TUCKING into a juicy burger, I could’ve been in a posh chain like Honest Burger – but I was sat in Wetherspoons trying its new menu.
The pub chain is adding posh burgers to its menu from tomorrow May 14 and I was surprised by how delicious they were.
There are four burgers to choose from – the Cheese Meltdown, the BBQ beef-filled Big Smoke, the spicy Buffalo chicken burger and the plant-based BBQ Stack.
They cost £10.19 with a soft drink or £11.72 with an alcoholic drink – cheaper than you would get at a chain like Honest Burger, which costs £11.95 for a burger and side and extra for a drink.
The chicken burger was way better than anything you’d get at KFC or McDonald’s and everything seemed like very good value for money.
That’s especially as they all come with a side of onion rings and either chips or a salad.
Here’s what I thought of each one…
Cheese Meltdown
The aptly-named Cheese Meltdown is quite literally covered in a melted cheese sauce.
It was messy to eat – but tasted great.
You can get this either with fried buttermilk chicken or a beef patty, but I tried the beef version.
If you go for beef it’s 732 calories or 839 if you get chicken.
Some people might find it a little too rich, but as a cheese lover I really enjoyed the strong flavour here.
4.5/5
Buffalo
If you like your burgers with a slight kick, this one’s for you.
The Buffalo comes with fried buttermilk chicken topped with Naga chilli sauce, American cheese, and a delicious blue cheese sauce.
Then to top it all off (quite literally) it comes with a chicken wing nestled on the burger bun.
The Naga chilli sauce had just the right amount of spice – enough to give it a bit of a zing but not so much that I had to reach for my bottle of water.
It was also balanced nicely with the creamy blue cheese sauce at the bottom.
The fried buttermilk chicken was nice and crispy, and I was impressed by the chicken wing too which had a slight citrus flavour.
I’m personally a fan of a chicken burger and this one was a winner for me – although I actually preferred the beef burgers, but I think that’s down to preference.
This one is 819 calories.
4/5
Big Smoke
I wouldn’t have guessed it beforehand but this was hands-down my favourite.
Like the name suggests, this burger is full of rich smokey BBQ flavours.
You can choose either a thick beef patty or fried buttermilk chicken, which is topped with pulled BBQ beef brisket, American style cheese and maple cured bacon.
I thought the combination of three different meats would be too much for me but the flavours combined wonderfully.
The bacon was crispy (as it should be) and the BBQ sauce was the perfect combination of sweet and smokey.
Again it’s a little messy, but it’s worth it. Bear in mind, though, this one is the most calorific at 1,170 kcal with beef or 1,310 kcal with chicken.
5/5
BBQ Stack
This burger is TALL. I was a bit unsure of how to tackle the three thick onions sitting on top of the plant-based patty that’s drizzled in smokey BBQ sauce.
But after squishing it down, I managed it.
I think the burger could have been a little dry if it didn’t have the BBQ sauce – something that I’ve found can be a problem with plant-based burgers.
I liked the crispiness of the onion rings and again the BBQ sauce had the perfect sweet and smokey flavour.
This was my least favourite of the four options, but I think as far as vegetarian burgers go it’s pretty decent.
Plus, it’s the least calorific at 439 kcal.
3/5
How often does Wetherspoons change its menu?
Wetherspoons makes changes to its menus several times a year to give it a refresh and compete with rivals.
As well as introducing its new gourmet burgers, the pub chain is also bringing in a range of Korean-style chicken meals.
However it’s also scrapping some customer favourites.
Steaks, mixed grills and gammon will be gone from the menu on May 14.
A spokesperson said these were the “biggest loss-makers” and the chain is “confident that its menu provides a variety of choices and value-for-money meals“.