Review of 'Battle of the Burger'

https://www.timeout.com/london/things-to-do/battle-of-the-burger-is-coming-to-london

Burgers are not fancy but we do love a good one. When we were told that Time Out was hosting a “Battle of the Burger” event we could not resist. The £20 admission charge gave you a “quarter burger” from each of the 8 contestants (in reality many of the restaurants offered larger samples…I am not complaining).

On entry we were given plastic wristbands with tear off tags for each of the restaurants plus one for a free drink (beer, but non-alcoholic options were available at the bar) and another for your vote.

Voting was by putting a ping-pong ball (confusingly obtained by exchanging your plastic tab at the bar) in the large “Taste-O-Meter” box in the lounge tent…

The restaurants were in two groups of four in small stalls where you queued to get your sample in exchange for a plastic tab. There was a central bandstand with a DJ and a small bar tent at the far end of the event space along with a (free) photo booth.

So, the contestants…

GoneBurger - The people on the stand were so busy we had to help ourselves but the flame-grilled burgers were quite good with a topping I love - pickles. Haché Burgers - A bit of a disappointment their “Steak Truffle” we found quite salty and the taste was good but did not stand out (unfortunately given the extravagant ingredients including premium steak, aioli and truffles). My companion did not like the burger (thought it was under-cooked and flavourless). Bad Egg - They had a “Korean Burger” on offer that we found quite spicy (perhaps too much - I like spice but like to taste my food) but nice. Mac and Wild - A fairly ordinary burger served without any flair at all (patty, cheese, lettuce…). Mildreds - The largest burger on offer by far this was vegetarian to boot with a striking black bun. The “fake chicken” burger was actually very tasty with nice sauces. Shake Shack - Ok, but a chain and the burger did not really stand out for us (dry and not very tasty). Tommi's Burger Joint - I loved this one, the meat was smooth and tasty with absolutely excellent sauces. Beer + Burger Store - My companion's favourite, a simple, basic burger done very, very well with friendly people on the stand…and an amazing burger sauce!

The weather was awful with rain coming down throughout our early afternoon (2 hour) session. Entertainment was by a very amusing drag queen.

The winner? Well, it was not easy to figure out as it took some time before an announcement was made public but it was “Bad Egg” who were in the lead when we left.

A really tasty event that allowed us to try burgers from all around the city and has certainly given us ideas of places to visit. We were very full by the end of our session but would certainly return if it was to happen again.

Rating: “I have absolutely no complaints”

Review Date: 2018-10-06

Location: London (England)

Address: 136 Kingsland Road, London E2 8EA.

Public Transport: Hoxton Old Street

Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7739 9893

URL: https://www.geffrye-museum.org.uk/

Currently closed until 2020. “The Geffrye Museum of the Home is located on Kingsland Road in Shoreditch, London. The Museum explores home and home life from 1600 to the present day with a series of period room displays.” (Wikipedia.