The restaurant itself is tidy with the usual rustic feel and exposed brick. Whilst the 'industrial' theme is certainly nothing original anymore, it works for these types of establishments.
The menu was extensive for a small restaurant. There were 13 burgers in total; from beef, chicken and even lamb. I opted for the bacon cheeseburger option named 'Smoky Bacon'; beef patty, mapled glazed oak smoked turkey bacon, grilled onion, mature cheddar and American cheese, Smoky Boys Sauce between a brioche bun.
This was an alluring and sizeable burger, boasting a glossy bun and a splash of colour with the cheese, bacon and sauce. The first bite, however, sent me down a path of uncertainty. Whilst there were some solid flavours parading on my taste buds, there was also uncertainty in other areas.
Starting at the bun; it was too thick on top, with it becoming progressively more flaky the further through it I got. Unfortunately due to the thickness, it also threw out the ratio of everything below it.
The cheese was moderately applied and relatively mild in taste, perhaps a little drowned by the volume of sauce. Speaking of which, the 'Smoky Boys' sauce was tasty, but a pretty typical burger sauce concoction.
The turkey bacon was, without a doubt, the highlight. The maple glaze shone through driving a unique flavour to the burger. Whilst turkey bacon has its limitations compared to its piggy counterpart, I was impressed with the taste here.
Smoky Boys states its beef is sourced from free-range native-bred cattle and aged for a minimum of 40 days. The menu also states that the patty would be cooked medium which unfortunately, as expected, was not the case. It came well done and whilst it was not dry, it seemed to be heavily oiled instead, likely compensating for the cook-time. The result was a patty that was a little too greasy and somewhat average in taste.
I think there is potential with the Smoky Boys 'Smoky Bacon' burger, but every positive seemed to be equally weighed down by a negative. The highlight was the maple glazed turkey bacon paired with the 'Smoky Boys' sauce, whereas I was let down by the bun, average cheese and overly greasy patty.
Patty Master Musings:
- The cocktails looked good here. As I was due to jump on a train, I did not have time to investigate further.
- Did I Dip It? I did not due to the volume of sauce on the burger.
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