Honest Burgers Liverpool

It used to be really hard to find a decent burger in Liverpool. The options were Maccies or… no that was it. Just Maccies.

Then came Gourmet Burger Kitchen, swiftly followed by Byron, Almost Famous, Free State Kitchen, Death Row Diner, Nolita Cantina, Five Guys (x 2). Burgers galore! You can’t move for patties and brioche buns these days.

So, when a new burger place arrives to join the fray I always think do we NEED another burger gaff? Will it manage to challenge the array of choice we already have? How many burgers can a city eat? Isn’t everyone vegan these days anyway?

Honest Burgers is at the top end of Bold Street, in what used to be Petticoat Lane Arcade (or to those who live in Liverpool, that place with the terrifying boy and girl mannequins in communion outfits). Thankfully the nightmare-inducing models have been relegated to haunting the nearest tip and the shop is unrecognisable, smartly decked out in the dark green Honest Burgers branding and the millennial’s accessory of choice, loads of plants.

In their own words, Honest Burgers serve burgers using ingredients from nearby food heroes, as well as local beers from neighbouring breweries. In Liverpool they’ve teamed up with Hafla Hafla – the kings of halloumi – and Black Lodge Brewery have created a special pale ale for the Bold Street branch.

The menu at Honest is not expansive, with 6 burgers (including the local one) and a handful of sides, there’s very much a feel of quality over quantity. We tried two – the Hafla Hafla created Liverpool burger which features their trademark halloumi, spring onion, lettuce, Sriracha sauce mayo – and the Honest burger with smoked bacon, red onion relish and pickles.

All burgers come with rosemary salted chips as standard, which is just how we like our chips. Sides were chicken wings, onion rings, and err… gravy. A dish full of gravy, beef and bacon gravy to be specific.

So is Liverpool big enough for another burger restaurant? YES. Yes it is. This was one of the best burgers I’ve ever eaten. Slightly pink in the middle, a decent size without being so unwieldy that you can’t eat it without dismantling it. The chips were perfectly salted and crisp, that rosemary salt giving them a winning flavour.

Onion rings of dreams, a tower of them to munch through, and the chicken was spicy and tender. And that gravy? Best thing on the menu, we dunked everything into it.  A generous portion of rich and meaty sauce that was a total game-changer, loved it. If you take one thing from this article please remember to ORDER THE GRAVY.

And best of all, you leave there feeling comfortable full (and sticky with gravy) but not grossed out. The burgers are clean cuts of meat that have been chosen with care and it shows. Welcome to Liverpool, Honest Burgers. You’re a worthy contender.