2025 | apples-burger-blog

Bunsen

53 Dame St, Temple Bar, Dublin, D02 V525, Ireland

Purpose: Burger Assessment
Good for: Burger joy
Verdict: The limited choice of burgers, Hamburger (single/double) or Cheeseburger (ditto), doesn't matter - when a burger is this good you probably couldn't get bored if it was all you ate in a week. Patty requested and delivered as medium was thick, more coarsely ground than I would normally like, but beautifully cooked, the pink middle offsetting a lovely char and delivering all round beefy flavour. I didn't fail to add the condiments and had everything (which is lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, ketchup, mustard and mayo, so not exactly a cornucopia of options, but enough, classic even). Possibly the lettuce wasn't sufficient and went a bit soggy because of heat, but I'm being picky. Cheese flavour came through, and the bun was solid and lasted the course. String fries were great, crispy and a sharing portion, recommended - the other fries options really didn't look as good. Weirdly for Dublin, and Ireland in general, but no stout, offset by a selection of craft beers, plus wine, so all good on the drinks front.
Burger: Hell yeah!
Cost: £££

Web: https://bunsen.ie/

Stars: *****

Nanny Bills

BoxPark Wembley, Olympic Way, Wembley, HA9 0JT

Purpose: Preparation for Andre Rieu at the OVO Arena
Good for: Beer accompaniment
Verdict: Looked dry and was. With no sauce around the edges you get a good taste of the patties, which were a bit salty, a bit cheesy, a bit beefy, but not great - still dry and not as beefy as you'd hope, and although there was a bit of caramelisation it just looked like it been overcooked to start and then left to dry out. When you get the pickles, mustard and ketchup (didn't get any cheese taste and had to open the burger to check it was still there), it just tasted of mustard, ketchup, pickle - the whole was precisely the sum of its parts without any improvement. Bun did it's job, but in the face of no real juiciness that's not a surprise. Fries are skin on but thin, chewy, OK. It's Boxpark so there's a bar which I didn't need to go past, but did need to visit twice.
Burger: Needs a drink
Cost: £££

Web: https://www.nannybills.co.uk/menu

Stars: **

Smoky Boys

BoxPark Wembley, Olympic Way, Wembley, HA9 0JT

Purpose: Burger and carb overload ahead of Andre.

Good for: Sauce
Verdict: Asked if I wanted medium or well, said and received medium so a good start. Unfortunately it didn't really get any better. The patty was thick and well cooked but didn't have great flavour, decent without being beefy but good texture, the tomato thick and firm, onions crunchy, lettuce present but a bit wilted. Cheese was a choice of American, Blue or Cheddar, I had American to match other tastings, and didn't really get any taste from it despite it looking good. The really bad news for me was that everything was overrun by the Smoky Boy sauce, which was a mustard, peppery mayo, very tasty to be sure, but ultimately overpowering everything else. The bun is gluten free, and I didn't notice, and saved the overall burger taste from sauce oblivion by adding a barbecue note with with it's burnt in pattern and griddle marked base.
Burger: Disappointing, sauce over substance.
Cost: £££

Web: https://smokyboys.com/menu/wembley-boxpark/

Stars: ***

Hooyah

70 Albion Street, Leeds, LS1 6AD

Purpose: Burger assessment

Good for: Cool
Verdict: Cool vibe and cold beer, I went for Pabst Blue Ribbon but there were a series of cans, plus wine, but also disappointingly cool were the skin on dipper style fries which sort of ruined it. Cool and soggy. Luckily the burger itself was pretty decent - the bun was a bit dry, without enough sauce to compensate, but the meat was good - nice bit of char and still reasonably juicy with a good beefy flavour which wasn't swamped, despite the cheese being a good taste and decent pickles adding piquancy. Lettuce and tomato rounded it off. On a different day and a different bun, it would have been a more positive review, but them's the differences between good and great, and in this case decent and good. Ordering system is probably cool to someone also, ticking the ingredients you want from a colourful menu sheet, but it didn't work for me - the sheet contains everything and I had the standard Cheeseburger (Louisiana) so a sheet of coloured paper had two ticks and straight in the bin which seems pointless. Also a lot of the options are already in the standard burgers, so not really effective in my view.
Burger: Dry.
Cost: £££

