Honest Burger’s – Xmas DIY

We have seen a few Christmas burgers added to menus in recent years, but haven’t had a chance to try many this year due to Covid restrictions.  So when one of your favourite burger chains adds one to their DIY selection, it becomes a must-try. Honest Burger were brave with this one.

The Bun: 17/20

Honest Burger has a really good bun, a simple and elegant brioche, no need for weird seeds on top. It is a lovely golden brown and the flavour/texture are excellent.  They always seem to have the size right and they come pre-cut.  The instructions say just to toast lightly and it works, although I think a smidge of butter and warming on the griddle would get more out of the flavour.

The Toppings: 5/10

Just bacon and lettuce which is a little unusual for a burger, but then again this is an unusual burger.   The bacon is good, but needs more than 1 slice per burger so you get some in every bite.  Aside from that you add your own lettuce.  Could have maybe used something a little more. 

The Condiments: 7/10

It didn’t feel like Honest Burger without a bottle of mustard, but the cranberry sauce was surprisingly good.  I don’t love cranberry sauce but find it works pretty well in turkey and stuffing sandwiches, and it worked ok here as well.  Sweet enough to cut through the creaminess of the cheese, and just the right amount of tartness for an aftertaste.  

The Cheese: 14/20

A mixed bag for me.  I recently had camembert on a burger for the first time and liked it so was looking forward to this, but it was just a little too much work for the payoff.  You have to cut and press the camembert into some sort of burger form and then batter and deep fry.  It melts amazingly and the combo of the delicious crispy coating (with a nice crunch), the gooey insides and cranberry worked very well.  But just needs to be easier…the other kit I tried with camembert came preformed and battered and you just heated in the oven.  So good marks for flavour, lower marks for prep hassle.  In store this might be a winner, stupid Covid!

The Patty: 19/20

Absolutely excellent.  Made from chopped British chuck and rib cap.  Patties come pre-formed which I like, and they were packed well so no squished or stuck together burgers here.  They didn’t shrink too much and had enough fat that they didn’t stick.  Juicy without making a mess. I used a meat thermometer to make sure I got them just right this time.  Could maybe be a smidge bigger to fill the bun perfectly, but that is being very harsh. 

The Taste: 15/20

A really good cheeseburger with a small nod to Christmas.  The cheese, cranberry and bacon combo worked pretty well; a great combo of crunchy and creamy.  The regular Honest Burger bun and beef are great of course, but I did feel it needed just a little more to be a truly great burger, or to establish itself as a Christmas tradition…maybe a little gravy or stuffing?  

Our Verdict: 77/100

“Is there any more of that Christmas burger left” one of my housemates asked…that must be a good sign right!?  I hope Honest Burger does this again next year and I hope I can have it in one of their restaurants.  The cheese was great, but just a little too much work, especially in a kit where everything else is so easy.  But if you want a Christmas treat this is absolutely worth a try. We reviewed a Christmas Burger from Perk’d Up that is worth a mention, be nice to see if they pop in again this year with another burger.

Merry Christmas to all of our readers from all of us at CheeseburgerMe!