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Yet another guest post @yesiamben
About 4 or 5 years ago, when I was still living in the South West, Greg (Cheeseburgerboy) and I spent the best part of an hour wandering around Exeter one lunchtime looking for a bacon and avocado sandwich. You see, Greg really wanted one and being my hometown, I was eager to accommodate. Except we didn't find one and ended up getting an incredibly average chicken sandwich. Of course if I'd known then what I do now, I would have headed for Michael Caines Cafe where they do a pretty decent one. It's just a shame they ruin the Caesar salad wrap by including more anchovy than chicken…
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Anyway, let's skip forward to the now. With Greg otherwise engaged, I dutifully headed to the Fattburger popup in The Sun & 13 Cantons in Soho. From what I hear they were in Dalston beforehand, and this residency in Soho is to last about 3 months. I also hear the Three Compasses in Dalston (the old place?) is still doing more or less the same thing - someone correct me if I'm wrong? How I've managed to avoid something 10 minutes from my house is beyond me…
Back to Soho - The Sun & 13 Cantons is your traditional English 'boozer', kinda nice, nothing special. The menu is beautifully simple - four 'real' burgers (beef), three of which are more or less extras on the 'original' burger. Each burger is offered as a single, or a double for a couple of quid extra. Both me and my dining companion went for the single FATT Piggy Burger and some skinny fries.
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The food arrived a short wait later. Firstly, I loved the presentation - very popup, very Americana. Paper bags with a Fattburger sticker (I think the double comes in a box) and a bowl of chips. The burger looked absolutely lovely. Much to my surprise, it came with avocado - the Piggy burger doesn't state this on the menu (unlike the brilliantly named 'dragged through the garden backwards' burger) - but wow, what a surprise. Which brings me back to my first paragraph - I don't get what's so special about bacon and avocado - but oh boy, did I GET this. I would have walked around Exeter for 5 hours if I'd known I was getting something like this at the end of it. What a wonderful addition to a bacon burger.
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This is a truly fantastic burger. About 3 or 4 bites in my dining companion remarked "this is better than Bread Street Kitchen" (and half the price) - that's some accolade. The burger was comprised of a toasted brioche bun, sliced lettuce, tomato, red onion slices, gherkin slices and avocado slices. This sat underneath a fantastic patty - the tiniest bit pink, and wonderfully cooked - topped with cheese, perfectly done bacon and roasted garlic mayo (as a garlic lover, this was another wonderful addition).
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I'm aware it sounds like a lot of competing flavour, but it just worked so well. I was so impressed, in fact, I (embarrassingly) went back for seconds and after finishing the Piggy, and ordered the Korean Burger. Last time I had a burger with Kimchi peppers was at the Hawksmoor and I was eager to compare. This was also the waiters recommendation.
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The Korean burger looked equally as good - and don't get me wrong it tasted pretty great - but it just wasn't *as* great. The Piggy burger was something special, and this was, just well, really good. For the record, The Hawksmoor Kimchi burger is probably better, but it's close (and also double the price, so you kind of expect that).
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Perhaps most surprising, neither of these were 'sloppy' burgers - to me they were much more akin to the sort of 'build' you'd expect from the higher priced places. I hope this wasn't just because we were there relatively early and the kitchen weren't (yet) rushed off their feet.
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I was actually pretty astonished at how good this place is for the price. I mean, it's a pub - and the food you're getting is coming in a bag on a plastic tray, but if you just want a great burger I really can't recommend this enough. The burgers *look* great and they taste even better - what more can you ask for for less than £7? You'd be foolish not to check this place out in the next few months. I'll certainly be going back and bringing Greg with me.
Fattburger
99 Dalston Lane,
London,
E8 1NH
Sadly my experience of this burger was a little more average - perhaps it was the over-seasoning across the board...
ReplyDeleteShame to hear that they lack consistency. Over-seasoning really spoils a burger.
DeleteThree Compasses 99 Dalston Lane, E8 1NH.
ReplyDeleteThis basic East End pub offers simple food around burgers. Having read a favourable review, initially I was a touch disappointed . First burger was sent back, I hadn't ordered cheese. My second burger was somewhat overdone and a bit dry. Tasty but expensive for what it was, £7.50 with bacon, chips £2 for a tiny weeny portion, and 1/2 pint about £1.70. Two good small brewery real ales, but please get a 3.5 to 3.8 ABV brew so I can have a (ONE ONLY) pint if in the car. They should offer a decent Orange, Apple, Pineapple, Grapefruit juice option for drivers.
To the customers: Make sure you say exactly what you want and get it written on the till ticket, and discourage them from overcooking the burger. Medium is with a little bit of pink, but apparently rare burgers are now discouraged. A few meat juices should flow, they didn't.
To the management: The hand-sliced chips were very skinny, and it really was a tiny portion for £2. Develop a sound basic burger range, starting at about £4.75 to £5.50 for a plain burger with salad, chips on the side no more than £1.50 and I'll go back. There is a Monday-Tuesday offer, Burger, Chips and a Pint for £10, not a bad deal, so I will give them another chance, but would be a better deal if it were under £10, say £9.50, and every night Monday to Wednesday all evening, Thursday to Saturday before 9pm. Marketing! Marketing! Marketing!