Web: MENUS | Hooyah Burgers

Stars: ***

Filthy Buns

The Star of Kings, 126 York Way, London, N1 0AX

Purpose: Burger assessment

Good for: Sauce, in a good way
Verdict:
Properly smash burger, in that the patties are really thin, well done but not charred, so maybe not for all - and because the meat is thin, not a lot of it. This probably explains why I think the sauce swamped it. Predominantly mustard with ketchup, some chopped onions, good little pickles and invisible taste cheese. The chew from the meat was actually really nice, but with little beef taste I'm not sure whether it did the job. Bun was good, held together nicely. Overall pretty good, maybe needed a third patty*. Normal fries were good and crispy, and the venue is a pub is good for beer, wine, and cocktails - but no Cosmopolitan - I think it's been cancelled, but I like them...
Burger: Needs more meat.
Cost: £££

Web: Filthy Buns

Stars: ***

* - I went back and had it with the extra patty option (which in this case is two more smash patties, most of the other burgers have a single thicker patty) and I can confirm it was better. And more expensive obviously.

BAD - Basic And Delicious

Cihangir, Bakraç Sk. No:15/A, 34433 Beyoğlu/İstanbul, Türkiye

Purpose: Burger assessment

Good for: People without teeth
Verdict: Despite being called BAD, which seems an odd choice, they aren't. Lovely staff despite business presumably being battered by a heavy Police anti riot presence including road blocks on every street leading to the restaurant. Having navigated successfully, the burger was ordered. Ultimately it was overwhelmingly soft, which was a bit weird. Even the pickles don't really add crunch. Thinking about it, I'm not sure why I thought it was odd, most burgers aren't exactly crunchy (probably a good thing), but this stood out - whether because the patty and bun had the same consistency, or the lack of toasted bun or crust on the meat I'm not sure, maybe all of the above. The taste is good though, but the mustard overrode pretty much all the other components - beef, pickles , good melty cheese, ketchup, onion. No char from the meat which was a miss, but generally positive and if you got away from mustard it the patty tasted good anyway. Chips (potato churros) were decent, unfortunately no beer.
Burger: More texture, less mustard
Cost: £££

Web: https://www.badburger.com.tr/mobil/menu-bedburger.php

Stars: ***

Saltbae Burgers

Kılıçali Paşa Mahallesi Meclis-i Mebusan Caddesi Dış Kapı No:8 İç Kapı No:102, M/009 & M/009A, 34433 Beyoğlu/İstanbul, Türkiye

Purpose: Burger assessment

Good for: Showy offy
Verdict: No salt, no life, as they say (well Chef does). Post museum sustenance in Galataport, Istanbul. Nice environment, celebrity chefdom at it's best- and yes, you can buy the t-shirt. I didn't go for the normal Cheeseburger, but in my defence the only difference between the Juicy Burger and the Saltbae Burger is the bun, and 20 Turkish Lire, so I think I'm OK. The charcoal bun doesn't add anything, but obviously looks different, shame it went a bit soggy bottom. Patty very steady, initially I thought it tasted a bit bacony, then I realised it was the smoked beef on it . Unsurprisingly given the tagline it's a bit salty even without the smoked beef. Nice caramelised onions and cheese made a vague appearance. Maybe a bit on the small size, but quality comes in small packages. Reasonable fries with a chilli salt which added interest. Plenty of beer options, Bomonti is quite nice and a refreshing change from the 2000 pints of Efes I'd consumed in the previous three days... on the whole, decent without being great. As a people watching location though, fabulous. Also comes with some surgical gloves, which is bizarre but other customers wore them to eat their burger, which is more bizarre. There is a branch in London, but doesn't do the same burgers.
Burger: Gimmicky
Cost: £££

Web: https://qr.finedinemenu.com/saltbae-galataport/menu/67e58e232ade5dcc1e91cd4b

Stars: ***

BurgersLDN

141 Leman St, London E1 8EY

Purpose: Burger assessment

Good for: Walking lunch
Verdict: A distinct lack of lettuce and caramelised onion was offset by two decent sized patties. Although advertised as the home of the famous smashburger, there wasn't a lot of smashiness about, the meat was cooked but not particularly thin and with no discernible char. Overall though the package was pretty good, the brioche bun worked well, the burger wasn't soggy (although some liquid leaked out - watch that shirtfront - and cheese came across nicely. The sauce added interest, being decently spicy without being overwhelming, although without char the patties didn't stand out, especially when the sauce was supported by decent pickle pieces. The lettuce might as well not have been present, I couldn't see it initially, which wasn't really a problem. I also couldn't face skin on fries, so I didn't bother, which is a bit sloppy I know but there you go. And it's a hole in the wall operation so no beer (or seating/standing). Overall pretty good value.
Burger: Surprising good.
Cost: ££

