There’s nothing like a tasty burger…..
A soft and slightly sweet bun, a well seasoned and moist beef patty (ideally served medium), oozing melted day-glo yellow processed cheese, a weeny amount of salad – perhaps a slice of lettuce, gherkin and onion, a dollop of Heinz ketchup and a smear of mayonnaise are all it takes.
It’s simple isn’t it?
Well maybe not. I’m yet to have burger in Cardiff that’s any better than a Big Mac.
In fact nothing I’ve sampled has come remotely close to the superlatively brilliant In’N’Out or Byron Burger. And this is before I’ve even tried Lucky Chip or Meat Liquor which are reported to be London’s finest.
I’ve got a lot of love for the Pear Tree on Wellfield Road. It’s chilled out, they do nice coffee and cake for 3 quid, its got a decent range of lagers on tap (although their cheapest pint does cost more than £3) and it’s the only place I’ve ever won a pub quiz in my life.
However, the Pear Tree’s Dragon’s Breath Burger (£7.50) is definitely not Cardiff’s best offering.
The bun was fairly well textured, the bacon was thick, and the jalapenos gave a decent kick to proceedings. The fries were nice and crisp as well. Unfortunately the beef patty was so well cooked that it was as dry as a garden during a hosepipe ban. Also the smear of Dragon’s breath chilli cheese had the odd grainy texture of all repugnant cheeses with bits in (Wensleydale with apricots anyone?...)
Don’t get me wrong it was very edible (I’ll enjoy pretty much anything). It just wasn’t very good.
So where’s Cardiff’s best burger to be had? Or do I just need to book another holiday to the USA?
The details:
The Pear Tree, Wellfield Road, Cardiff, CF24 3PE
Telephone - 029 2025 2042
Building towards the Hulk burger at CAI? Let me know if you find the best burger as it's something that seems to have eluded me over the years
ReplyDeleteYes. It's the logical conclusion to the months of training which lie ahead! However, I've got a sense of foreboding that a decent burger in Cardiff may be rarer than hen's teeth.
ReplyDeleteThe Cricketers burger has been consistently good the past few months although the chips are too chunky.
ReplyDeleteTo be fair to Cardiff, the phenomenon of superlatively good, authentic burgers in the UK is relatively recent - in London it's only been a fad for the past year of so. Having said that, I can confirm that once you've had one of these new super-burgers (as you say, Meat Liquor and Lucky Chip are good examples - also, try the Admiral Codrington pub in Chelsea), there's no going back. You'll never be able to order a pub burger again. Anyone who started a Meat Liquor-type establishment in Cardiff would do exceptionally well.
ReplyDelete@Gin Do'Friday - I'll give the Cricketer a punt. Thanks. Loved their triple cooked chips last time I visited a year ago. Hopefully they haven't changed....
ReplyDelete@Nightboat - Totally agree. Think a crazily good burger place would do well in Cardiff (and almost every city in the UK as well to be fair). Just need to learn how to cook an amazing burger, get some funding, open a burger joint and I'll be on my way to my first million!
We need a Bryon Burger in Cardiff. I had a family meal at the Pear Tree when it first opened. Bitterly disappointing food - mine was microwaved which I can't tolerate. And not cheap either. No waiter service, daft spiral staircase to upper floor - I won't be back.
ReplyDeleteYeah the food isn't great unfortunately. Saying that, I've had just as poor meals at Juno Lounge. Bit of a shame there isn't any decent pub grub in walking distance.
ReplyDeleteByron would be massively successful in Cardiff. I WANT ONE NOW!
Not a fan of Juno - I think the fact its always heaving is an indicator of the lack of good places in Roath to eat, as you say. Puccinni's could easily compete, but they need a makeover. I think you're right about a hidden demand for a decent burger (and pizza) joint in the Roath area. Good demographic (grant-rich students, a few boho types, professionals like me and some yummy mummies amongst others. Keep it simple - Byron only has about 6 burgers on the menu - , source really good ingredients and mark it up at £1.50 less than GBK and there'll be queues round the block. Ditto with a really good stone baked pizza joint. Can't be that hard - can it?
ReplyDeleteVulcan II has one of the best burgers I've had in Cardiff as well as descent pizzas.
ReplyDelete@Anonymous - Thanks for the tip. It's now on the to do list :-)
ReplyDeleteThe best burgers are in the Fino Lounge in Whitchurch!
ReplyDelete