Burgers, burgers, burgers. Will we finally get sick of these constant burger joints which seem to be sprouting in Soho out of nowhere? Probably not, but since the competition is fierce with a capital ‘F’, the newbies better be doing some serious grilling worth raving about.
One of the latest new burger places, is Beirut joint BRGR.CO in Wardour Street, which opened in December. It was my chosen destination for a catch up with an old friend.
An enormous waft of charcoal grill hits you without fail upon arrival, as does the smoke from the bustling open plan kitchen. I probably wouldn’t recommend this place for a pre-dinner before an evening out because you will leave smelling of burgers (unless that floats your boat though).
The atmosphere is hip and they play some (as my friend put it) ‘serious tunes’, loud enough to still maintain a conversation. The decor is simple but it works, and it’s the type of place which attracts a lot of the media peeps in Soho.
The over-sized menu lists a big enough selection of burgers created from various cuts. Annoyingly enough, my friend an I were both attracted to the same burger which was the 6oz ‘Tender Blend’ served medium rare to ‘preserve the juiciness and flavour’
The buttery brioche bun was rich, glistening and very easy to cut through. The patty itself was thin and cooked medium rare as I requested. I read some pretty harsh reviews on the burgers from other bloggers, but I personally enjoyed the tenderness and texture. I would say that the beef perhaps needed a bit more salt and seasoning, but I guess the mature cheddar and onions saved the day. There is no denying that meat itself is of premium quality.
As a side we ordered the decadent ‘Parmesan truffle fries’ which were big in portion and extremely rich in taste, so I would recommend sharing. I would have preferred them to have been chunky chips rather than fries, but they were satisfying enough, and we couldn’t stop picking at them despite being pretty full.
BRGR.CO have done their homework when it comes to service, a social environment playing great beats, and a menu which includes a good selection of other sides (such as mac ‘n’ cheese) and other non-burger options. The prices are also an aspect which makes the place try-worthy.
Is it on par with burger giants such as Meat Liquor, Patty & Bun, Tommi’s Burger Joint, Byron and Honest Burgers? No, but they do have a lot of potential and I would go again to sample other items on the menu. It may not be in my top 5 of burger joints but it could be in my top 10, so please go and try it for yourself, it’s not as if it’d break the bank anyway.
BRGR.CO
187 Wardour Street
Soho,
W1F 8ZB
http://www.brgrco.co.uk/
As seen on Messi Palate
