There have been a fair few arguments in the office getting it down to just 10, so to appease some of the city’s further excellent burgers there’s also a Wildcard and a couple of Honourable Mentions at the end…
Ten
The Superstar Burger at Archie’s
I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who doesn’t buzz off Archie’s and pretty much every time I walk past, pop in for a burger or shifty round the counter so I can sneakily use their toilet – it’s heaving. I must say that their usual burgers are pretty much the kind of thing you’d expect – nothing to write home about, but if you tuck into one of their smashed Signature Burgers – you best get scribbling up the first draft of that letter back to your mam because they’re mega good! Again I’d always go for a classic and not let the burger be over-burdened with ‘wacky’ ingredients so their Superstar Burger is perfect. Beef, cheese, salad and Archie’s Special Sauce. Perfect.
Archie’s – Burgers Shakes Waffles,
115 Oxford Rd, Manchester M1 7DU
72 Oxford St, Manchester M1 5NH
www.lovearchies.com/
Nine
Donut Burger at Red’s True BBQ
Of course Red’s True BBQ offer a pretty decent selection of burgers alongside their huge choice of BBQ’ed meats and sides but there’s no way you can ignore their brilliant Donut Burger. Nicknamed the Luther Burger, having a burger sandwiched between two sweet doughnuts was a favourite of rotund warbler Luther Vandross – who would scoff them every chance he got between bashing out new hit singles and his regular insulin injections. The Red’s True BBQ offering is certainly a naughty little treat and is something everyone should try at least once.
Red’s True Barbecue, 22 Lloyd St, Manchester M2 5WA
https://truebarbecue.com/manchester/
Eight
Get Clucked at Get Chucked
It’s always a pleasure to mix it up a little bit and go for a chicken burger and one of the best around is available from Get Chucked over in Urmston – a place which also coincidentally does spectacular beef burgers as well. The jewel in the crown of their Get Clucked burger is the perfectly moist and crispy Buttermilk Fried Chicken which would make Colonel Sanders’ glasses steam up and comes topped with smoky mayo and some lovely, lovely Sriracha. Their weekly specials are always pretty mint too!
Get Chucked, 40 Flixton Road, Urmston, M41 5AA
www.getchucked.co.uk/
Seven
The Tribute Burger at Honest Burger
I’d heard good things about Honest Burger making waves on the food stall scene down south a few years back. So when the city found out they moved up north and created the humble Tribute Burger celebrating Manchester everybody rejoiced. Stacked high with bacon American cheese, pickles, onions, mustard and came served with the most amazing (thick cut) rosemary fries. Served bloody as standard to make it extra, extra juicy and those famously outrageous fries, especially dipped into bacon and beef gravy are gifts from the heavens.
Honest Burger, 36 Bridge St, Manchester M3 3BT
www.honestburgers.co.uk/
Six
The Lane Closer at Dog Bowl
I’ve always found Dog Bowl burgers to be consistently excellent – whether you’re ordering one as part of their £6 Lunch Deal or looking to fill up on some energy while throwing some heavy balls down a lacquered bit of wood. They’ve got a decent selection on offer but the ultimate on the menu is without a doubt The Lane Closer (£14). Firstly this is an absolute unit. Comprised of 3 huge and juicy patties and topped with American cheese sauce, jack cheese tater tots, pulled pork and lashings of sticky bbq sauce. That’s not it though, there’s a mini beef burger on top for good measure and an extra sprinkling of meaty goodness.
Dog Bowl, Whitworth St W, Manchester M1 5WW
blackdogballroom.co.uk/dog-bowl/blackdogballroom.co.uk
Five
The Bacon Double Cheese Burger at Solita
An integral part of the ‘Burger Wars’ of 2012, Solita have seen themselves delve into other areas in recent years, both on the menu and geographically. They’re now just about everywhere in Manchester, we’re talking Didsbury, Prestwich and even Preston so if you’re ever in those parts – pop in for a lovely juicy number. The selection of burgers is pretty huge – with an eclectic range of oddities and combos but I must express some serious love for their Bacon Double Cheese Burger (£13.50). Wedged in the bun is 2 4 ounce patties, 2 ounces (yep) of cheese, crispy bacon pieces, plenty of the lord’s juice (ketchup) and even a bacon candy skewer. All burgers at Solita, are now made with Warrendale prime Wagyu chuck steak, hand pressed to order.
