Wednesday 19 May 2010

Byron Burger @ Upper Street Branch

Since returning from our mini stopover in New York back in March, we seemed not to have eaten a burger, and now I was beginning to have a craving for one or two.
As I noticed in New York, people there eat burgers probably two or three times a week, mainly as a quick lunch as we would eat a sandwich. They are very cheap and can eaten on the go.
The burgers there and the burgers here are so so different. Here, you pay a lot more but you also get a lot more. There, the burgers are in small buns and are not too dissimilar to those god awful chain specimens. Maybe that’s why they are still so popular.
Anyhows, I had a craving and it needed feeding. I noticed a branch of Byrons had sprung up on Upper Street. I’d seen another one in Soho somewhere, and heard of one in Kensington. The word on the street was that they did pretty good burgers.
That day I had been helping some friends move, and they had a lot of stuff, packed away in all sorts of boxes, draws, pots etc. Yes, they were not very good packers, but it did help me to realise how unfit I was. Very unfit. That will have to be put right. One day.
So, after a day of lugging too many tables up too many flights of stairs, I had a hunger that only a cow could subdue. I’m sure if we’d had been near to Buen Ayre, I think that is where I would have gone, we weren’t, but we were within walking distance of Byrons.
The welcome there is very friendly and so American. It is simply designed, lots of colour, which is good. Puts you in a happy mood. Which is the opposite from the outside. Bit bare really. Looks like they run pout of paint when they were doing it up.
The menu really has one burger on it, but with the addition of different toppings and extras you can build a masterpiece, or by paying £3.50p extra you can make it a double. They also have a chicken fillet burger and the lonely veggie option all the way at the bottom. It amazes me, as the few veggies I know do not like entering meat haven shrines. So why pander to them.
After a little time browsing the menu and looking around, we opted very simply for 2 classic burgers, onion rings and French fries. Thankfully the burgers are all cooked to medium as standard, as I hate when they ask how you want it, and they never come as you want. At least this way the cooks should be able to get them right.
First to the sides. The onion rings had that yummy sweet onion taste I love so much. The batter was a tad greasy, and being served in a bowl with greaseproof paper in the bottom. The grease made a nice little pool in the bottom. Lovely.
The French fries were ok, nothing special but cooked well and not too greasy.
The burgers though actually tasted of meat. Thank the lord. So many times recently I have tasted beef that does not taste of beef. The meat they say is ground and made into burgers fresh each day. These were seasoned very well, and had that beefy taste to them. The topping of lettuce and red onion slices are a standard that you either love them or hate them. Lina hates raw onion so I always get an extra helping.
A lot of burgers buns normally fall apart from being over soggy, as they do not let the burger rest before it goes on the bun. There was no such disaster happening here. The buns were actually really light and tasty. A compliment to the burgers.
We ordered two beers good ol’ yankee style. Not bad. I was in need of a beer after the day of hard slog I had, but on another occasion I would have ordered one of the shakes. Next time.
All in all it was a good experience considering it is a chain, but if you do one thing and do it well you will succeed. I think Byron will be around for a long time if they keep this up. Excellent
Byron Islington on Urbanspoon

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