[Special] 4th July Burger from The Diner

The Diner have created a new burger to mark Independence Day on 4th July.

With previous successes such as the Grab burger, and the now permanent Diablo burger, I was pretty excited when they invited me to come and sample it before it goes on general sale from Monday.

The burger is composed of just 6 elements: bun; double jack cheese; smoked bacon; USDA patty; minced onions, and French's mustard.

Let me start first with the beef. The 5oz USDA patty is a Pat La Frieda-esque blend of chuck and brisket, sourced from creekstone farm. Less than 2% of beef in the US is certified USDA, and with decent seasoning this patty is fantastically full of flavour.

It's topped with double jack cheese - the creamy/ slightly nutty flavour merges with the patty, and coupled with the onions and mustard you get a brilliant balance of sharp, and savoury. The bacon, surprisingly, takes a back seat apart from adding a touch of salt to the ensemble.

The surprise here is the bun. The Diner have broken with tradition and wrapped this burger up in a soft floury bap - still from Rinkoff's (thankfully) - and on paper this worried me. Luckily, it's actually a master stroke. It's super-soft and wraps completely around the burger, welded together with the melted cheese and mustard onions. I feared it would be dry, but it was pure, nostalgic 'neighbourhood diner' pleasure. It put a smile on my face - especially as John Denver had started crooning on the restaurant's PA system as I began to chow down. It's really very good.

As a side, I was given a portion of Boston baked beans served with warm, buttered cornbread. It's an impressive dish. Rich molasses and lardons in with the beans match brilliantly with the soft, slightly sweet cornbread. And in spite of the fact I'd eaten two burgers, I found it hard to leave any.

I also had the opportunity to try out the newly added chicken burger, created by chef Karl Weber, formerly of The Thirsty Bear. This, however is not just a chicken burger. It's a supercharged version with two types of chicken (a buttermilk marinaded, grilled chicken breast fillet, topped with braised and pulled BBQ chicken thigh) kos lettuce and mayo, and a rustic cabbage 'slaw, all in the usual custom-designed Rinkoff's burger bun. The chicken is mega juicy, sweet and sharp with the buttermilk and BBQ sauce, and balanced by the crunch of lettuce and 'slaw. Could this be the best chicken burger in London?

The burger is priced at £8.50, with Boston baked beans and an artery busting mac 'n Cheese pulled pork lollipop both at £5 each.

The whole menu will be available in all Diners from Monday 30 June to Friday 4 July.