Solita NQ, Turner St, Manchester M4 1DW
www.solita.co.uk/menus
Four
The Triple Nom at Almost Famous
The kings and queens of the burger I’m sure there will be many people spitting out their chocolate digestive and angrily tap, tap, tapping away at their keyboards once they discover that Almost Famous is only at number 5 in this list. Well, after extensive arguments in the office – it’s here. Deal with it. This isn’t to say that Almost Famous burgers are bad – definitely not, they’re fantastic – everything you want from a burger. Meaty, juicy, caked in cheese and great value for money – everyone should have an Almost Famous burger at some point in their life. Personally I’d recommend the Triple Nom – it’s not loaded with a mental amount of stuff (so it can still be eaten without ruining all of your clothes) and the pulled pork is divine.
Almost Famous,
Great Northern Warehouse, Manchester M3 4EN
100-102 High St, Manchester M4 1HP
almostfamousburgers.com
Three
Bacon Cheeseburger (All The Way) at Five Guys
Okay, okay, okay – so Manchester’s Finest is supposed to champion the city’s independent establishments – I get it. Five Guys is a huge company – operating throughout the world, with our city centre branch being located in the centre of all large commercial endeavours – the Arndale Centre. But I’ll defy anyone who can complain that their burgers are anything less than spectacular – with a range of customisation options that would bamboozle even the most avid fan of Max Power magazine. Personally I’d go for the classic Bacon Cheeseburger with everything on it, a colossal mound of their excellent chips and as many Cherry Vanilla Pespi refills as I can handle until I’m either sick or pass out.
Five Guys, U19, New Cannon Street, Arndale, Manchester M4 3AJ
fiveguys.co.uk
Two
Big Matt Burger at Hawksmoor
Now we’re getting to the real big hitters in the city and Hawksmoor offer, without a shadow of a doubt, some of the best burgers that money can buy – with the king of these offerings being The Big Matt. Their own take on the frankly rather limp and unimpressive Big Mac, this monster comes with 2 stunning beef patties, cheese, salad and Hawksmoor’s special burger sauce. This lot know their meat so a particular shout out should go to those patties, which are so succulent and packed full of flavour that they take this creation to a whole new level of burger – one which you won’t want to come down from once you’re up there.
Hawksmoor , 184-186 Deansgate, Manchester M3 3WB
thehawksmoor.com
One
The Double Snoop at Big Grillie Style
This is it. Numero Uno. Some people might say – Oh, what a load of rubbish – they’re bloody biased! Well I can assure you, the only people that will be saying that are the ones who have yet to head down to Joshua Brooks and try one of Big Grillie Style’s amazing burgers. The creator – Alex – is so bloody enthusiastic about burgers and the science that goes behind making the perfect one that if you see him on the street it’s probably best to cross over the road unless you want an earful of physics and chemistry about the advantages of cold, smashed patties compared to shaped room temperature ones. It’s paid off though because these burgers are truly fantastic – and by our reckoning – the best in the city. Keep it simple and go for a Double Snoop (Bacon Cheeseburger with pickles, red onion and house burger sauce) and you’ll never go back.
Joshua Brooks, 106 Princess St, Manchester M1 6NG
www.biggrilliestyle.com
Wild Card
Vada Pav at Bundobust
Is this a burger? Yes it is. And it’s a bloody good one too. The reason the Vada Pav at Bundobust is a ‘Wild Card’ is because it’s not really what people would think of if they had a hankering for a bit of burger action – but this doesn’t make it any less impressive. A brioche bun that is packed with a spicy potato patty and chilli sauce, the Vada Pav is a must for any visit to Bundobust and many of you will be pleased to know that it’s vegetarian too. Bundobust in Leeds have recently done a Brooklyn variation on their classic with Russian dressing, sauerkraut and pickles. We want it HERE please!
Bundobust, 61 Piccadilly, Manchester M1 2AG
bundobust.com/manchester/
Vegan
Beyond Meat Vegan Burger at Cane & Grain
Everyone is going vegan crazy nowadays and even though I would fail miserably if I did so – good luck to ’em – it’ll all be great for the environment and we probably should stop battering animals for our food at some point really. Even though their menu is around 79% MEAT, Cane & Grain actually offer one of the best vegan burgers known to man – the Beyond Meat burger. It bleeds, it looks and tastes just like meat and it’s 100% vegan – oh and it’s tasty AF. What more do you want?!
Cane & Grain, 49 -51 Thomas St, Manchester M4 1NA
caneandgrain.co.uk
Honourable Mentions
Veggie Burger at Hard Rock Cafe, Samosa Burger at Scene, The Whopper, The Mac Daddie at Crazy Pedro’s
