GBK - Camemburger

Camemburger - Camembert, hash brown, truffle mayo, onion jam, relish, brioche bun £9.75

Burger type: Pub/Gourmet/Inbetween/Dirty

Camembert eh? Definitely goes with chicken. But beef? Blue cheese is the pairing for beef, right? Right. But actually Camembert works. And better than expected. There's a really nice taste to this burger. Onion jam obviously buddies up with the Camembert perfectly, and the hash brown and truffle mayo add further depth of flavour. In fact it all goes together rather too well, and blends into a big mush of a burger. You see, that's the problem. All of the ingredients have the same soft texture. There's nothing to add crunch. And that soft, sweet brioche bun might have been the obvious choice to go with the flavours, but it doesn't help this issue. Sure, it's not the kind of burger you'd want to start sticking salad in, but a nice fat crispy onion ring could have added much needed crispiness whilst complementing the other flavours. A good burger then, but too soft to compete with the big boys.

Rating: 

Meat 2/3

Bun 1/2

Fillings 1/2

Package 2/2

Extra point? No

Overall 6/10

Christmas Burger #1 - GBK - Bah Humburger

Bah Humburger - 6oz beef (or chicken) burger smothered with smoked cheddar cheese, crispy bacon, house mayo, shallots and crunchy red pickle £9.95 or £14.95 with fries and a drink

Burger type: Pub/Gourmet/Inbetween/Dirty

Dry, dry and dry. This burger was simply too dry. The patty was overcooked again. There seems to be an issue with the large chains (GBK/Byron I'm looking at you) that when restaurants get busy, patties get overcooked. This aside the fillings sounded appealing with the red pickle adding a Christmas touch to an otherwise pretty standard burger. But the result lacked any sort of juice/moisture - there needed to be a lot more cheese and more mayo or other sauce. And I'm not a fan of the standard sesame bun - the fillings need to have a lot of moisture to counteract the dryness of the bread in this style of bun rather than with glazed and brioche buns, which are a lot more forgiving. The pickle is a nice addition to this burger and saves it from a lower score still, but there is nothing special enough about the Bah Humburger to recommend it. Did I mention it was dry?

Rating: 

Meat 1.5/3

Bun 0/2

Fillings 1/2

Package 1/2

Extra point? No

Overall 3.5/10

GBK - Kiwiburger

Kiwiburger - Beetroot, egg, pineapple, aged Cheddar, salad, mayo & relish £9.25

Burger type: Pub/Gourmet/Inbetween/Dirty

It doesn't sound particularly appetising - egg, beetroot and pineapple in a burger. But take it from me - it works. It's not going to blow you away but it's a far cry from the stomach-churning mouthfuls you might expect it to be. As I've said before, beetroot is a top burger filling adding a nice sweetness to the patty. I think few people will argue with an egg, especially with a pleasingly runny yolk as served here. The major sticking point is probably going to be the pineapple for most people; if this is an insurmountable obstacle between plate and mouth then it can always be removed or ordered without. If you can get over this you'll find that it is a fairly subtle taste in the burger and works well with everything else. My major issue with the burger is that there is so much sloppiness that it doesn't stand a chance of holding together. Sure it turned up presented and stacked well (with the help of a stick), but once you get your knife/mouth into it things turn decidedly messier. The egg yolk breaks and runs everywhere which is to be expected, but with the relish and cheese sliming over the already slimy beetroot and pineapple, the burger ends up looking like it's just endured a giant earthquake. It tastes good, but it doesn't feel enough like a burger as half ends up on your plate. I would cook the cheese into the patty, put the egg on top so that the bun can soak up some of the yolk, and use grated beetroot in an effort to straighten this Pisa - just a suggestion GBK! Oh, and my patty was overcooked again - that lack of consistency an inherent problem with chain restaurants.

Rating: 

Meat 1.5/3

Bun 1/2

Fillings 2/2

Package 0/2

Extra point? Yes - we might not see one in this country, but well done GBK for trying to prevent the extinction of the Kiwi with donations from these burgers

Overall 5.5/10

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

GBK - The Don

The Don - Bacon aioli, blue cheese, American cheese, onion jam, rocket, mustard mayo, brioche bun. £9.95

Gourmet/Dirty: Gourmet

'Another GBK burger already?' I hear you say. Well as I've mentioned before the GBK app gives rewards and this burger was free. So I couldn't resist heading in for a quick burger fix. The rating will be based on the full price though. I enjoyed this burger - the meat, as ever, was good quality and cooked well. Anyone who likes blue cheese on their burgers/steaks will enjoy this as the flavour is spot on. The rest of the ingredients work well for the overall flavour of the burger. All is going well for The Don; BUT I think the bun, which was a little charred in my case, lets it down somewhat (and I'm usually a champion of the brioche bun). For this burger I think a soft floury bun of the type that Byron use would work better. The brioche bun is too sweet, becoming sickly by the end, and doesn't work with the sharpness of the blue cheese. Nearly a great burger - close but no cigar.

Rating: 

Meat 2/3

Bun 1/2

Fillings 2/2

Package 1/2

Extra point? No

Overall 6/10

GBK - The Capital

The Capital – American cheese, crispy shallots, tomato, pickled onion, shredded iceberg, secret sauce. £7.95

Gourmet/Dirty: Gourmet

National Burger Day burger #1. I don't think the burger looks particularly good - certainly not in the photo. Lettuce is streaming out, and the bun looks dry and isn't nicely rounded - appears homemade and amateurish. On the plus side the meat was cooked medium as requested, and GBK meat is pretty good in general. I can't help but think this is a poor man's Taxidriver (a better burger with upgraded ingredients - will review soon). Tastes ok but would be improved with a better bun. Nothing special and definitely not the best burger GBK do. Kudos though to GBK for their help-youself monkey nuts and water, regular offers and app that gives a surprising amount of free food. I also like their order-at-the-counter system as you don't have to wait for table service or feel compelled to tip. GBK won me back with these touches and I'll be back to give their other burgers a chance to shine.

Rating: 

Meat 2/3

Bun 0/2

Fillings 1/2

Package 1/2

Extra point? No

Overall 4/10