The Vauxhall outpost of Dirty Burger is fast becoming a regular haunt for me - no least because I'm in receipt of a magic discount card giving me 20% off food, for life (Yes, I know a £5 cheeseburger becomes a £4 cheeseburger....but to quote the strapline of a well known yet not performing so strongly supermarket, every little helps).
As I'm currently in the throes of meat free January, there was to be a total hiatus on visits to Dirty Burger and of course cheeseburgers HOWEVER it turns out that the Dirty Burger monthly special, The Dirty Cop Out, is actually 100% vegetarian. So, once more into the breach...
The Dirty Cop Out burger, at its core, is a portobello mushroom - following in the footsteps of Byron and Patty & Bun.
The mushroom is flat-top griddled and topped with a mound of smoked applewood cheese which is melted over the mushroom. These are then topped with pickles and placed on a bed of rocket and tarragon mayonnaise - wrapped in the same bun as the dirty cheeseburger.
First up, it's dirty, so get yourself some napkins. Opening the wrapper, you're greeted with a waft of mushroom and tarragon - a kind of stroganoff steam, if you will - the cheese, mayo and rocket ooze and spill from the bun. Once you scoop it all together and tuck the errant ingredients back into the bun, the first big bite through everything is brilliant.
There's a overwhelming creaminess to this burger. The lightly smoked cheese is gooey and stretchy, like mozarella, and the tarragon mayo enhances the earthiness of the mushroom. There's a slight 'bite' of pepper from the rocket, but the pickles seem lost and don't add the much needed acidity to balance the other, richer toppings.
It's a decent burger, but I think its greatest strength is also its greatest weakness - it's too creamy - and I find myself taking handfuls of onion fries (yes, of course I ordered onion fries) to cut through the richness. With hindsight, I probably should have asked for a couple more pickles - but maybe you can learn from my experience.
The Dirty Cop Out burger is on special for January, at both Vauxhall and Kentish Town, so get it while you can.
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| What a cop out. Dirty Burger's veggie special |
Price: Dirty Cop Out burger - £6.50
The Dirty Cop Out burger, at its core, is a portobello mushroom - following in the footsteps of Byron and Patty & Bun.
The mushroom is flat-top griddled and topped with a mound of smoked applewood cheese which is melted over the mushroom. These are then topped with pickles and placed on a bed of rocket and tarragon mayonnaise - wrapped in the same bun as the dirty cheeseburger.
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| Dirty Burger's portobello mushroom special |
There's a overwhelming creaminess to this burger. The lightly smoked cheese is gooey and stretchy, like mozarella, and the tarragon mayo enhances the earthiness of the mushroom. There's a slight 'bite' of pepper from the rocket, but the pickles seem lost and don't add the much needed acidity to balance the other, richer toppings.
It's a decent burger, but I think its greatest strength is also its greatest weakness - it's too creamy - and I find myself taking handfuls of onion fries (yes, of course I ordered onion fries) to cut through the richness. With hindsight, I probably should have asked for a couple more pickles - but maybe you can learn from my experience.
The Dirty Cop Out burger is on special for January, at both Vauxhall and Kentish Town, so get it while you can.
Ooohh talk about a guilty pleasure. The dirty cop out burger looks like a definite treat, especially with the onion fries. Of course next day will need a longer run as penance - but worth it!
ReplyDeleteYou're right, those onion fries are like crack!
ReplyDeleteI for one am a little tired of burger joints ripping off vegetarians by charging over the odds for a mushroom in a bun. I love Honest Burger's vegetarian option of a homemade vegetable fritter in a bun, not only is it delicious but it shows imagination and thought.
ReplyDeleteYeah I agree. It's a trend that blew up about 5 years ago. Thankfully now it seems to be dying down with a lot of places adding veggie fritters and patties now I've noticed.
ReplyDelete