Web: https://www.burgersldn.co.uk/menu

Stars: ***

Smoke & Salt

115 Tooting High Street, London SW17 0SY

Purpose: Burger assessment

Good for: Professional homely
Verdict: Important - this is a once a month event at the restaurant, burgers are not on the normal menu. Which is why I trekked to the opposite side of London, and it was worth it. The firth thing I noticed was the similarity between the chips my Mum used to make and the ones on the plate - looked overcooked and a weird brown colour, but whereas Mum's cooking wasn't my inspiration (sorry Mum!), the chips here were crispy and tasted great. The burger was similarly a bit confusing. The first thing I noticed was half the poppy seeds fell of, which wasn't a problem as there were so many, but also gave me an opportunity to use them as a coating for the chips (at this point I should mention the sauces - mayo, carrot ketchup and BBQ - were very tasty). The meat patty was more bits of steak in a patty form, cooked very rare. The pickles were crunchy bits of pickled onion, with some aged cheddar, the carrot ketchup and lambs lettuce type greens. Normally this wouldn't float my (small "c") conservative burger likings, but this was very much the whole being much more than the sum of it's parts (which bodes really well for people who aren't as old fashioned as me), and I very much enjoyed it. Small selection of local(ish) beers and wines, the Wimbedon Lager is good. Note that the menu in the restaurant has a couple of very good and excellent value starters, which aren't on the website version.
Burger: Wholly satisfactory.
Cost: £££

Web: https://www.smokeandsalt.com/menus

Stars: ***

Heard

Market Place Vauxhall, 7-11 S Lambeth Rd, London, SW8 1SP

Purpose: Burger assessment

Good for: Quality
Verdict: Crispy chips, seasoned with beef salt which give a vague but noticeable beef tallow flavour without being pronounced, which is nice as I've gone off chips cooked in beef dripping - I am the world's worst gourmand..... The burger was meaty, the smashed patties just right with crispy edges and a deep flavour, a great example of how to do it right which a number of smash patty sales people could learn a lesson from. Well seasoned, although slightly too small for the bun. The bun itself tasted good, but was a bit cold, although it's a bit of an occupational hazard in a multi-vendor environment like this it's pretty disappointing - attention to detail needed. Sauce and pickles operated very much as support to the beef, which isn't a bad thing, and I didn't really get cheese or onions which is a bad thing. Beers provided by the bar, decent choice of everything.
Burger: Beef is worth the Michelin star references.
Cost: £££

Web: https://heardburger.co.uk/menu

Stars: ****

Jupiter

Netil Market, 13-23 Westgate Street, E8 3RL

Purpose: Burger assessment

Good for: Disappointment
Verdict: I'll start with the fries, which were pretty poor - skin on and undercooked which is pretty much the worst combination possible. Despite being highly rated elsewhere, I also found the burger to be a bit of a let down - there were decent meat patties, good charred edges and well seasoned which offered optimism that the burger would shine, but they disappeared into a swamp of mustard and pickles, mainly mustard. Now I like mustard, but it's an enhancement and shouldn't be the only taste. Also, the bun wasn't toasted which I don't like, and it went flat just by being held (but held together well throughout, despite the mustard overload challenge), and although there was also ketchup it only made brief taste appearances, as did the cheese. I really wanted to like this, but didn't. If I'm in the area again I'll give it another go, £10 for the burger and fries would be good value if the product is better and it may be.
Burger: Mustardy
Cost: ££

Web: https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17923014791897456/?hl=en

Stars: **

Phat Buns

3 Cheapside, London, ENG, N13 5ED

Purpose: Burger assessment

Good for: Being close
Verdict: Been looking to visit here since it was Buff burgers, sounds like me, and they still have the sigh up. Advertises as "The Best Burger In London", unfortunately on this visit that's not the case. There may have been an attempt to toast the bun, but if there was it failed, which was a shame as there is a lot of liquid between copious saucing, tomato and plenty of pickle so it fell apart a bit. Being toasted may not have stopped that, but it may have helped, and it tastes better. The 2oz patties were over-seasoned, also a shame as the meat was pretty good otherwise, a decent taste which came through where the pickles and sauce didn't overwhelm, and crispy on the edges. The mayo based sauce had a bit of piquant and a slight mustardy tang which I liked. Tomato, pickles and lettuce completed the contents, interestingly no onion. Overall I found it to be a good burger let down by off execution, and if the amount of sauce and pickles is standard I'd suggest adding an extra patty (£2 more) which would probably make the package better and if I pass one again I'll probably try it. Crinkle cut chips are crispy if a bit floury, but OK and a good sized portion (skin on and sweet potato also options). Soft drinks only, but interesting flavoured from what I would have called a soda stream into cans.
Burger: Slightly out
Cost: ££

