The London Burger Co – Muswell Hill, London

Having opened almost 3-years-ago, The London Burger Co in Muswell Hill has been on our raiders for a while now, not least because this appears to be the only fully Halal (as attested to by the owner and the chef) “gourmet” burger joint in the area.

Located near the busy intersection of Priory Road, Park Road and Muswell Hill, this 24-cover restaurant is airy, with simple yet nicely coordinated decor inspired by light shades of pastel green, that allows the prominent wooden beams overhead to proudly stand out.

The London Burger Co state that their “patties are made from British Angus beef and is sourced from suppliers that we know adopt the highest standards of animal welfare”.

Salted Caramel, Ferrero Rocher, Oreo – £4.95 each

The Salted Caramel, though erring a little on the sweet side (needed a touch more salt), was the pick of the shakes for us being presented thick and luscious.

The Ferrero Rocher produced a shake that wasn’t quite as intense in flavour as the Oreo. Nevertheles, both were well made, with the same thick consistency.

Chicken Wings £4.50

In spite of their decent size and good charring, we did find them to be a tad on the chewy side.

Moreover, the wings appeared to have been based in a mild peri peri marinade, which went well with the small bowl of viscous barbecue sauce.

The London Double Decker (Beef) – with double patties & cheddar cheese, £11.00

Their signature burger comprises two 8oz patties (that’s right, 16oz in total). Their patties are prepared inhouse at the start of the day, and despite the restaurant choosing to cook theirs medium well by default, the burger turned out quite juicy, albeit thick and chewy in places.

Nonetheless, with the beef being well seasoned and coming with a thick slice of tomato, red onions, lettuce and not much sauce to speak of, this turned out to be a fairly flavourous one.

NB – There is, we were told, an option provided for orders put online where customers can choose how they want their burgers cooked.

Mexican (Beef) – with grilled pepper, sundried tomato & jalapenos, £9.00

If any burger proves that less is more, then it’s this Mexican, whose single 8oz patty was full of that fantastic umami flavour one loves of well seasoned beef.

Being nice and juicy, the jalapenos added that kick of heat while the grilled red pepper offered a rich smokiness that ran through the background.

This was easily the best burger of the review, with plenty happening!

Peri Peri & Cheese (Chicken) – with our peri peri sauce & cheddar cheese, £8.50

The generous fillet of chicken, which was easily wider than the circumference of the bun, was beautifully charred and marinated in a lightly tangy sauce making it both perfectly succulent and very tasty too.

Being paired with red onions, a slice of tomato, and cheese, which that could have been better melted, this was on par with the aforementioned Mexican.

And a quick word on the buns used at The London Burger Co – fluffy, crispy and nicely toasted – these were very good too.

Bean & Cheese (Veg) – Variety of mixed bean patty with cheddar cheese topped with tomato ketchup, £6.50

What made this Bean & Cheese burger the weakest of the bunch, was the bean patty itself.

Having a crispy-cum-oily exterior, its thick chunky interior actually turned out overly soft and almost chalky in texture, which was a disappointment.

And though the patty had a subtle herby taste about it, the only sauce to speak of wasn’t the ketchup suggested on the menu, but mayonnaise sauce that had no impact whatsoever, making this a fairly bland burger overall.

Sweet Potato Fries, £3.50

Soft, barely crispy and quite unappealing, their Sweet Potato Fries were forgettable really!