MEATliquor

I've arrived in burger heaven. London has been perfecting the art of the burger for many years, and you can barely round a street corner without finding a new place to indulge in one.

MEATliquor was one of the first places I visited. It was dark and glowing red (so apologies for the dark and red photos), and more like a bar than any burger joint I've seen.

I went straight for the Dead Hippie; the signature burger full of two mustard fried beef patties, dead hippie sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles and minced white onions. Tat went for the cheeseburger, and to share we had a gluttonous plate of cheese and onion fries.

We weren't particularly hungry to start off with, so it was an ambitious meal, but with some dogged determination we managed to finish our meals. It helped that the burgers were delicious - cooked perfectly medium rare (though that could have been the red lighting), on soft brioche buns, and absolutely dripping with cheese. 

It's only the beginning of my burger tour of London, but it was a pretty good start and I'll be impressed with anything that can top this.

The Cav

There is a pub on College Hill that has been around for 150 years. It has seen generations of rugby teams, pool competitions and Friday nights pass by. It has changed names a few times, and even seen the suburb change from Dedwood to Ponsonby.

It's fair to say that The Cav, at it is now know, is an institution.

My flatmates (rugby playing, beer drinking, sports mad boys - you know the type), were horrified to hear that their beloved Cavalier Tavern was having a re-vamp, their biggest concern being whether they would keep the TVs or not (they did). I, on the other hand, was very excited, with the promise of new decor, a new menu, and a whole new re-brand at hand.

When it finally re-opened, the boys put their fears aside and set out to see it. They ordered a beer and a burger, and with a nod of approval settled right in.

After getting the go ahead from the real critics, I've now visited a few times and have been very impressed.  The pub has been completely transformed into a light, airy and modern space, with a trendy menu to match.

Embarrassingly, every time I've eaten there I've chosen the Spicy Buffalo Chicken Sandwich. I have an insatiable craving for Buffalo chicken about 95% of the time, so my chances of ordering anything else were slim to none. But why would I need to try anything else? Just look at this beauty! Juicy fried chicken smothered in a delicious sauce, with blue cheese slaw to top it all off. Sadly, the hand cut fries are a bit underwhelming, so I would recommend giving the waiter your best smile and asking to swap for the curly fries.

The new and improved Cav has transformed from a quiet pub to the new trendy place to be. The food is great, the beer selection is vast (though admittedly now more expensive) and the interior is beautiful. Already Friday nights see the pub packed to the brim, and I'm sure the enormous deck will be the spot to be come Summer.

Better Burger

OK I promise this is the last burger post I will write for a while...but how could I resist blogging the coolest new burger bar in town? Especially seeing as it is my favourite so far.

Better Burger is a new burger joint sandwiched in between Britomart Country Club and 1885. It is open through from lunch to the wee hours of the morning, and I'm certain that many of the people in the 1885 line will have to throw in the towel and succumb their night to the delicious wafting smell of burgers.

We (especially Alice) were pretty excited to order, and all unashamedly chose the double cheeseburger - in my opinion the only thing that should be ordered off this menu.

Of course accompanied by fries and shakes.

The burgers were cooked to medium rare perfection, and were laden with pickles and cheese- just the way they should be.

We were on a quick lunch break, so gobbled up the burgers as quickly as we could and rushed back to work- with just enough time for Alice and I to have a quick photo outside.

Jamie decided she wanted to be in the photo too... and without much choice we relented.

The vast choice of burger bars is daunting at the moment to say the least. But if you haven't already, head down to Britomart- maybe even do a double header at Pinky's and Better Burger and let me know your favourite!

Pinky's

Another burger joint has graced the streets of Auckland, slowly bringing to reality the possibility of eating a burger for every meal. Life. is. good.

This new burger heaven is called Pinky's, and it is a pop up menu within Tyler St Garage (which has pretty awesome food as it is!).

The girls and I visited Pinky's on a stormy weeknight, and we didn't hold back. There were burgers of every sort: beef and cheese, fish, chicken- you name it, we ordered it. I ordered the beef with double cheese and it was unbelievably good- perfectly cooked pink, dripping with cheese, and a pickle to top it off. I know I've been raving about a few burger joints lately, but so far this beauty has topped the list.

We didn't just stop at burgers though, and so onion skins, potato fries and kumara fries were jammed onto the table. They were all great, but the onion skins were outstanding, and the first to disappear.

Feeling not quite full enough (sarcasm), we strolled over to Milse, a perfect little dessert restaurant in a tiny nook in Britomart. The desserts at Milse are just as beautiful to eat as they are to look at, and we quickly satisfied our sweet tooth on the delicious treats.

For the burger-holics out there I know that the choices are overwhelming at the moment. But Pinky's has the big fat tick of approval from me, and it is seriously worth a visit.

BurgerBurger

I like to think of myself as a foodie; a lover of fine dining; someone who knows their brioche from their baguette- but give me a good burger and any air of sophistication is replaced by a greedy, wide eyed burger fanatic.

So it was an agonising wait that I endured while BurgerBurger set up shop. But finally, the fair streets on Ponsonby have been graced with a burger joint that will make the hearts of carbohydrate loving patrons sing (yes, they do have a bread-less burger too Mr. Paleo).

The girls and I bravely ventured there on opening night, and nabbed a table at 6.30pm just before it was overrun with curious patrons.

It may have been a Monday night but we needed to test the drink menu too, so we settled in with Botanist gin and tonics and chocolate shakes.

We ordered the entire sides menu, but surprisingly the delicious charred broccoli disappeared first- perhaps it was the reassuring sight of greenery amongst the three plates of fries that tempted us. 

The burgers are simple, as they should be, and all served on delightfully soft brioche buns. The beef was cooked to a perfect medium rare, and ordered with an extra slice of cheese was absolutely perfect. The fish burger was another favourite- crispy, tender and refreshingly light.

The burgers are great value at only $10 a pop, though they aren't enormous so I would definitely recommend a side (or four in our case!) to go with it. 

BurgerBurger has filled a much needed burger void in Ponsonby Central, and I have no doubt that it will become a firm favourite for fellow burger lovers.  So pop along, try it out, and let me know what you think of the new kid on the Ponsonby Central block!