In the last few months, my area of reach has been limited as to what burgers I can eat. I think I have tried most of the highest rated burgers in East London. Alleyway burgers were recommended by a follower. I get a lot of recommendations but few in reach sadly so I will need to find time to address them all eventually.

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How tasty is the Motherf*#$&r? – 8/10

I was very surprised by the quality and quirkiness of this burger especially considering the price. I’m for sure coming back to try one of the other burgers because I think these guys have a very interesting take on classic burgers.

The burger had:

  • Smashed Beef patty
  • American Cheese
  • House Sauce
  • Baby leaf
  • Tomato
  • Caramelized Onions
  • Pickle
  • Brioche

The meat was good but I’m a bit sad because I think it could have been a great patty. For some reason, very few places spice their burgers. Alleyway burgers didn’t do that mistake. There were a lot of flavours in the burger and I felt curry/cummin as part of the spices in the patties which I absolutely loved. They pushed the burger in a slightly different direction. My main concern with the patty was the crust. it was a smashed beef patty which I absolutely love however there wasn’t enough caramelization on it. I would have preferred a bit more char that is full of flavour. Meat quality was pretty good and had a good fatty cut, so a bit more heat would have gone a long way. Almost there!

The cheese was felt through each of the bites. It was strong American cheese that was melted on top of the patty which I appreciated. It complemented very well the “diner” style patty and burger. It also went well with the sweetness of the burger.

The onions enhanced the sweetness that was already present by the brioche. The onions were well caramelized and full of flavour. They went great with the pickles which provided a bit of acidity. Combine the secret house sauce that has cumin with the sweetness from the onions, the umami from tomato and you get a very middle eastern explosion of flavours in your mouth. You counter that with pickles and there you have it!. I absolutely loved it and it complimented the patty.  The baby leaf and lettuce were plenty and shredded however I think it lost its crunch on the way to my house. I think some relished cabbage would have gone a long way instead of the salad, it would have provided some more acidity to balance the sweetness. Non the less a great combination of flavours and texture.

The brioche bun was much sweeter than I’m used to and I think the condiments in the burger leveraged that and built on it pretty well. It is one of the things that pushed the burger much more to the quirky direction.

Burger joint venue and overall experience? – 7/10

Fries were a bit meh… They got soggy and were pretty ordinary blanched with a bit of cheese. Maybe if they are served fresh they would be better but I didn’t enjoy them. However, if there is one thing you should order it should be

The Jalapeno Cheese Balls…

Those were amazing!

Quirkiness level of the experience? – 8/10

Definitely one of the quirkier burgers I have eaten especially in recent months. Few different spices and a sweet brioche can push you a long way. I really did enjoy