Cheeky Burger’s – The Cheeky Cheese

Cheeky Burger popped up again at one of the local spots and we still had unfinished business with the Cheeky Cheese to get through. Previous reviews have shown Cheeky Burger to be a contender from London with ridiculous home made sauces and I was excited to see them again. Find out how I got on.

The Bun: 19/20

As stated before this bun is ridiculously good. The Cheeky Burger guys have nailed down this component is nigh on perfection. I am a lover of brioche and this bun, for me, is one of the best out there. Soft, subtly sweet and perfectly steamed to give an amazing textural experience. Sourcing must be a real headache for burger companies and I try to contextualise things a little bit by explaining the experience of biting in this category because sometimes you can have a bad bun and you just don’t know why. We have tried burgers from all over the place and some have been good, some great and some terrible. Have you ever tried the best possible you can find from a supermarket for those BBQ days? I have and the buns, no matter which I have managed to source, just don’t seem to have the quality you find at some of these decent burger joints and Cheeky Burger is definitely a star player in this department.

The Toppings: 9/10

Tomatoes, Pickle and Shredded Lettuce and the extracurricular addition of Bacon. Now, the Cheeky Cheese does come with all of the above but I opted for bacon at an additional cost. The bacon, for me, was a little salty. I tasted some by itself and it just had a bit more of a distinct salty taste than I would usually like but the texture was brilliant and the cut was great. I have some bacon just laden with fat and salt that can almost put you off bacon for life, if that is even possible, but this was good; not perfect, but good. It was the rest of the toppings that shone for me. Perfect ratios, seamless presentation and a great freshness that really complimented the burger. Hats off to you, making something so basic a component have such significance is no easy trick.

The Condiments: 10/10

I have spoken before about Cheeky Burger’s homemade sauces and given praise where praise is definitely due. This homemade ketchup is so good, I struggle to find superlatives to describe it. It is as if they have taken the modern sugary, controversial concept and turned it into a Michelin star ‘type’ condiment. Honestly, sweet, sharp and texturally perfect. If I could take this product to Tesco and mass market it, I would. Everybody needs to try this ketchup. For me, it is one of the best sauces I have ever had, really is. They have an array of homemade sauces at Cheeky, but this one stands firm against the jalapeño jam I once had.

The Cheese: 15/20

The cheese was a lot more prominent in this burger than I had in either of the other two Cheeky Burgers. Stands to reason right – “The Cheeky Cheese”. Without getting too technical this cheese was great. Melted well, tasted great and added good balance to the burger with note-worthy simplicity.

The Patty: 13/20

This is the category that I find almost heart wrenching because it goes against every other component in the burger. Having done the last reviews and not being impressed with the meat at Cheeky. I treat every review as individuals and never get bogged down with previous experiences. I am definitely one of those, new day new opportunities, kind of people.

The patty today was better than I have had with the last two reviews. The coarse grind does go a little against my own texture preferences but also the dryness from the lack of fat content is noticeable. With shining stars like the sauces at Cheeky, the flavour profile from the meat is hard to get across. Today, the meat did have a much better seasoned flavour that shone through irrespective of the massive profile of the homemade ketchup. It was a nice charred inception with each bite that gradually faded as you chewed away. The size of the patty may have been a little overwhelming as it is a big patty. I am speculating, however, and my job is to say it how I see it. Good flavour, big patty, in my opinion the lack of fat content and coarse grind does amount to a little too much chewing.

The Taste: 18/20

How Cheeky do it with meat just slightly above average, which I would honestly put down to the chef on the day, I am still unsure. This burger was brilliant. The homemade sauce, the freshness of the toppings and the bun which just knocks it out of the park. I wish, I hope, that Cheeky can look at their meat and find a regular supply of good meat because their knowledge of constructing burgers is resonating with me. This is the third I have tried and I have the same gripe with the meat but they certainly provided me with a fantastic burger today. Well balanced and a few stars in there, the texture is a little disappointing in the meat but the overall flavour is way up there. We have a number of reviews completed for London’s best Burgers you should check out our Hit List

Our Verdict: 84/100

I feel like Cheeky Burger would be an issue if I lived or worked anywhere near one of their pop ups or Camberwell. Their burgers are the type that you could “eat every day” and for me that would mean more morning runs and more gym time. Their menu is different and creative which I like. I am looking forward to having a trip into Camberwell now that lockdown is easing and I am really looking forward to seeing things a little closer up than a local pop up. The nucleus is there for a star performer amongst our CheeseburgerMe charts and I am definitely a fan. Want to get down to Cheeky Burger? Check out their website here