Mrs G and I supposed to be training for a long hike later this year.
However, what with the shit weather and our mild laziness, we’ve only managed to achieve one 12 mile yomp so far in the last few months.
So, on the second day of sunshine since January, Mrs G and I set off to Penarth with our eyes on a lunchtime pitstop halfway on our walking route.
Our destination of choice was Tom’s Smashed Burger in Penarth, which has been on my radar for many a year and is often in the mix when south Wales’s best burger is discussed.
It’s located in Crafty Devil Cellar, the taproom for a very good Cardiff craft brewery – I’m always a fan of their Mikey Rayer session pale ale and Lush hazy pale ale.
But, as we had another seven miles still to walk, we stuck to Born Free (£4.80), Craft Devil’s alcohol-free beer. Brewed with citra and mosaic hops, it was a deliciously juicy yet refreshing drop.
Tom’s Smashed Burgers menu comprises of ten different burgers (including chicken, veggie and vegan options) that are available with single, double or triple patties as well as loaded fries and sides like halloumi fries and corn ribs.
Having placed our order at the bar and plonked ourselves in in Crafty Devil’s sunny courtyard area, there wasn’t long to wait for our food to arrive.
I kept it simple with the double Tom’s Classic (£12) and it was a handsome burger indeed. A pair of deeply beefy smashed patties with compellingly crisp lacy edges spilled over from the edges of the bun.
Topped with a good ooze of American cheese, a thick and tangy burger sauce, and cleansing zingy pickles, it was a big-flavoured bit of junk food and you could taste the quality of the dry-aged beef which had been used.
The only thing I wasn’t fully sold on was a sweet brioche bun which was fine but reminded me a bit of the kind of you can pick up at the supermarket.
Mrs G had called dibs on the double bacon burger (£14) and as suspected, it was even better than my classic burger. Topped with herb-flecked umami-charged bacon mayo, crisp streaky bacon, pickles and crispy onions, it was a belter of a burger.
Just as tasty as the burgers was a whopping portion of buffalo chicken dirty fries. We ordered the small (£8), so I’d love to see what their large portion (£12) is like.
A basket of golden fries was topped with a bevy of potently flavoured toppings – crisp crumbed chicken pieces, nuggets of pokey stilton, fiery jalapenos and a saucy trio of nacho cheese, tangy blue cheese mayo and vinegar-twanged buffalo sauce. It was an absolute mess of a dish, and I was fully on board with it.
A basket of golden fries was topped with a bevy of potently flavoured toppings – crisp crumbed chicken pieces, nuggets of pokey stilton, fiery jalapenos and a saucy trio of nacho cheese, tangy blue cheese mayo and vinegar-twanged buffalo sauce. It was an absolute mess of a dish, and I was fully on board with it.
We really enjoyed the burgers and fries from Tom’s Smashed Burgers. All their flavours are on point and it’s exactly the kind of food which pairs well with a few craft beers. Next time we’re back in Penarth on another training hike, we’ll be sure to get stuck into Crafty Devil’s tasty beer selection as well as Tom's burgers.
The Details:
Address - Tom's Smashed Burgers, Crafty Devil Cellar, 17 Windsor Rd, Penarth CF64 1JB
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