Hello Burger / Sidcup

Who are they?

Hello Burger are a delightfully independent burger joint who have recently set up shop a mere stone's throw from Sidcup station. The south east of London has been a bit bare on the pages of this blog and as I have had an appropriate hiatus from burgers (Bar Boulud notwithstanding) it only seemed fitting to check out a burger place close to home.

Thoughts

If I had thought that a Wednesday evening would be quiet time to visit, I must have been wholly misguided. Rather than the laid back and unassuming place I had expected, Hello Burger were pleasantly heaving with two groups of ten each, with plenty of other tables taken by couples and family groups - word to the wise seems to be to book to avoid waits or disappointment.

Nevertheless we were seated quickly and had a chance to check over the menu; like most places in central London, less is more here with plenty of choices of burgers but outside of this fare you might be disappointed. In my opinion if you are going to specialise in something (the clue is in the name with this place) you might as well commit to it and ask your diners to adapt their expectations!

One small note about the cocktail menu; i was surprised to receive a Mojito with ice cubes instead of crushed ice, which did explain why some classic cocktails may have been missing from their menu. This won't impact on the review but it's not difficult to crush ice...is it?

Foregoing an entree in favour of the main event, I selected a deluxe burger from their selection: a prime beef patty complete with a special thousand island dressing, smoked bacon, cheese and gherkins in a brioche bun with fries and some onion rings to try. Thankfully, the sides come in large quantities to share with a friend: the fries came well seasoned with rosemary salt (so far, so good) and the onion rings were suitably fried, forgoing the usual limp batter that I have experienced elsewhere.

As for the burger, the best comparison I would make is between this and Patty & Bun: a well rounded offering with good quality beef (medium rare of course), plenty of extras that compliment the patty well and a generous serving of sauce, which mixes delightfully with the patty and soaks into the toasted bun to produce a sloppy and flavourful combination in a burger. Taste and texture-wise, this is a delicious example of the form and I am delighted to report that it compares well to established, Central-London burger restaurants.

Conclusion

I have to say that I am pleased to find that there are decent places to grab a gourmet burger around the South East of the capital, with plenty of variety to keep you coming back for more and they will no doubt find me a returning customer soon.

Food aside, I only wish it were not as expensive as its London counterparts; at least you do save on travelling into and out of the capital if you are close to Hello Burger but it might be a bit of trek if you are not located nearby.

Score 

8 / 10

Where can I find them?
http://www.helloburger.co.uk/
A short train ride from most south-facing train terminus stations.