Web: https://order.phatbuns.co.uk/?location=L7PWX3SHJB9XR

Stars: ***

Beefy Boys

Queen St, Oxford OX1 1PE (on the top floor)

Purpose: Burger assessment

Good for: Beefy
Verdict: The Beefy Boys have also been on my horizon for some time, so when I saw there was an outpost in Oxford (Cheltenham, Shrewsbury and Hereford are a bit of a trek despite my burger love), and I was coincidentally in Oxford, I knew that I had to give it a go. The location in question is a commercial operation in Westgate (top floor) so not really as expected for four guys and a BBQ - big old proper mid-range restaurant feel. Staff were attentive and nice, so a win there. I asked for the bacon in the Beefy Boy Classic to be crispy and separate, so it was a Cheeseburger, and it was both. The burger is greasy around the bun deliberately which I didn't love, but beyond that the burger was great. Most surprisingly the beef shone, even with my 2 x 3oz smash choice, possibly the secret is washing the patty with beef dripping (maybe a trade secret, maybe considered cheating, maybe it's just me and my conspiracy theories (which I don't have generally)). Bun, pickle, sauce, lettuce supported well. All in all, delicious. Great fries and a range of beers, overall my favourite this year and probably longer. I look forward to doing it again in the Herefordshire area.
Burger: Top banana
Cost: £££

Web: https://thebeefyboys.com/menu/

Stars: *****

Smoke & Pepper

97-89 Marchmont St, London WC1N 1AL

Purpose: Burger assessment

Good for: Possibly unfair reviews
Verdict: The first thing to say is that the basic Cheeseburger (Cheesy Classic) is basic, bun, meat, cheese, ketchup and mayo, and there are a number of more interesting burgers. It should be noted that I like, and have had both on purpose and by accident (sorry Dope in Hull) burgers that are essentially bun, meat , cheese, so that wouldn't be a problem and if it was great, in fact it may be more appreciated. The second thing to say is that the bun was cold, not a great start, and then the meat was over seasoned. Once past these issues it was OK without being great, the smashiness was OK with relevant crispy edges and soft middle, bun was fine apart from temperature and the cheese was suitably gooey and vaguely cheesy as befits burger a good cheese. Fries were hot and crisp and a decent portion. No beers, so didn't bother, but the range of drinks would suit those drinking non-alcoholic beverages.
Burger: Underwhelming
Cost: £££

Web: https://smokeandpepper.co.uk/menu/

Stars: **

Love Thy Burger

58 High Street, Colchester, CO1 1DH

Purpose: Burger assessment

Good for: 2 Stars
Verdict: Let's get the gripes out of the way first, the seating area smelled vaguely of sewage, not great, and the sauces come I sachets which I despise. The first may well have been temporary and unluckily the same time I visited, so if that's the case - apologies. The second isn't. The burger looked OK, and despite the industrial patty and the bun being cold tasted OK, mainly down to the red onion marmalade. The lettuce, pickle and cheese were present but not contributing a great deal, and cheap ketchup adding the wrong taste (I can't understand using Heinz - other ketchup vendors are available - for customers dips but something not very nice in the burger, especially when it's a prominent taste. The patty was OK, well seasoned but looked and felt catering fodder, not meaty in flavour and texturally too solid. Bun, apart from temperature, was good - held together throughout and had good texture. Chips were good and crispy, slight bit of an oily taste but nothing ketchup and mayo couldn't overcome. Decent selection of bottled beers and some wine, so all good on that front.
Burger: 2 Star
Cost: ££

Web: https://www.lovethyburger.co.uk/

Stars: **

Dumbo

119 Bethnal Green Rd, London E2 7DG

Purpose: Burger assessment

Good for: Solid burger
Verdict: Not confusing at all, with being directed to the menu facing the street which wasn't happening at barely above zero in a wind. Confirmed eat in, menu reorientated, here we go.... Asahi the beer, no wine, so one of us was disappointed. Also no salad on the burger which disappointed one of us even more - happily in this case not me (although I am partial to salad in a burger). And that was because it's pretty nice, initially the two very thin patties and dense bun texture don't seem to work, but when you hit the ketchup, pickle and cheese sweet spot it's very good if still a bit doughy. Some might think the crispy edges are the best, but they are realistically too thin if tasty. I'm actually surprised you can taste the meat, but the flavours merge well. There was onion on the plate, but I'm afraid I missed it in the eating. Good crispy fries, despite some skin, better than the ones in France, so maybe that's been exported with the company.
Burger: Smashing
Cost: ££

Web: https://www.dumboparis.com/menu

Stars: ****