Review: A tongue twister of a burger @ Burger Meats Bun (meats burger meats bun meats...?)

Living in Glasgow, there are hundreds of places to eat. Sometimes, it feels like all of them are burger joints. Not that I'm complaining (I'm really not) but sometimes it can get a bit confusing, even tiring. Bread Meats Bread, Handmade Burger Company, Gourmet Burger Kitchen, Ketchup... Endless combinations of the words burger, bun, meat, bread, you get the idea. They all seem to be weirdly close to each other too, head to West Regent Street and there are burger restaurants as far as the eye can see. 

Nevertheless, my exams finished earlier this week so it was out in search of something festive in a burger bun to celebrate. I will find the best burger in Glasgow, although at this rate it will take years and a couple of dress sizes. 

So, me and my friend Sarah went to one of the synonymously named places that I hadn't been yet, Burger Meats Bun. Burger Meats Bun is one of the most well renowned places to get your burger in Glasgow, winning Yelp awards for being a top place to eat. The two guys that run it met whilst working at the Michelin-star Peat Inn, in Fife. I've been lucky enough to eat there once before, and it is nothing short of heavenly. Accommodating and friendly despite the fact that it was Michelin-Starred and my family and I rocked up in shorts and with sandy knees, when everyone else was in dinner suits. Oops. 

Knowing that this was the birthplace of the Burger Meats Bun idea, I already knew I was in for something more than your standard Big Mac, in terms of both quality and the atmosphere of the place.

On West Regent Street, the restaurant is at basement level, giving you the weird feeling that you're going into a nightclub. When you get into it though, it is cosy yet modern, with some quirky twists. Cute murals, relevant quotes and the like. The little plastic cows, farmer and tractor were a personal favourite, it made me and my fellow county bumpkin Sarah feel right at home, and the kitchen roll on the table is a definite good shout. 

Having looked at the menu before we went, I had a feeling that I would end up going for their seasonal burger. Made of seasonal ingredients, the Spring version was the 'Dolly Bun'. A Lamb patty, topped with feta cheese, peas, broad beans, fennel, black olive tapanade and lollo rosso. 

I'm not normally one for lamb. I find it overly fatty and a bit too rich, but in burger form it's normally not quite as indulgent. 

This burger was perfect. 

I am not exaggerating when I say it was, perhaps, one of the best I have had so far. The combination of the succulent, but not too rich lamb, with the deliciously fresh spring flavours and salty feta was so good that it was gone in a matter of minutes. It was like eating one of my favourite salads, and I wasn't left feeling like I weighed three stone more, it was light and felt disconcertingly healthy. That of course all changed when I washed it down with the Thai Chilli Cheese fries. The portion is just the right size to share between two, and they are deliciously spicy, topped with fresh red chilli, cheese and spring onion. 

Sarah went for the other special. They change their specials very regularly, and I'm not sure how often, if at all, they are rotated, but Sarah had 'The Bun with No Name'. A Korean/Japanese inspired burger, it consisted of a breaded chicken base, with lime and coriander slaw, kimchi, lettuce and red dragon mayo. I tried it and it was just as good as mine, the combination of zingy Asian flavours giving it a similar refreshing lift. 

We finished off with a delicious and light chocolate milkshake, served in a delightfully kitsch milk bottle with striped paper straws. Cute, but perhaps not the most practical, they go all soggy if you don't make fast work of the milkshake. Motivational, perhaps. 

Burger Meats Bun is slightly more expensive than some burger places, my Dolly Bun was a tenner, but not compared to the ones that offer a similar kind of 'experience', such as Bread Meats Bread. I have to say, much as I enjoyed the highly praised Bread Meats Bread a lot, I would definitely go back to Burger Meats Bun sooner. 

Confusing I know, sorry. 

It might have just been down to what I chose on the day, but the freshness of the flavours in my spring themed burger was satisfying in a way that I enjoyed more than having a brisket topped, gravy soaked something or other. It's all mood/day/weather/occasion dependant though, I suppose.

Anyway, if you're being put off going for a burger, are feeling like you have exhausted the ranks of restaurants and just want to admit defeat, I would recommend trying Burger Meats Bun before you give up completely or visit the same place twice. These are burgers with their roots founded upon a Michelin-Star after all... so they're really bloody good. You might be left with your tongue twisted, but only in a good way.

Lindsay x