THE SMASH PATTY KITCHEN - TAKEAWAY by Si Hall & Arthur Gold
Within the Cains Brewery Village , tucked away behind the faded grandeur of the grade 2 listed red brick Victorian brewery building , there is a place that is quietly developing a reputation for truly outstanding American fare .
Smash Patty Kitchen ( part of the Low , Slow and Dough chain ) operate from within the Baltic Beer Garden , also catering for Peaky Blinders Bar and The Tank Room , throughout the spring and summer months . During the current lockdown restrictions however , they have adapted to a Thursday to Sunday collection and delivery service , which we made use of via the JustEat app to place a collection order ( UberEats and Deliveroo ordering is also available ).
Having already tried the mega tasty tacos & burritos from their Woodside Ferry Village venue , we were interested to see if their burgers lived up to the hype . Owner Ian Marray and Executive Chef Alex Warrington took the opportunity to briefly explain the philosophy that underpins all of their burgers “ We felt compelled to create something that we recognised was missing from the UK burger scene , so we studied the science and perfected techniques , to allow us to constantly produce a patty that packs a punch of meaty flavour , along with a satisfying crunchy exterior ”.
Aficionados know this as the ‘ Maillard reaction ’ and we are able to achieve a level that really sets us apart . The most common feedback that we receive is that our burgers are more comparable to those on the other side of the Atlantic than others available in the UK and that makes us proud . Our strapline is after all ‘ The American way ’ and we think that those three words really encapsulate our USP .
Their passion really was palpable and all of that talk of burgers had us drooling , so we rushed home , keeping just within the speed limit , to unpack the feast and tuck in .
What immediately became evident was that the individually packed burgers were still piping hot in their neat ‘ Pleatpak ’ wrappers and foil lined bags and the aromas were truly seductive . We tried a few of their burgers , all of which come as doubles with melting American cheese ; The CBB , a classic cheese and bacon burger with fresh iceberg , onion and beef tomato plus French ’ s mustard and Heinz ketchup . Familiar flavours elevated to something truly special due to the contrast between the freshness of the salad and umami of the beef , bacon and creamy cheese .
The Smokey Joe , is another double cheese and bacon stack , but with the addition of sautéed onions and their deliciously sweet and smokey ‘ honey BBQ sauce ’. It has a really moreish quality , reminiscent of smoked beef short ribs from the Deep South .
The Big Smash , now this is something really special ! It contains the familiar double cheeseburger stack , without bacon this time , but with finely shaved fresh onions , shredded iceberg , pickles and their own tangy yet creamy mild mustard mayonnaise ‘ special sauce ’. Imagine if you will , a ‘ Big ’ burger from a popular chain restaurant and amplify those flavours until it ’ s all you can think about for the rest of the week , then you ’ re about half way there .
Without question , this was the best burger I ’ ve ever eaten , FACT . And I know my burgers !
Our order was accompanied with an abundant portion of their ‘ salt n ’ pepper ’ fries , that were crisp and bursting with the flavour of Chinese 5-spice , a portion of crunchy tempura cauliflower wings coated in a spicy Korean BBQ sauce , served with a wonderful sweet pickled celery that cut through the rich sauce perfectly and finally some of the most ‘ fall off the bone ’ tender chicken wings , coated in classic buffalo sauce , with cooling blue cheese sauce on the side . Fantastic .
If you think you know what a burger is ? Think again . These are super fresh from scratch and you need two hands to nail these bad boys - absolutely huge !! I urge anyone to try it for themselves and experience a true taste of the USA , without the airfare , or enforced isolation . Absolutely brilliant .
38 wirrallife . com