Burger Shop
Tucked away down a side street from the city centre of Hereford (yes, a city - it has a cathedral!), you will find Burger Shop. I frequently used to visit here during my time in college, after they first opened back in 2014.
I haven’t had a meal here in a good 7 or 8 years, but in this time-period I still eulogised to others how fantastic their burgers are. Despite the fact burger restaurants have taken over the casual dining scene in recent times, Burger Shop are my #1 when queried, the best I have ever had.
And on that point, I can’t think of any that have even come that close for me.
Fat Hippo & Hub Box in Cardiff both have decent offerings. Smokin’ Griddle, The Grazing Shed, Got Beef, Five Guys & Shake Shack (pictured below) a step or two above from them.
Had a good burger at Byron in Edinburgh, at Bacoa in Barcelona/Madrid (pictured below), also at Il Etait un Square in Paris.
Of course there are The Beefy Boys (pictured below), who are Burger Shops Hereford neighbours and know their way around a grill.
Honest Burger were excellent in Cardiff when they first opened, but they have lost some of their spark now. Perhaps the consequence of becoming such a busy chain restaurant and focusing on getting diners in and out, rather than what’s being served.
I could keep naming burger joints, but you get the gist.
I’m yet to try the notorious Hills Brecon, or Ansh at Corporation Yard in Canton. Please feel free to suggest others!
Things have certainly changed since my last visit; there is a lot more space to occupy diners, booths have sprouted up against some of the walls, and the food is no longer served in paper packaging. The rustic, indie feel still remains, however.
The owners have expanded their business beyond doubling the size of Burger Shop and opening another venue in Worcester, too. A Rule of Tum own & operate a group of restaurants/ventures, including The Bookshop next door, and The Yard out back.
I’m seriously tempted by the buffalo hot chicken burger, but I haven’t waited 7 years to miss out on the beefy patties.
We end up ordering Burger Shop Classics (£9.50), mine with added bacon (£1.50). With Pork Loaded Fries (£10.50), and Westcombe Cheese Curds & Hot Sauce (£6) as sides.
A lot of burger creations in present times insist on stacking patties on top of each other relentlessly in the hopes of going viral on social media. The reality is, these burgers lack any really substance and are impossible to manoeuvre into your gob.
The burgers here are fresh, juicy, simple, and created with local produce. Not built like a sky scraper yet still smeared all over my face after two bites. It boils down to subjectivity, but pickles in a burger are a must for me. Fresh dill pickles, medium rare beef, mustard mayo, and mature cheddar coming together is a joy. 🤌
I prefer this approach to the American style. The beauty is in the simplicity. The burgers are truly magnificent.
As for the sides, the cheese curds & hot sauce are a little delight. When pulled apart, the cheese resembles the playing of an accordion.
When ordering ‘loaded’ fries, I regularly feel short changed. But not here - the pork loaded fries weren’t skimpy on the toppings. The initial appearance was of coleslaw slapped on the top of some chips. When I began to burrow with a fork there was masses of pulled pork beneath, muddled with apple & mint slaw, mustard mayo, pickled red cabbage, pickled chilli & spring onion on top of rosemary salted fries, justifying the hefty price tag of the side dish.
They did leave something to be desired. As good as the quantity of the topping was, there were some soggy chips buried underneath and the acidity of the red cabbage washed away a lot of the components of the dish.
The burgers, sides, and two glasses of wine totalled £48.40 (without service charge).
Several years down the line, I can confirm that Burger Shop are still serving up my favourite burgers.
A couple of streets across from The Beefy Boys, and streets ahead in terms of the burgers that they offer.