The Handmade Burger Co, Birmingham
The Waters Edge,
Brindleyplace,
Birmingham, B1 2JB
0121 665 6542
www.handmadeburger.co.uk
Review by Nigel Duncan
 If you are a businessman you know the scenario. You arrive at your hotel, check in and then think – food.
Not being a lover of hotel food, I normally ask the concierge. In Birmingham recently one suggested an excellent curry house only half-a-mile away.
It’s nearly 13.45pm and time was pressing. A quick dash along the road to the suggested restaurant was met with acute disappointment – they have moved. So I retraced my steps towards town angry about being send on a wild goose chase. Not knowing the city, I was stuck but got lucky.
The canal appeared in vision and, around it, I noticed a cluster of restaurants. Hunger pangs were rising and the smell of burgers grilling caught my attention.
The Handmade Burger Co restaurant at The Waters Edge, Brindleyplace, looked attractive so in I went.
I’m not a burger fan normally but the busy, well-appointed restaurant, which was packed with a real cross-section of diners, looked appealing.
So did the menu. Beef, chicken, vegetarian, fish and lamb options were available. The restaurant, which also has branches in Solihull and Leicester, also boasted a six-choice junior menu.
I plumped for the 100 per cent prime beef, smokey barbecue sauce and salad option. Price £6.95. Other options included a Balti burger – well I was in Birmingham – Mexican salsa, avocado and bacon, blue cheese, Milano with mozzarella and Satay with a spicy peanut sauce.
 The chicken options included Cajun, sweet chilli, brie and cranberry and Thai while the two lamb choices were lamb and mint and tikka masala with fresh lamb, tikka masala sauce, coriander, red onion and rocket.
The five vegetarian picks were vegetable and bean, cheese veggi, mushroom, pesto and mozzarella, onion bhaji and flamed peppers and goats cheese.
Fish options were handmade tuna fishcake and fish finger classic. My pick arrived minutes later and it was as good as the waiter had suggested. I could have washed it down with beer, wine, champagne, soft drinks, coffee or a milk shake.
All burgers are made in the restaurant daily and served in fresh, sour dough buns with mayonnaise and the options include salads and sides including corn on the cob and onion rings.
Items containing nuts or nut oils are marked and all beef burgers are cooked medium unless specifically requested. Junior beef burgers are cooked well done.
The blurb says that burgers are “beautifully prepared, handmade chargrilled gourmet burgers, using traditionally reared, grass fed, 100 per cent fully traceable prime beef”. The outlet I went to is open seven days (times vary) and would be happy to go again, even on my own!
Open Sunday to Thursday noon to 10.30pm; Friday and Saturday noon to 11pm |
