4 Londoners and 2 Melburnians met in Brixton for lunch at Honest Burger, an occasion we were all looking forward to. Brixton is lively, raw, exciting and an area both TBS and I agreed we could see ourselves living in. Brixton Village is close to where KA and LM live and I envy them! An arcade filled with fish, vege and grocery stalls together with little bars and eateries offering Beijing street food, jerk chicken, French fare, coffee (even piccolos!) and SO MUCH MORE. I was in heaven and only wish we’d had longer to explore the place.
We popped our name and number down at Honest Burger as there was a bit of a wait and headed off for a drink whilst we waited for a txt to let us know when the table was ready. We’d only just started drinking when the txt came through to which LM replied that we might be a few minutes as we’d just received our drinks. The reply: “down it, down it!”. Love it.
Our table out the front was the perfect spot to people watch. We ordered drinks- beers, wine, juices and spirits are on offer and set about perusing the menu.
The short menu offers a chicken burger, vegetarian burger and three beef burgers. House made rosemary salt chips come with the burgers (nice) and coleslaw and a green salad are also on offer. The patty is served medium/pink unless otherwise requested and Honest Burger uses Ginger Pig dry aged beef. I’ve become a fan of the Ginger Pig cookbook after BA made a stunning Christmas turkey using their recipe and am keen to get my hands on a copy of it.
TBS went for a Cheese which was served with red onion relish, lettuce and a choice of mature cheddar, red leicester or stilton. TBS opted for the stilton. I decided to try the Honest which promised mature cheddar, red onion relish, smoked bacon, pickled cucumber and lettuce.
The burgers arrived in baking paper lined enamel bowls accompanied by a generous portion of fries. TBS enjoyed his burger finding the stilton punchy and flavoursome. He commented that it was good but didn’t blow him away.
My Honest burger was extremely satisfying. The bun was more bready than brioche and the patty I thought was cooked on the rare side rather than medium. The beef was extremely flavoursome and juicy so this wasn’t a problem for me. I loved the crisp smokey bacon and the strong mature cheddar. The pickled cucumber was zingy- a great addition. The fries were crispy, hot, well drained and Little Creatures-esque. Always a plus in my books.
Mayonaise appears together with tomato sauce around here and I have decided to adopt this delightful condiment when eating fries. Such a great combo.
The beetroot and apple coleslaw was light and fresh- not at all cloying and gluggy with mayonnaise like others you often encounter.
It seems honesty is the best policy- honest, wholesome ingredients equals a tasty and satisfying feed. You’ll also find the service friendly and helpful. Honest Burger doesn’t disappoint.
Good to know:
Paulaner Lager (330ml) £3.75
Kona Big Wave Golden Ale (355ml) £4.75
Honest Burger £9.50
Cheese Burger £8.50
Beetroot and apple coleslaw £2.50
Honest Burgers
Outlets in Brixton, Soho, Kings Cross, Camden, Portobello: see website below for more details.
http://honestburgers.co.uk
Images: T B Southam
