FOOD: BURGER. RESTAURANT REVIEW

I’ve always been a sucker for a good burger and trying out the new burger joints that crop up in Edinburgh fairly regularly is always an experience, good or bad! Gone are the days when adding bacon to your burger was a daring culinary move, and now it’s acceptable to slap pretty much anything you like in your bun, whether it’s a whole haggis, a ladle of chilli, sliced avocado or chorizo, or even a healthy portion of mac ‘n’ cheese. Turning vegetarian at the start of this year, however, has slimmed down these options considerably so now I'm all about those veggie patties, and always on the hunt for places that offer something a little different.

Despite its name, BURGER offers more than just the usual meat-in-bun fare. The Katsu and Wasabathon burgers add a refreshing new twist to the usual meat patties, and their grilled Chilli Dogs give an extra option, even for veggies, if you’re after something a little different. They also have a great range of guest beers and ales as well as the usual fizzy and hot drinks, and some delicious sounding ice cream shakes and sorbets for afters.

My friend and I visited early one Thursday evening when the restaurant was fairly quiet with just a couple of other groups eating in. The service was friendly, fuss-free and very efficient, and our order was ready quickly. BURGER prides itself on cooking everything fresh to order and using 100% recyclable and compostable packaging and cutlery so, whilst they obviously don’t go in for elaborate presentations, they’re a big step up from fast food and instead turn their focus to offering simple but tasty and fresh food.

I went for the Veggie Burger with cheese, whilst my friend opted for the Bacon Cheese Burger with jalapenos, and both were delicious. The patties and fillings were the perfect portion-size and served in toasted brioche buns – definitely my number one bun of choice! Whilst my veggie patty was a bit on the soft side and didn’t hold together very well, which is always a risk with patties made of chickpea or sweet potato, it was packed full of flavour and disappeared within minutes.

We also ordered a side of Veggie Chilli Cheese Chips to top the whole thing off. The chips were a bit overcooked for my liking, but the chilli was really tasty and had just the right level of spice. It could have done with a bit more of the chilli, but as it was just meant as a side the portion size was fairly generous. I'll just have to remember to order one just for myself next time...

All in all, the food at BURGER was really good and excellent value. So if you’re after fuss-free, affordable but tasty burgers and dogs, BURGER comes highly recommended.

To view their full menu, you can visit their website here.