Big ol' Burger Comparison Thread

FrenchTart said:
There are a few things that put me off AF:

1) From all accounts their burgers are basically giant piles of slop. I'm sure this tastes great but I want a burger I can eat without a spoon.

2) Their website and attitudes are extremely annoyingly hipster to the point of absurdity. It really puts me off supporting them as a business.

3) The whole "we're so awesome that you can't book and you must queue outside for ages" attitude also annoys me.

Despite all that, I do plan to try them some day. If it weren't for the above I'd have no doubt already been there many times.
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I agree with your second and third points but not your first. It depends what you order.
The greater northern one is just as good as the northern quarter one if you did want to try it.
 
Jolteh said:
To be fair to them, the burgers and fries are pretty good. They get their burger patties from pretty much the best butcher in Manchester and serve them pink in a decent quality demi-brioche bun. The fries are consistently good also but some of their menu items are a bit ridiculous and are definitely sloppy. The experience eating there is completely different to how it was originally though. The thing that made people so fanatical about it (me included) is that it felt really fun to be eating good burgers in a temporary pop-up in a seemingly unused building in the Northern Quarter. Then they made it a permanent place and now they're opening their fourth chain in Leeds - it feels a bit passe.

As an aside: they've knocked the massive queue thing on the head now because the council got annoyed with the constant queuing. You basically turn up and if there's no room they take your name and number and text you when there's a table. If you go to the one off Deansgate they'll try and convince you to stay in the bar area and drink £5 bottles of IPA while you wait though.

They also seem to be toning the hipster/attitude thing down as well now as they've cottoned onto the fact that most people found it pretty obnoxious.
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I can understand how it might feel like the place is losing character based on what you've said - but that also sounds good to me /re the hipster thing too :)

I wouldn't mind waiting in the bar and drinking £5 bottles of IPA. Certainly sounds more pleasant than waiting on the street in a queue...

PudWud said:
I agree with your second and third points but not your first. It depends what you order.
The greater northern one is just as good as the northern quarter one if you did want to try it.
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For all my posturing I'm probably heading to AH on Tuesday :p Will be good to give it a try for myself rather than rely in second hand info.

edit: Any recommendations on what's slop and what's not?
 
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FrenchTart said:
I can understand how it might feel like the place is losing character based on what you've said - but that also sounds good to me /re the hipster thing too :)

I wouldn't mind waiting in the bar and drinking £5 bottles of IPA. Certainly sounds more pleasant than waiting on the street in a queue...



For all my posturing I'm probably heading to AH on Tuesday :p Will be good to give it a try for myself rather than rely in second hand info.

edit: Any recommendations on what's slop and what's not?
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The triple nom is the pulled pork on a burger, its a bit messy but not sloppy.
My personal favourite is the River Phoenix (if you like bacon), and the Bacon fries are a must IMO.

The burger with steak on it (cant remember the name) is tasty, but has peppercorn sauce on it so may be a bit messy.

It's not a place everyone will like though, but it is a fun place with a pretty imaginative menu at times.
 
PudWud said:
The triple nom is the pulled pork on a burger, its a bit messy but not sloppy.
My personal favourite is the River Phoenix (if you like bacon), and the Bacon fries are a must IMO.

The burger with steak on it (cant remember the name) is tasty, but has peppercorn sauce on it so may be a bit messy.

It's not a place everyone will like though, but it is a fun place with a pretty imaginative menu at times.
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To be honest I can live with slop sometimes. I'm not that fussy an eater (aside from wanting my food to taste good of course). I just had heard stories that basically all you could get was slop from the place. If that's not true, great - and I'm happy to try a fair range of things.
 
Just go to Lust Liquor and Burn beneath Almost Famous. Its a burrito place owned by the same guys and it's pretty much the same thing except less BS.

TBH I'm getting pretty sick of all these so-hipster-they're-not-hip-anymore-greasy-pulled-pork-bricohe-bun-chipotle-smokey-bacon-burger places. It's a fad and I'm done with it.
 
Sunbed said:
Just go to Lust Liquor and Burn beneath Almost Famous. Its a burrito place owned by the same guys and it's pretty much the same thing except less BS.

TBH I'm getting pretty sick of all these so-hipster-they're-not-hip-anymore-greasy-pulled-pork-bricohe-bun-chipotle-smokey-bacon-burger places. It's a fad and I'm done with it.
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Ah you're too hipster for hipster?

It's not a fad it's just tasty food.
 
PudWud said:
Ah you're too hipster for hipster?

It's not a fad it's just tasty food.
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It's seems so :p:cool:

Nah I like burgers as much as anyone but the amount of pseudo-trashy burger places in Manchester is becoming a joke. I had to vent. Also if I'm honest I don't particularly like the current trend of overly sickly sweet, greasy burgers. Great if you're hungover or on occasion but they're everywhere now!

Bring on the next fad I say.
 
Went to Atomic Burger this weekend in Bristol, great staff, good looking place with all 80s/90s decor. Food was very nice, I had the 'chuck norris' (pulled pork, onions and american cheese) and a chocolate, peanut butter and butterscotch milkshake :D
 
Freefaller said:
You'll be disappointed :(
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Oh no :(

I think I'm going to try it anyway. I can get an amazing handmade burger in a number of the pubs in Teddington, but I'm not looking for that in Five Guys. I'm more looking for that squishy American style burger and fries, something that a lot of places over here just can't seem to get right. It's one of those reasons I don't rate GBK; they don't fit into either of those camps, it's just an expensive burger and not that good for the price.
 
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Johno please? said:
Went to Atomic Burger this weekend in Bristol, great staff, good looking place with all 80s/90s decor. Food was very nice, I had the 'chuck norris' (pulled pork, onions and american cheese) and a chocolate, peanut butter and butterscotch milkshake :D
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I've been to Atomic in Oxford - it's ridiculously good.


Jonny69 said:
Oh no :(

I think I'm going to try it anyway. I can get an amazing handmade burger in a number of the pubs in Teddington, but I'm not looking for that in Five Guys. I'm more looking for that squishy American style burger and fries, something that a lot of places over here just can't seem to get right. It's one of those reasons I don't rate GBK; they don't fit into either of those camps, it's just an expensive burger and not that good for the price.
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Oh do try it, I'd be interested in what you think :)
 
I did it. I enjoyed it. It was what I was looking for. But it wasn't worth £16 for a bacon cheeseburger, fries and a drink, so I doubt I'll be going back. Way too expensive for what it is.

Need to try Byron. Apparently there's one of them in Kingston as well.
 
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