GBK - The Taxidriver

The Taxidriver - American cheese, onion ring, Cajun relish, smoked chilli mayo, dill pickle, salad, brioche bun £9.75

Burger type: Pub/Gourmet/Inbetween/Dirty

I had fairly high hopes for the Taxidriver - it's a burger I've had prior to the blog being up and running and I remember thinking it was one of GBK's best. Almost distracted by the Smokin' Joe on the new winter menu, I stuck with the intention of scoffing down the Taxidriver. It's GBK's full on American style burger and probably the dirtiest they do (which in the grand scheme of burgers is still pretty gourmet). The flavours work well and although I've become a bit bored of the brioche bun these days finding it to be too sweet too often, it completely works for this burger. It soaks up the juices from the patty, the onion ring and the american cheese and nearly holds it all together. The onion ring is the star of the show here, adding a tasty crunch to the burger, and the fillings all work well with each other. There's a couple of problems: the onion ring and the tomato slice make the burger stand tall and it's not easy to eat without falling apart. Secondly, and again due to the volume of fillings, the meat gets a little lost in it all. Like an English villager rocking up in NYC for the first time, there is so much else going on that it gets overwhelmed and retreats deep in the middle of the burger. And let's be honest - the fillings should always play second fiddle to the meat. I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed with my visit to GBK this time. The Blue Cheese Slaw with chopped jalapenos from the new menu was tasty but I'd hoped for something mind-blowing. Their Rosemary fries (skinny fries with clumps of rosemary salt on top) are knocked out of the park by those served at Honest Burgers. Perhaps I've just been lured by the younger, sexier burger joints in town and GBK has become a little same old. I certainly don't agree with the generic GBK bashing that some people give - their burgers are reliable, the meat is tasty, fillings are good quality and their student/NHS discount and phone app bring the slightly inflated prices back into order. It's just lacking a wow factor, a little like this burger.

Rating: 

Meat 2/3

Bun 2/2

Fillings 2/2

Package 1/2

Extra point? No

Overall 7/10