Yesterday Mr Review Addict and I went shopping in Reading and having heard lots of positive things about The Handmade Burger Co. we thought that it was about time that we gave them a try.
They have over 40 varieties of burgers including chicken and veggie options. Their beef burgers (which is what were were interested in) are handmade from traditionally reared 100% prime Scotch beef. They are also flame-grilled which appealed to me as that is how I like my burgers done.
The restaurant was pretty quiet but we were there as soon as it opened at 11:30am so it wasn't really surprising. I think a lot of people were also avoiding Reading due to the festival because the town was quiet in general. Once seated the server who was very friendly, explained the menu to us and then we were asked to go to the counter to order.
There was a lot of choice but I decided to go for the Mexican Chipotle which is apparently new. It contains Mexican chipotle chilli sour cream, mayo and salad.
Mexican Chipotle Beef Burger
Mr Review Addict likes to keep it simple so he chose the Cheese Classic which is mature cheddar, burger relish, mayo and salad. The burgers do not come with chips so these have to be ordered as a side, we decided to go for a portion between us plus a portion of onion rings.The food arrived quickly and we were impressed with the large portions, particularly the chips, there was easily enough for the 2 of us, in fact we ended up leaving some because we were so full up.
My Mexican Chipotle burger was excellent. It was well done and I loved the chargrilled flavor of the meat. The chipotle chilli sour cream was pretty spicy but added a nice tangy flavor and I enjoyed the heat which is a good job as I also got a side of this to dip my chips in!
I was very impressed with the chips, which like the burgers are also made fresh. They are double fried which meant that they were just how chips should be; fluffly on the inside whilst crispy on the outside. The onion rings which were the batter variety were also very tasty.
The bill came to £26.05: £7.15 for Mr Review Addict's Burger, £6.95 for mine, chips were £3.15, onion rings were £3.15 and my dip was 85p, drinks which were refillable were £2.40 each.
Verdict I only have 1 minor criticism and that is the going to the counter to order your food. At £26.05 for 2 burgers and sides, Handmade Burger Co. is clearly not trying to be a fast food restaurant. I am not complaining about the price, this is good quality and very tasty food. However it just seems weird to me that a server sits you, gives you a menu and brings your food to your table but you have to go and order it yourself which if it had been busy would have meant queuing at the front of the restaurant. I know a lot of other places do this too but I personally prefer to either do it all myself or have it all done for me, having it both ways is weird.
That really is only a minor issue for me though because other than that, I absolutely loved The Handmade Burger Co. The food was delicious and clearly of a high standard. I loved the amount of choice on the menu and I particularly enjoyed the "proper" chips. Next time...and there will definitely be a next time, I think I will try the seasoned version.