My burger was tasty but the lettuce was an odd looking leaf, the massive slice of a 'beef' tomato great if you like fresh tomato; I didn't want onions either. But I would have loved a slice or two of cool green, red or yellow sweet pepper! Choose your salad veg option! To commend them no onion in the burger, though that again could be an option. Sadly not really the best 'value for money' considering the basic environment. Getting the basic offering of burger 'n chips, and a Pint or a decent glass of chilled plonk to £9.50 would make it a winner.
They are trying hard and this is so near to being really good. Needs a lick of paint, a few comfortable upholstered chairs and a couple of booths, and check the prices to make it real value.
They are trying hard and this is so near to being really good. Needs a lick of paint, a few comfortable upholstered chairs and a couple of booths, and check the prices to make it real value.
Beer 'n Burgers, is a darn good line but get it right! It is not difficult.
Transport: Railway stations are on London Overground. Dalston Kingsland North London Line, Dalston Junction East London Line
Three Compasses 99 Dalston Lane, E8 1NH.
ReplyDeleteThis basic East End pub offers simple food around burgers. Having read a favourable review, initially I was a touch disappointed . First burger was sent back, I hadn't ordered cheese. My second burger was somewhat overdone and a bit dry. Tasty but expensive for what it was, £7.50 with bacon, chips £2 for a tiny weeny portion, and 1/2 pint about £1.70. Two good small brewery real ales, but please get a 3.5 to 3.8 ABV brew so I can have a (ONE ONLY) pint if in the car. They should offer a decent Orange, Apple, Pineapple, Grapefruit juice option for drivers.
To the customers: Make sure you say exactly what you want and get it written on the till ticket, and discourage them from overcooking the burger. Medium is with a little bit of pink, but apparently rare burgers are now discouraged. A few meat juices should flow, they didn't.
To the management: The hand-sliced chips were very skinny, and it really was a tiny portion for £2. Develop a sound basic burger range, starting at about £4.75 to £5.50 for a plain burger with salad, chips on the side no more than £1.50 and I'll go back. There is a Monday-Tuesday offer, Burger, Chips and a Pint for £10, not a bad deal, so I will give them another chance, but would be a better deal if it were under £10, say £9.50, and every night Monday to Wednesday all evening, Thursday to Saturday before 9pm. Marketing! Marketing! Marketing!
My burger was tasty but the lettuce was an odd looking leaf, the massive slice of a 'beef' tomato great if you like fresh tomato; I didn't want onions either. But I would have loved a slice or two of cool green, red or yellow sweet pepper! Choose your salad veg option! To commend them no onion in the burger, though that again could be an option. Sadly not really the best 'value for money' considering the basic environment. Getting the basic offering of burger 'n chips, and a Pint or a decent glass of chilled plonk to £9.50 would make it a winner.
They are trying hard and this is so near to being really good. Needs a lick of paint, a few comfortable upholstered chairs and a couple of booths, and check the prices to make it real value.
They are trying hard and this is so near to being really good. Needs a lick of paint, a few comfortable upholstered chairs and a couple of booths, and check the prices to make it real value.
Beer 'n Burgers, is a darn good line but get it right! It is not difficult.
Transport: Railway stations are on London Overground. Dalston Kingsland North London Line, Dalston Junction East London Line
Three Compasses 99 Dalston Lane, E8 1NH.
ReplyDeleteThis basic East End pub offers simple food around burgers. Having read a favourable review, initially I was a touch disappointed . First burger was sent back, I hadn't ordered cheese. My second burger was somewhat overdone and a bit dry. Tasty but expensive for what it was, £7.50 with bacon, chips £2 for a tiny weeny portion, and 1/2 pint about £1.70. Two good small brewery real ales, but please get a 3.5 to 3.8 ABV brew so I can have a (ONE ONLY) pint if in the car. They should offer a decent Orange, Apple, Pineapple, Grapefruit juice option for drivers.
To the customers: Make sure you say exactly what you want and get it written on the till ticket, and discourage them from overcooking the burger. Medium is with a little bit of pink, but apparently rare burgers are now discouraged. A few meat juices should flow, they didn't.
To the management: The hand-sliced chips were very skinny, and it really was a tiny portion for £2. Develop a sound basic burger range, starting at about £4.75 to £5.50 for a plain burger with salad, chips on the side no more than £1.50 and I'll go back. There is a Monday-Tuesday offer, Burger, Chips and a Pint for £10, not a bad deal, so I will give them another chance, but would be a better deal if it were under £10, say £9.50, and every night Monday to Wednesday all evening, Thursday to Saturday before 9pm. Marketing! Marketing! Marketing!
My burger was tasty but the lettuce was an odd looking leaf, the massive slice of a 'beef' tomato great if you like fresh tomato; I didn't want onions either. But I would have loved a slice or two of cool green, red or yellow sweet pepper! Choose your salad veg option! To commend them no onion in the burger, though that again could be an option. Sadly not really the best 'value for money' considering the basic environment. Getting the basic offering of burger 'n chips, and a Pint or a decent glass of chilled plonk to £9.50 would make it a winner.
They are trying hard and this is so near to being really good. Needs a lick of paint, a few comfortable upholstered chairs and a couple of booths, and check the prices to make it real value.
They are trying hard and this is so near to being really good. Needs a lick of paint, a few comfortable upholstered chairs and a couple of booths, and check the prices to make it real value.
Beer 'n Burgers, is a darn good line but get it right! It is not difficult.
Transport: Railway stations are on London Overground. Dalston Kingsland North London Line, Dalston Junction East London Line