Red Iron (Burgers) – Uxbridge

This oft-mentioned gourmet burger restaurant in Uxbridge has had a facelift.

No longer is it Red Iron Burgers, as it was when first reviewed all those years ago to kick start Feed the Lion’s culinary journey, but simply Red Iron.

Gone are the red neon lights and the famous emblem of the cow, replaced instead by a seriously stark ash-grey shop front and an ultra-modern looking white logo.

Renovations to the place were still ongoing when we paid them a revisit, with the biggest difference being the conspicuous absence of the open kitchen, initially located at the front of the shop, which, as we recall, added so positively to the overall theatre and experience. This has now been moved out of site to the back of the restaurant adjacent to the toilets to make way for more cover (now equaling 60 in total).

Strawberry (left), Chocolate (middle), Oreo (right) shakes, reg £3.45, man-size £5.95

These were precisely how they ought to be, thick and milky; with the incredibly chocolatey shake, mixed in with small bits of deliciously bitter dark chocolate, being the best of the trio.

And while the Oreo was luscious and addictive, the Strawberry, despite containing bits of fresh fruit, had that distracting taste-enhancing flavour added to it!

One thing we’d also say is that presenting these with thin straws simply doesn’t do such thick shakes, particularly with bits in them, any favours. The last thing one wants is the pleasure of slurping these being annoyingly interrupted by intermittent blockages.

All sides – house rustic chips, sweet potato chips, coleslaw, onion rings, fried gherkins – are £1.95 each.

Onion Rings

The batter in which these fresh tasting and large onion rings were coated in was light, crispy and non-oily.

You could probably come back an hour later and still find them to be crispy!

Fried Gherkins

Though slightly oily, these gherkins were deliciously tangy with a similarly crispy batter to the above.

A great alternative to chips.

House Rustic Chips (left), Sweet Potato Chips (right)

Good chips. Both types were crispy and crunchy on the outside, with the House Rustic well seasoned, and soft on the inside.

Chicken Wings – £4.95 (6 pieces per portion)
Barbecue (top) – Barbecue sauce, infused with a smoky flavour
Sweet Chilli (bottom left) – a sticky blend of Thai chillies and vinegars
Buffalo (bottom right) – Classic buffalo hot wing sauce

Sauces – Sweet Chilli (top left), Chipotle Mayo (top right), Garlic Mayo (bottom left), Blue Cheese (bottom right) – £0.90 each

The stand out marinade was certainly the Sweet Chilli in our collective estimation.

It had a lovely tang to it offset by the hint of salt. What is more, it was wonderfully crispy.

The next had to have been the Buffalo, which was full of that familiar chilli-lemony flavour. The marinade was, however, a little on the wet side.

As to the BBQ, then this was mildly so. In fact, it was more sweet than smoky.

Has to be said though, and as is perhaps obvious from the pics (apologies for the blurred images), these were a little on the small size.

SAUCES

Some pretty darn good sauces here it has to be said.

The Blue Cheese was nice and cheesy, just as you’d expect it to be; the Sweet Chilli powerful vis-à-vis the chilli; the Garlic Mayo thick and creamy with bits of gherkin; and the Chipotle Mayo heady, and of a similar consistency.

Barbecue & Bacon Chicken – Barbecue sauce, mature cheddar cheese, smoked bacon, fresh red onion, lettuce and tomato, £8.25

The first thing that comes through with this big burger is the flavour of the strong, smoky bacon juxtaposed with the sweet red onion sauce.

As for the chicken, then it was a little over and, therefore, on the dry side.

Having said that though, the flavours were pleasant.

Not bad for a chicken burger.

Hot Chilli Beef – Chipotle mayo, jalapeno slices, fresh red onion, lettuce and tomato, £8.50

In spite of the lashings of chipotle mayo sauce, this burger was immemorable on the whole.

Yes, the crunch of the onions combined well with said sauce, and the heat slowly built up thereafter, but all this wasn’t quite enough to mask the major problem with this burger: it was well done and, consequently, dry.

American Burger – American mustard, tomato sauce, lettuce, tomato, caramelised red onions, American cheese and 2 onion rings, £8.25

Again, a dry beef patty let this burger down, with a bun that also dry to the bite.

And, what made this all the more annoying was that there were a pretty decent combo of tart and tangy flavours going on here.

Pity because, flavour-wise, this was the best of the lot.

The Red Iron Burger – Mixed cheese’s, house Red Iron Burger sauce, garlic mayo, caramelised, red onions, jalapenos, fresh red onion, lettuce and tomato. £9.50

Lots of added extras resulted in a mish-mash of flavours. And though this wasn’t interpreted as anything overtly negative, it just wasn’t as refined as the American Burger above.

So, what to make of Red Iron’s oft-mentioned burgers? Well, when this restaurant claims:

All our beef burgers are always cooked to medium, ensuring the best flavour and succulent texture making sure the juices in your palate flow.

We at Feed the Lion beg to differ. All the patties served to us on the day hovered around the well done mark with the majority turning out to be dry.

Cheese Steak, Red Iron Style – Shredded rump steak with bell peppers fresh red onions & melted cheese, served in a baguette with caramelised red onions and Red iron sauce, £9.95

Yes this is larger than a burger and, thus, value for money, but the meat, despite being well charred, simply lacked in flavour. We likewise felt that the sandwich lacked a decent sauce desperately needed to temper all that pepper. Overall, the whole thing was just… okay!

8oz Rib-Eye – Comes from the fore-rib, marbled throughout, £16.95.
All steaks served with house rustic chips, grilled mushroom & tomato, garlic & parsley butter and peppercorn sauce.

Mixed thoughts and reactions with this. We were all agreed that the steak was of relatively average quality.

Having said that though, it was well cooked to medium. As a result, it was nice and soft in some places, though chewy in others. But the fat, which was nonetheless enjoyed by one Lion, wasn’t as well rendered as it could have been.

Having said that, with a lovely large grilled tomato and mushroom, this made for decent meal.

The peppercorn sauce was, however, watery containing bits of peppercorn, which, as always, left that all too familiar overpowering and acrid aftertaste.