[Review] The Buffalo Bill Burger from Street Kitchen at the Doodle Bar, Battersea

I've long been a fan of Street Kitchen, first meeting Mark Jankel back in October 2010, when they were working with Joe Grossman of Patty & Bun on his burger pop-up at the Doodle Bar. 

So when a keen burger colleague told me he lives in Battersea and has NEVER been to the Doodle Bar, I sent him down to try it out and it seems we've come full circle as Street Kitchen continue to serve up some pretty decent burgers! Over to Burger Ben...

"It was a wet and stormy night when we headed to Battersea to sample Street Kitchen's latest offering – the Buffalo Bill. Was Mark there? 'Course not - he was off opening his newest Airstream burger van in Shoreditch!

Location: 

For those that don't know where the Doodle Bar is, it's a former Victorian dairy and tile emporium and is seductively set just off Battersea Bridge Road, next to Ransome's Dock, and Street Kitchen are set up serving from The Hatch inside.

Word of warning it's not the easiest place to find but don't give up. Rather harness your hunter instincts and keep an eye out for a little sign with Doodle Bar written across it, graffiti style. It's worth it trust me…

Best idea is to head down with mates smash a burger into your face and then head inside for beer and cocktails. Inside there are art installations, a table tennis table and……. a bar. 

So I went ahead and had a Buffalo Bill burger with chips to start and then of course I had to have another. Chicken, salmon and vegetation burger options are available too.   

Price: 

Buffalo Bill: £7.50

Hand-cut Rosemary Chips: £2.25

Presentation:

Classy. Everything in proportion. The pickled red onions and fresh lettuce give the burger great colour. 

Toppings:

Majestic. The smoked grain mustard mayo sauce is truly unreal and is a must have. I instantly asked for an extra side tub of this sauce to try as I wanted to taste its smoky flavours separately after finishing the burger and also to have with my chips. I also doubled up and had the organic ketchup on the base of the bun which by itself is superb but really cannot hold its own against the mustard mayo which is the star of this particular show. Also the pickled red onions – an area so often ignored by many a burger – are outstanding. It demonstrates again the attention to detail and thought put into this burger. The lettuce was fresh, had bounce and perfected supported the patty.  

Meat: 

This well hung beef patty was a joy. I had mine cooked med-rare and it was thick, slightly crisp on the outside but with just the right amount of juiciness inside. The seasoning on the burger felt intentionally lighter to work in perfect combination with the sweeter toppings. It's really great value for money as it's tasty, filling and wouldn't be out of place with any of its more expensive central London cousins. I'd go as far to say that this makes it currently one of the best value burgers in London.  

The bun: 

Simple and effective. The toasted brioche was light and sweet and really let the burger and toppings do most of the talking. It held the ample batty together until the last bite, never got soggy and kept its own individual favours until the last bite.  
  

Accessories:

I went for the rosemary potato hand cut chips which look amazing and the portions were impressively large. I tried them with both the smoked grain mustard mayo sauce and then the organic tomato ketchup. The chips were however very sweet and felt it was best to eat them after finishing the rest of my burger (like a sort of chip desert). I must say that I struggled abit with the portion size as the flavours were really sweet and rich. My suggestion: share your chips with the other half – if you don't have one of those just head into Doodle Bar and find one - it's right in front of you. 

Overall: 9/10

This burger is top bloody draw – it really is a delight and great value. Mark Jankel's run of successes continues unabated and I can't wait to get myself up to Shoreditch next to check out the new gaff."


So there you have it folks, Street Kitchen serving up a cracking burger in Battersea. Go get some.

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