Half Man! Half Burger! Review

Published On February 3, 2014 | By Jacquie Myers | Food & Drink Reviews

The Marlborough
4 Princes Street
Brighton
Saturdays from 1-9pm

I’m not what you’d call a burger gal, but I was intrigued by what I’d heard about these two fellas who’ve recently installed themselves at The Marlborough on Saturdays. I popped along with my other half (who loves a good boiger) and hoped I’d be impressed. I needn’t have worried. 

Firstly, The Marlborough: an interesting choice to do this kind of thing as it’s not exactly a buzzing hub of hungry punters, but it’s had a new lease of life breathed into it by Hannah Waddington, who now, job done, has moved on to The Sidewinder in Kemptown.

After a speedy perusal of the menu, I opted for The Gonzo and my burger-lovin’ sidekick chose a Big Cheese and it would have been plain rude not to order a side of fries.

We weren’t kept waiting long and first impressions were good. You get two meat patties per burger and the boys Matt and Rory (top blokes – if you get a chance to say hello, do) explained that this was because it added more of that charred, barbecue flavour to the meat. Yep, I can confirm that. The Gonzo comes with the boys’ own Memphis Screamin’ Whiskey Barbecue Sauce, which is quite full-on and for me, overpowered the burger and the wonderful maple bacon strips. 

burger

I tried a bit of the bacon on its own; it was wonderful and deserves more of a starring role. There was quite a lot of the sauce, so maybe if there were less of it, it would allow that bacon to sing.

The Big Cheese was slathered in lot of lovely melty cheese and the classic combo of proper French’s mustard and Heinz ketchup was spot on.

chips
The fries, which come sprinkled with rosemary salt, were thin and golden and really good; I could happily have eaten a huge pile of these alone and no doubt, I will at some point. We got a side of chipotle mayo and the aforementioned Memphis BBQ sauce to dunk the chips (only an extra 50p). The chipotle sauce was smokey and hot (mmMMm) but we both found the Memphis sauce too strong away from the burger.

I don’t really have many criticisms, but if I were being picky (and I always am) I’d say that the brioche rolls were a bit big – a classic flat bun works better.

Also, the buns were really cold which was a bit….weird. Easily sorted by a few seconds on the grill though.

I’d probably lose the iceberg lettuce too. It was warm and soggy – yuk. It would have held its crunch better if it hadn’t been shredded. The fries weren’t as crispy as they perhaps could have been…BUT having said all that, Rory and Matt clearly know (and love) what they’re doing and are constantly looking for ways to improve. 

Their prices are easily affordable at £2 for fries, and burgers from £6-£8. They even do a £10 deal: a choice of a Big Cheese, Rocket Man or Naked Lunch, plus fries AND a bottle of Sol! Bargain!

I think these guys will be around for a long time, they compare well to the other local burger options – but get in there before the queues start forming.

About The Writer

Now nudging the edge of middle aged, I was born and raised up North on a mixture of hearty dinners, Pot Noodles and my Mum`s fairy cakes. I moved to Brighton in 1988, but have only really discovered its edible delights in the last ten years or so, and in the last couple of years, I think Brighton's really come into its own. I'm a huge fan of our local food heroes and am often found shouting about them on Twitter. I'm also not afraid to name and shame the places that don't care for their customers; times are hard and eating out is becoming a real luxury, so if I get bad service, you can be sure I'll be shouting about that too. It's also been said that I have a sweet tooth, but who doesn't enjoy a good slab of cake or a cheeky biccy? I have three cats, I love Turkish Delight, Queens of the Stone Age and knitting....and I work in an office four days a week. Bah.

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