Rough and ready doesn't come close to describing the friendly little hole in the wall, at 12:10 it's already on the way to fullness, before my meat materialises it's standing room only. Interior decor is minimal, and that's being kind, though they've got the fundamentals - a scattering of tables, a small grill and a beer fridge... What more do you need? They don't have a lot on the menu after all. As you'd expect from the name, it begins, and ends, with burgers.
Alongside a portion of triple cooked rosemary salted chips, lunch arrives served in 40's enamel trays, a nod to the austerity of the design perhaps. I was briefly tempted by the festive special, venison sausage topped, but feel I have to go for the trademark Honest Burger, served a recommended medium. The dark beef aged chuck patties, flecked with fat, are pressed onto the grill to order, tiny cloches added at the last to steam the cheese into the meat. In a space this small, the smell is mildly intoxicating and certainly enough to have me salivating before it arrives.
The burger is good. Very good. A well formed cricket ball of chopped steak nearer to med-rare than medium - certainly not something I have a problem with. The glazed brioche bun gives the right amount of support, iceburg lettuce adds a welcome crunch and the tangy cheese, a cheddar in this instance, is (correctly) sparingly applied and combines well with the sweetness of the meat. The chips were a little over cooked for me, too much cooking for thin chips, it made them feel like they could have been reheated. My only other gripe was with the sliced gherkin served inside the bun, something I'm really not a fan of, but hardly enough to call for a boycott.
Don't come with any hope of getting a table for more than 2, it's almost impossible to wrangle a spot for larger groups in the packed lunchtime session. Still, there are plenty of other food options in the buzzy market hall community that's gradually opening up in Brixton Market. Is it a competitor to the big boys of Byron and Meatliquor's burger king Yannis? It's difficult to say. The burger is excellent, (if not quite up there with the Meatwagon's legendary Dead Hippie) but it feels like a labour of love, very much suited for the tiny space.. They're doing well at the moment though, and if they keep their standards up, long may it continue.
Interesting that you still preferred the Dead Hippie to the Honest Burger. Would maybe have agreed in the New Cross Gate days but went along to Meat Liqor the other day and have to say thought Honest Burger topped it on all counts!
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