Meat Liquor’s – Dead Hippy

Around the office, I am the one who normally gives out burger advice.  However, that changed a few years ago when the first MeatLiquor opened and some of the IT guys were coming back from Friday lunch in a “grog fog” raving about the cheeseburger they had just had.  It was a regular stop until lockdown hit.  MeatLiquor did some DIY but sadly not for their beef burgers, so I was very happy to get back in for a Dead Hippy Burger last week.  Read on to see how it was…

The Bun: 18/20

A simple and effective bun, although it was hard to see exactly where it sat on the white bread to brioche scale as the restaurant was very dark.  I suspect it’s closer to the white roll side of the scale, but with a good taste, lightly toasted, soft-but-firm enough texture, and no seeds that all works well for me.  Most importantly, the bun-to-meat ratio was good and the bun held up to the heavy load of beef and toppings well.  

The Toppings: 8/10

The Dead Hippie is supposed to come with lettuce, pickles, and chopped white onions but we were missing the last item on ours.  We pulled apart the pile of shredded iceberg lettuce and pickles but couldn’t find any.  That being said, the big stack of lettuce and pickles were mixed well with the Dead Hippie Sauce and so made for a solid base despite lacking that little extra zing the onions would normally help provide.  My pickle expert pulled a couple out and gave them a big thumbs up. 

The Condiments: 6/10

What makes the Dead Hippie special in my opinion is that the patties are cooked in American mustard, which creates quite a memorable flavour, and it was not here this time.  We pulled the beef out of one of the burgers to taste on its own and there was not a trace of mustard at all.  When I’ve had before, I know the Dead Hippie makes my mouth tingle a little and that was lacking this time around.  Not sure if the kitchen made a mistake or if my pre-Covid memories were wrong but it was a let down (we also checked the bill at the end to make sure we had in fact ordered Dead Hippies and had).  However, the burger did come with an ample supply of Dead Hippie sauce which is a really good version of the basic pink burger sauce with a nice tang and came on the bun and very well mixed with the lettuce and pickles to ensure you got just the right amount in every bite.   

The Cheese: 17/20

Good American cheese, and perfectly cooked as it was nicely melted without running all down the sides.  Perhaps could have used a little more as it was buried a little in the flavour of the sauce, even without the mustard or onions that should have been there. 

The Patty: 17/20

I do like the double patty format, as two thinner patties produce more flavour than one big one.  These were cooked pretty well…juicy but with just a hint of pink in the middle.   Not sure the exact weight of the beef but we all felt the beef/bun amount was good and we were all full without feeling stuffed at the end so whatever the amount was we liked it.   Disappointing of course not to have the mustard cooked onto the patties as we had expected, but still a very nice savoury flavour with no gamy aftertaste.   

The Taste: 17/20

Despite the omissions on the day, the flavour is still that of a very good cheeseburger.  For the pickle lover in the group, she thought it was one her absolute favourites ever, I think it could be compared to a gourmet version of a Big Mac in this configuration.  Once we added a generous amount of mustard, I thought it was really quite good as well.  In previous trips, I have had occasions where the patties have been covered in too much salt and pepper but no issues this time.  

Our verdict: 83/100

I suspect on another day, this would get a slightly higher score, as the missing onions and mustard cost a few points, so please don’t let the score (which is still decent) throw you off.   MeatLiquor is a burger chain for adults…dark and with loud music, and at least some I have been to in the past have art and decorations that might not be considered kid friendly.  So it does provide a nice venue option for those that don’t want to have kids running around.  The chili dog is amazing (see other review) and the onion rings are crazy big and really good. You can share one order between a few people.  Lastly, if you aren’t driving, try the grog.  It knocked a few IT guys I know for a loop and is a great way to kick-start an evening out.  If you would like to take a peek at Meat Liquor’s website click here