Tonight make it magnificent
Dec. 13th, 2012 11:45 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ventaSo, for some time we've had the concept of the burger league tables. There is a Premier League, for quality burgers, and a Vauxhall Conference[*] for the also-rans. The likes of McDonalds aren't even allowed to play.
I thought I'd written up more of the investigative burger-eating trips here, but it seems that to date I've only had one post tagged "burger league". This surprises me. At present there's a bit of a backlog of recommended new burger bars in London to get through; I need to eat more burgers.
I don't think the league tables have fundamentally altered since that last post - though I'm fairly sure that we permitted Haché (recommended by![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
phlebas) to join the Premier League. GBK has of late rewritten its menu in such a way that it sells almost all the same things it used to, but in a way that seems much less exciting; the burgers are still good, but I don't hold it in quite the same affection these days. It's the most convenient quality burger emporium for where I (now) live, but I'm actually not sure when I was last there.
Anyway, popping over to Oxford to visitwimble, one of his suggested eateries was Atomic Burger on Cowley Road. Everything seems to be changing all the time on the Cowley Road at the moment; for those who aren't quite keeping up Atomic Burger is approximately nextdoor to what used to be Gashi Gashi. Apparently it's been there a couple of years.
We rolled up, could we have a table? We could not, they were full, could we come back in an hour? With the most excellent James Street Tavern just round the corner, we certainly could. Again, for those not keeping up, the JST (which used to be great and then became rubbish) has stopped being rubbish and become great again. If you can't choose between their large array of excellent handpumps, they'll do you three 1/3-pint tasters for the price of the cheapest pint. Done.
The inside of Atomic Burger looks rather like someone blew up Forbidden Planet and then stacked the debris back together. Wombles snuggle up to Daleks. C3PO keeps a watchful eye on DangerMouse and Spiderman. Thunderbirds and Sindy dolls and Lego models vie for space. Godzilla looms out of one wall, there is a huge Batman logo, and most surfaces that aren't mirrored are covered in comics. By the time I'd picked up my collectible sticker-album-menu and sat down I was already disposed to fall in love with the place.
The menu is largely full of named burgers - you can have a Johnny Cash, or a Cheech & Chong, or a Jake & Elwood (each is marked out of ten for tenuousness, geekiness and fear). I eventually ordered a Frito Bandito (not significantly geeky, tenuous or scary): a beef burger with guacamole, sour cream, cheese and nachos in it.
The price of a burger includes a side order, making it noticeably cheaper than the likes of GBK (two burgers, two sides of fries, one terrifying thick milkshake with popping candy in it and a bottle of Samuel Adams for <£25). And the fries are actually very good (although the "sci-fries" with garlic and chilli would have defeated me - Wimble is more of a man than I am and ate them without flinching.)
And the burgers? Well.. good bun, with decent structural integrity. Nice toppings, and definitely plausible burgers. I'm not sure the burgers are legally quite Premier League material (and they don't offer any option on how you want them cooked - or not cooked, in my case) but they're clearly a superior offering. I wouldn't be comfortable consigning them to the Conference. I think at least a few visits from the Review Board are in order.
I did manage to perch myself with my back to the TV screen, which was showing snippets of 80s kids shows, cult films and sci-fi oldies. I don't do well with large screens, tending to stare vacantly at them over people's shoulders. Instead I enjoyed the slapdash assortment of music - Wimble noted that a surprising amount of the time various characters, puppets, Cylons, etc onscreen appeared to be lip-synching to the music. As we left, Gonzo was cheerfully singing along to Step On.
[*] Yes, I know it really hasn't been called that for a very long time now.
I thought I'd written up more of the investigative burger-eating trips here, but it seems that to date I've only had one post tagged "burger league". This surprises me. At present there's a bit of a backlog of recommended new burger bars in London to get through; I need to eat more burgers.
