Honest Burgers Manchester

The new wave of burgers came crashing over the food scene and then receded, leaving closures and acid reflux. So surely it stands that those who remain are the best at what they do?

Whilst Honest Burgers Manchester has an identikit set of fixtures and fittings that could have come from the Ikea of the burger joint world – all bare bricks and anonymous booths – there are many areas where it doesn’t follow the herd, as it were, and it’s all the better for that.

Yes, it’s a chain but there are local beers available at the bar and changing local specials on the menu making the most of local ingredients like Bury black pudding or Lancashire cheese.

They also do their own butchery so the meat in their burgers is chosen for flavour and fat which is always the way to get the tastiest patties. A lean burger is a rather mean burger. The burgers are also served pink which puts them head and shoulders above the rubbery brown frisbees many places churn out. Honest Burgers care about their meat, they care about who grows the potatoes for their chips, they care about exactly how waxy or floury they are. It’s a quality operation with an emphasis on British ingredients.

The menu is limited but bolstered by the aforementioned specials; just four burgers plus a token chicken burger. But that means these burgers are the ones that have made it onto the menu. The best of the backroom burger wars. The Tribute is an American classic but the ultra-cheesy Fondue steals the show.

There are vegan and vegetarian options too. The burgers that involve vegetable fritters are the tastiest. Those which involve plant-based pretend meat products, less so.

The other thing that sets Honest Burgers apart is the roof terrace. Beer, burger and chips in the sunshine? How could we resist?

Want to be the first to receive all the latest news, tips, articles, guides and updates from Confidential Guides? Sign up here.