B-Rex, Byron Burger - Birmingham, UK

There are still more Byron Burgers in London than there are in the rest of England combined. In-fact, within the Midlands there are only three, inclusive of the latest newcomer opening in the heart of Birmingham City Centre. This is great news for the city, which continues to expand its burger culture with this soon-to-turn ten years of age chain -- seasoned professionals you could say (pun absolutely intended!).

The new venue is quirky and bizarre. In equal measures this worked both for and against it. The exterior felt like teal paint was in abundance when considering design, whilst the interior is impossibly indescribable to a single theme or motive, with purposefully incomplete design, exposed brick and bland colours. I have enjoyed the unique tone of every Byron I have visited in London, with some situated in truly stunning Grade II listed buildings. Whilst the Birmingham restaurant does not quite capture my heart like its London counterparts, it was still pleasant and comfortable to dine in.

My initial plan was to review the signature 'Byron Burger'. However, since opening, the restaurant has been plugging its 'monster specials' range, which includes the 'Cluckosaurus Rex' and the 'B-Rex'. Whilst the former is a newer addition to the menu, it is also a chicken burger. Despite my love for chicken, I find it difficult to order poultry when in most instances beef is considered the true specialisation. This is Patty Master, right? Not Breast Master. I'm sure that's a whole different site entirely.

I was unaware of the popularity of the 'B-Rex' at the time of ordering, learning aftwards its one of Byron's most popular 'specials'. Strangely enough, I had not previously ordered it and when reviewing what it's made up of, I am not too sure how it slipped by me either. We have a 6oz patty, topped with streaky bacon, American cheese, an onion ring, jalapenos, pickles, onions, BBQ sauce and mayonnaise between a brioche bun. That is a pretty busy burger, but with pretty wonderful potential.


Looks can often deceive, but I knew as soon as this burger landed, we were going to get on. It was tall, vibrant and extremely appetising. The first bite, as expected, was a taste explosion -- and a messy one at that. My taste buds were hit with such a mixture of texture and flavours; all seamlessly working together -- from the crunch of the onion ring and bacon to the oozing BBQ sauce and mayonnaise.

Balance is key when so many ingredients are at play. If I was to modify this burger, my only change, and it's a slight one let me tell you, would be slightly reducing the volume of BBQ sauce. This was purely on the basis that I thought it stole a little too much flavour, perhaps where other areas could have excelled. I see this a lot, typically with dirty burgers, where so much flavour derives from the sauce as opposed to the other, perhaps more important, ingredients.

However, what the burger did right is just about everything else. The bacon was crispy yet tasty, the jalapenos gave it that slight edge but did not overpower the heat, the pickles were fresh and crunchy and the cheese melted wonderfully around the patty. The pairing of an onion ring and additional chopped onions also worked well culminating in a masterclass of burger exhibition.


This leads me on to the patty. Being a proud British chain, Byron sources all of its meat locally and serves up 6oz patties cooked medium -- the way it should be. This was a solid patty. The meat to fat ratio felt right and despite the plethora of ingredients flying around in this burger, the patty still stood out.

Byron knows a good burger, that is for sure. I would go as far to say that the 'B-Rex' is probably my favourite Byron burger to date, and there's absolutely no way this one is going extinct (comedy genius, I know). The combination of flavours was spectacular, with all ingredients working together to produce a truly remarkable burger experience.

Patty Master Musings:

  • At £10.50, I was expecting something pretty special. That does not even include fries. London prices in Birmingham - curse you, capital!
  • I dined with a friend who ordered the 'Courgette Fries'. Avoid, unless you enjoy the taste of battered nothinginess. Odd that they're even on the menu, though Byron do not really excel at fries anyway.
  • I am going back for the Cluckosaurus Rex too. It looked fantastic.
  • Did I Dip It? Absolutely no need to with this one -- a real delight of flavours going on.

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