Burger and Lobster’s – Original Burger DIY

I loved the concept the first time I heard the name and still do.  Keep your menu simple, and do those few items really, really well. Add in a great drink list and an atmosphere that balances comfort with style and you have a great recipe for a good date restaurant.  So when I saw DIY kits were back this fall (after dropping off during the summer) I wanted to try.  The beef still impresses but the DIY kit not as good as going to the restaurant.  Read on to find out why. Burger and Lobster in London missed a trick here.

The Bun: 5/20

I have been to Burger & Lobster in London enough time to know this was not their regular bun.  In fact, it was different than a DIY kit I tried a few months ago.   The photos on their site show a brioche bun, with that lovely golden brown colour, covered in a mix of light and dark roasted sesame seeds.  Then the photo that comes with the DIY instruction shows a much lighter bun, but same seeds.  What we got was a much lighter bun with regular sesame seeds and absolutely drowning in poppy seeds.   The bottom was almost a solid layer.  So I fear they have been let down by their DIY suppliers.  The bread itself was ok, not great as it was a little dry, even before toasting (and we cooked 3 hours after the kids arrived) but the size was good.  The poppy seeds just overwhelmed the taste though.  

The Toppings: 6/10

Red onions, lettuce, pickled cucumbers and tomato…the classics.    The lettuce we got was a little brown so we used our own, but the onions came pre-sliced and in just the right amount.  Cucumbers good although our group was split…one person replaced theirs with US style dill slices.  I am deducting a point for them showing a picture of a burger with bacon in their DIY ads, even if the kit ingredients don’t list bacon.  In their restaurants, bacon is an add on to be sure but the photos on the site should match what they are selling.  I notice they have replaced the DIY cards in the kits with an accurate photo so clearly somebody there knows they were misleading.    

The Condiments: 6/10

The kit comes with a standard burger sauce.  It has a nice tang, and there is lots, but the size of the patties (and the annoying poppy seeds) overwhelmed the flavour.  I added a little mayo and a lot of mustard to my burger and thought it was just about right. 

The Cheese: 0/20

If you don’t send us cheese, we can’t score it!  Again the kit doesn’t claim to come with cheese, but the photo on the Burger and Lobster site in the DIY section shows cheese so it’s a bait and switch.  We did add Red Leicester to ours and it was good, although it needed a little more, or something with just a bit more punch as there is so much beef.

The Patty: 18/20

These patties are HUGE. Burger and Lobster in London went all out with thiese patties; a solid half a pound before cooking, and despite being well marbled, they don’t shrink too much.  You need to press them into shape a little but I like they way they suggest cooking them…gentle heat, flipping every 1-2 minutes until 65 degrees.  That worked a treat and they were brown but juicy, which is how we like them here.   You definitely don’t need another burger after one of these.   But more importantly the flavour is really good.  The US doesn’t too grass fed so these are proper grain fed beef patties from the States and so no gamy aftertaste at all.  I think I could have used a little more salt to bring out more flavour, but that is not the kits fault!

The Taste: 14/20

Pretty good, although just a little plain without mustard or cheese for my tastes, but once we added both it was good, except for the bun.  Had we had the proper Burger & Lobster bun, I think this was had have been more of a hit.

Our Verdict: 49/100

I sure don’t like giving this burger kit a failing grade, but this site is CheesburgerMe and not HamburgerMe, and there was no cheese. £36 for four isn’t horrible when you consider how much beef is in the kit, but I recommend that Burger & Lobster in London consider charging £38 and adding cheese (or at least making it an option).  The burgers are £16 each (with cheese) in-store so this is still a good deal for doing a little bit of work yourself.  If not, please get the photos fixed.  And definitely get your bun supplier sorted out, something wasn’t right there.