Byron - King's Road and in and around UK

One of my husband’s pet peeves is when you order a burger and have to order the fries separately. Whenever we go to a place that does this our dinner spirals downwards pretty rapidly. ‘I just don’t get it’ he cries ‘when the fuck did you have to start ordering your fries separately?’ he shudders. I agree with him of course, and now try to avoid restaurants that feel it’s adequate to serve you a lonely burger on a plate with nothing to accompany it. 

And so there I sat at Byron Burger with a pissed off husband with no chips. I had the Chilli Burger consisting of Green Chilli, Cheese and Chipotle Mayo (£8.95) and Eddy had the Byron consisting of Bacon, Cheese, Red Onions and Byron Sauce (£9.25).  They are generally cooked medium but I asked for well done, Eddy stayed pink. The burger was fine, filling, and utterly forgettable.The green chilli was none existent though and that annoyed me because it was the only reason I ordered that particular burger. The chipotle was undetectable to boot.

I ordered some fries to appease dear Eddy along with some Macaroni Cheese (£2.95 and £3.75 respectively). Both were average.

There are 31 Byrons in London and a few dotted around the rest of the UK. I won’t be visiting any of them.

Byron Burger

4/10

In and around London

www.byronhamburgers.com

Ed's Diner - England and South Africa

Ed's is advertised as a typical American diner, but I'm not sure if an American would agree. At Ed's you can order your typical diner fair such as hamburgers (ranging from £5.75 to 6.95), hotdogs, an all day breakfast, salads, fries (with all the toppings) and a variety of calorific desserts.

When I first went I popped in for a quick bite and had the Chilli Cheese Fries (£4.50). They were good. The fries weren't soggy, the chilli was decent and the cheese was plentiful.

The second time I stepped in I had the Chicken BLT (£6.75) with Sweet Potato Fries (3.95). The BLT was filling and nice, if not a little sweet from the BBQ sauce they added. The fries were a little oily and soggy however.

I like Ed's because us Brits don't really have diners, so if you haven't had the good fortune of visiting the States then it's probably the closeset you'll come to an 'all American diner' experience. The ambience is good with little old fashioned looking jukeboxes on each counter or table, and a variety of condiments waiting for you.  I like the fact you can adapt anything on the menu with your choice of additions such as grilled onions, eggs, guacamole, sour cream etc... (each for only £1). What I also like is that it's well designed and the prices are accurate for what you're getting. It's not Michelin starred stuff but you know that before you walk through the door.

Yep I'd pop in again. Actually I may do this weekend.

7/10

17 locations in and around London and 1 in South Africa

http://www.edseasydiner.com/location/index.php