I don't think the league tables have fundamentally altered since that last post - though I'm fairly sure that we permitted Haché (recommended by
phlebas) to join the Premier League. GBK has of late rewritten its menu in such a way that it sells almost all the same things it used to, but in a way that seems much less exciting; the burgers are still good, but I don't hold it in quite the same affection these days. It's the most convenient quality burger emporium for where I (now) live, but I'm actually not sure when I was last there.Anyway, popping over to Oxford to visit
wimble, one of his suggested eateries was Atomic Burger on Cowley Road. Everything seems to be changing all the time on the Cowley Road at the moment; for those who aren't quite keeping up Atomic Burger is approximately nextdoor to what used to be Gashi Gashi. Apparently it's been there a couple of years. We rolled up, could we have a table? We could not, they were full, could we come back in an hour? With the most excellent James Street Tavern just round the corner, we certainly could. Again, for those not keeping up, the JST (which used to be great and then became rubbish) has stopped being rubbish and become great again. If you can't choose between their large array of excellent handpumps, they'll do you three 1/3-pint tasters for the price of the cheapest pint. Done.
The inside of Atomic Burger looks rather like someone blew up Forbidden Planet and then stacked the debris back together. Wombles snuggle up to Daleks. C3PO keeps a watchful eye on DangerMouse and Spiderman. Thunderbirds and Sindy dolls and Lego models vie for space. Godzilla looms out of one wall, there is a huge Batman logo, and most surfaces that aren't mirrored are covered in comics. By the time I'd picked up my collectible sticker-album-menu and sat down I was already disposed to fall in love with the place.
The menu is largely full of named burgers - you can have a Johnny Cash, or a Cheech & Chong, or a Jake & Elwood (each is marked out of ten for tenuousness, geekiness and fear). I eventually ordered a Frito Bandito (not significantly geeky, tenuous or scary): a beef burger with guacamole, sour cream, cheese and nachos in it.
The price of a burger includes a side order, making it noticeably cheaper than the likes of GBK (two burgers, two sides of fries, one terrifying thick milkshake with popping candy in it and a bottle of Samuel Adams for <£25). And the fries are actually very good (although the "sci-fries" with garlic and chilli would have defeated me - Wimble is more of a man than I am and ate them without flinching.)
And the burgers? Well.. good bun, with decent structural integrity. Nice toppings, and definitely plausible burgers. I'm not sure the burgers are legally quite Premier League material (and they don't offer any option on how you want them cooked - or not cooked, in my case) but they're clearly a superior offering. I wouldn't be comfortable consigning them to the Conference. I think at least a few visits from the Review Board are in order.
I did manage to perch myself with my back to the TV screen, which was showing snippets of 80s kids shows, cult films and sci-fi oldies. I don't do well with large screens, tending to stare vacantly at them over people's shoulders. Instead I enjoyed the slapdash assortment of music - Wimble noted that a surprising amount of the time various characters, puppets, Cylons, etc onscreen appeared to be lip-synching to the music. As we left, Gonzo was cheerfully singing along to Step On.
[*] Yes, I know it really hasn't been called that for a very long time now.
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no subject
Date: 2012-12-13 11:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-12-13 11:53 am (UTC)I'm pretty sure that I don't want that pub to be called that, either. What was it before? A Firkin of some kind, at some point?
no subject
Date: 2012-12-13 11:57 am (UTC)Fratelli's is Atomic Pizza, yes. U&C always used to be U&C, then it became a Firkin, and then I think reverted around the time the Cape of Good Hope did. I can't remember which Firkin it was because mostly I refuse to acknowledge those names. :D
no subject
Date: 2012-12-13 12:04 pm (UTC)I remember reading an article in a Sunday paper years ago about how dreadful it was that pubs with interesting names were being taken over and renamed in a dull way. I'd have been right behind the guy except his prime example was how the beautifully-named Philanderer & Firkin had "presumably out of political correctness" been disgracefully turned into the "boring" Jericho Tavern. Which made me froth a little as I did remember that one changing to a Firkin.
The Fuggle & Firkin - which I still absent-mindedly call the Brewhouse - appears to be the Red Lion at the moment, having been (at least) The Goose in between. And the Gloc isn't the Gloc any more!
I'm starting to think I should set up a wiki for keeping track :)
no subject
Date: 2012-12-14 08:53 am (UTC)(I bet there already si a wiki somewhere…)
no subject
Date: 2012-12-14 11:02 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-12-15 02:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-12-13 12:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-12-13 12:05 pm (UTC)The milkshake was of the thick kind that makes your ears hurt - and the popping candy was definitely an experience everyone should have (though possibly only once ;) And they'll do floats if you're ordering pop, too.
no subject
Date: 2012-12-13 12:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-12-13 12:12 pm (UTC)Whether something weird was going on, I have no idea, since it really wasn't the experience I expected at all!
no subject
Date: 2012-12-13 12:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-12-13 12:19 pm (UTC)I think I'd have to make another visit to give it a formal classification.
no subject
Date: 2012-12-14 11:09 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-12-14 11:11 am (UTC)(Ahmed's otuside Univ, for me, please ;)
no subject
Date: 2012-12-13 01:01 pm (UTC)They used to do very nice chilli-cheeseburgers. If I'm being strictly objective, the actual burgers were at best 8/10, but since nowhere else before or since seems to have the faintest idea what chilli cheeseburgers are supposed to be like they came out way ahead of the pack overall.
(Also, they sold alcoholic milkshakes. Also, their spicy chips were very good.)
no subject
Date: 2012-12-13 01:47 pm (UTC)Atomic do certainly offer both chilli (beef or veggie) and cheese as toppings for burgers. I'm uncertain as to what exactly a chilli-cheeseburger should be like, so don't know whether you could construct one there.
no subject
Date: 2012-12-13 01:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-12-13 01:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-12-13 02:09 pm (UTC)I'm not sure if I was present in Oxford when Bosnia existed, but I certainly didn't know any of you then!
no subject
Date: 2012-12-13 01:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-12-13 01:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-12-13 02:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-12-13 02:17 pm (UTC)I've heard good things of the Big Dirty Burger van which visits the Camden Town Brewery in Kentish Town. Confusingly this isn't the same as the Dirty Burger van which is based just round the corner.
no subject
Date: 2012-12-13 02:51 pm (UTC)Hmm. I have not met the Big Dirty Burger van. But if it hangs out in a brewery, what's not to like?
/me adds it to the list.
no subject
Date: 2012-12-13 02:57 pm (UTC)The lack of affordable quality takeaway burgers in London (brown bag and all) makes me sad.
no subject
Date: 2012-12-13 02:59 pm (UTC)One of the reasons I was so happy about Atomic was because it is only the second non-large-chain place to make it into the league (the other is The Natural Burger Co., which is in St John's Wood). If there are stacks of independent burger joints all over town, I wanna know!
no subject
Date: 2012-12-13 06:31 pm (UTC)I'll be interested to see if you make it into MeatLiquor and what it's like.
http://www.timeout.com/london/restaurants/venue/2%3A30725/meat-liquor
no subject
Date: 2012-12-13 06:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-12-13 10:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-12-13 10:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-12-13 11:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-12-13 06:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-12-13 05:48 pm (UTC)Mind you even CB2 which does one of my favourite burgers has been less good than it used to be of late. (It wouldn't really belong in the league though, as it's not a burger place per se).
Atomic sounds like a place well worth visiting next time I'm in Oxford.
Ta for the Blondie ear-worm :)
no subject
Date: 2012-12-13 05:50 pm (UTC)Burgers are actually, I think, quite tricky to get right. I've eaten home made burgers that have been made entirely out of good-quality nice-things, but have come out barely ok.
no subject
Date: 2012-12-13 09:42 pm (UTC)