been eating a very exquisite and delicate liver pate. The texture is also beautifully soft, again reinforcing the high standard of meat expected by the proprietor.
A great Festive combo...
As you can see from the pictures, Real Burger serves a basic looking burger which does not rely on over-the-top fancy presentation to make its point. It has always been known for serving very fine meats in all its burgers and the reindeer burger is no exception to this rule. It’s not the first time it’s been on the menu and seems to be a regular Christmas special – I’m not 100% certain when it first started appearing but I know it has been since at least 2013.
The Cheddar is an interesting pairing. I enjoyed it. Very strong tasting which certainly does not get lost like so many High Street cheeseburgers. Miss Milkshake® sampled the 4oz version and thought that brie might work slightly better than the cheddar used. I’m not a fan of brie in the slightest so for me the cheddar works well. I don’t believe brie features on the menu at Real Burger so for now you’ll have to trust me and go with the cheddar - again I wasn’t disappointed.
A rich, gamey meat...
The Reindeer burger also features a good cut of high quality, no nonsense bacon and tonight this was cooked slightly crispy and worked very nicely with the reindeer. It offset perfectly against the rich, gamey meat. A real nice combination.
Apart from the standard issue Real salad items of lettuce, red onion and tomato (which after a few bites I removed, although it wasn’t offensive, just a personal preference) the burger is finished with a cranberry sauce.
Now I don’t know if this is homemade or bought in and I didn’t ask so can’t comment either way. I did hear a “ching ching” of metal spoon(?) against glass (jar?) but I cannot state either way if this means it was made on the premises or not. I’d definitely describe it as more of a relish, in terms of flavour it was that traditional, festive cranberry flavour you’d expect. Slightly but not overly sweet, but working very nicely with the saltiness of the bacon.
Great price, great burgers...
It’s a good burger, devoid of over-the-top gimmicks, using simple, but quality ingredients to achieve exactly what it intends to do. A lean, healthy reindeer patty brings a rich, gamey taste to your palate which is complimented by a creamy, strong cheddar which makes way for a saltiness from the bacon and slight sweetness from the cranberry relish.
Another great menu offering from Real Burger and once again establishing itself as the definitive burger to have in Cheltenham. Don’t be deceived by counterfeit goods this Christmas, get yourself in here for the REAL thing.
If this is my final review for 2015 then I would like to personally thank all our readers for visiting us this year and have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Burger Lad®
McDonald’s My Burger 2014 Finalist
We are the people's burger website™
Enjoy!
For more burger related news and comments follow me on Twitter:
