If you’re not craving a big juicy burger on a weeknight are you even human? Well obviously… There are vegans and veggies and you can’t forget the pescatarians and so forth.
But my point is… Wait what was it? OH YES. I had the most amazing burger last Wednesday eve and all just two minutes away from our doorstep. That’s what I call convenience.
I was invited over to the newly managed Bell & Castle on Burton Road to try out their burger night with Deckards who have recently set up base there on a Wednesday night.
They’ve only been serving their burgers, beer and baos there for a few weeks now but it’s becoming pretty popular and it’s proving that pop up street food is really something of the future.
We were seated with a big ole’ bottle of Prosecco in one of their corner bench booths and were given the extensive menu to browse over.
Me and Kane are both HUGE fans of a good burger so it was pretty difficult to pick just one of the 10 on offer, not to mention their loaded fries and Baos.
I had never heard of a Bao before so of course I picked Amy’s (the lovely waitress) brains.
They’re Vietnamese steamed buns with a choice of different fillings including deep fried jerk chicken or even cherry cola glazed pork belly (sounds like HEAVEN).
As much as I wanted to try one of the Baos, we both decided to go with burgers to test the water.
Within around 15 minutes of ordering, our meaty wonders made their way to our table, with some help from Amy of course.
They were served in cardboard takeaway boxes which gives them the perfect street food vibe and encompassed by a mountain of Rosemary salted fries.
I opted for The Big Kahuna which was a 6oz peef pattie, Monty Jack cheese, teriyaki glazed bacon and pineapple served in a brioche bun although I swapped it to a pretzel bun.
The burger also has a helping of coriander hot sauce on but I asked for it on the side after overhearing that it has a bit of a kick.
I felt adventurous with the pineapple and teriyaki bacon and it reminded me of Hawaii a tad. The beef was juicy, slightly pink in the middle which I love and the cheese melted perfectly on top.
Kane chose The Hwoarang which had a 6oz beef pattie, Korean beef, some Asian slaw with a kimchi relish. He was in Oriental heaven.
I snuck a bite of this and it was so so good, the Korean beef was tender, tangy and paired perfectly with the crunch of the slaw.
We also asked for side dips of the blueberry ketchup and the sriracha mayo which were delic with a few fries dunked in.
Not only did we inhale the burgers but nearly all of the fries too which is not like me at all, I usually leave loads – definitely a good sign that I enjoyed my food.
After we’d finished, one of the owners which name has escaped my mind, Mark? Matt? Darn burger brain. Well anyway, he came over and asked about our food and what we did and we had a good chat. He also recommended an ale and grabbed Kane a can to try.
Now I’ve never been one for beer or ale but this Sierra Nevada Pale Ale smelled rather fruity across the table so I had a little sip.
It was surprisingly pleasant and I can see why people enjoy it more than lager, it has so much more depth!
After seeing how busy the place was and that people were even waiting for tables, we decided to get home to bed for work the next day.
Thank you to all the lovely staff at the Bell & Castle and Deckards for creating such an AMAZING menu with some truly tasty food that we’ll be back for very, very soon.
Those Baos are on my list along with the Philly loaded fries which sound right up my street!
You can find the Bell & Castle at the top of Burton Road, right near the roundabout which serves home-cooked, delicious food with a good rustic feel, perfect for a Sunday afternoon of a midweek treat!
You can find them on Facebook here!
What are your favourite burger toppings?
Comic Books & Yellow Ducks 