Burger Meats Bun

You don’t need to walk far in Edinburgh to find a good burger joint especially with the recent addition of (the similarly named and also excellent) Bread Meats Bread on Lothian Road and Byron burgers opening on the bridges.
I’ve been to Burger Meats Bun a few times, but this was the first time in a while since I had experienced a lot of what else the city has to offer. For various reasons it still remains my favourite place for a burger in Edinburgh.
I really love the branding and the feel of the place (although admittedly the music can be a bit loud at times). It’s the kind of place where you fetch your cutlery from a tin cup and a whole tube of kitchen roll is plonked down on the table. You won’t see any plates on your visit. This feels a lot more like sitting down and eating really good food truck burgers in a restaurant setting. Perhaps not for everyone but I enjoyed the fun of it.
There’s a much more limited menu than other places, and I generally prefer it. There is a focus here is on quality, interesting ingredients. I had the special ‘Rocket Pig’, a simple, delicious Pork Belly. I was admittedly intrigued by the other special which contained ‘Bacon Jam and Pickled Shitake’ amongst other things.
Having been here a few times, the burgers are always excellent but the sides can be a little hit or miss. The chorizo fries on this occasion were however delicious and not too overpowering. We also had haggis popcorn as a starter; definitely worth checking out.
Oh and Burger Meats Bun also has some decent beers. It’s definitely worth checking out.

I’m not a regular burger eater (this was my first trip to a ‘gourmet’ place in a long time) so I’m not an expert, however, of the few ‘proper’ burgers I’ve had this was definitely the best. It did come with a hefty price tag though (£8.50 for the burger alone) so it should be decent.
For that I got a nice fresh, good quality bun and a big hunk of juicy, perfectly cooked beef (patty at least a cm and a half thick and about 13/​14cm in diameter).
The bun and meat were so big though that they slightly dwarfed the other components (a tomato? Some greens… I was slightly drunk). Also, there didn’t seem to be any sauce, though again, it may just have been dwarfed by the burger.
We got fries (extra, £2.50 for basic, £3.50 for added cheese). They were hand cut and a decent colour and had a good crispy crunch. Furthermore, I’m sure I tasted sesame oil but could be totally wrong.
Only downside bar the lack of veg was the cheese (I’d gone for the cheeseburger). It was literally just a big slab of uncooked cheddar on top of the burger, not sure why they didn’t melt it.
Also, on the fries, the big serving of cheese soon congealed into a cold rubbery mat from which it was really difficult to detach the fries.
The house beer was light, hoppy and refreshing and complemented the heavy, oily food well (though my friend just about had a heart attack when he had to pay £6 for his bottle of IPA).
Décor is great as you come in, bare brickwork, subtly lighted with a trendy vibe but when you get to the eating area it changes completely. It’s overly bright, white walls and blazing lights are topped off with a big mural of a burger on one of the walls. Also the room is pretty small so when it’s full (as it was when we were there) it feels slightly claustrophobic.
Staff are friendly enough but not overly so, ‘efficient’ rather than genial.
The burgers are served on disposable paper mats and beer served in, slightly incongruously for the Americana vibe, old-​style, dimpled pint glasses.
So overall you won’t get a much better burger in Edinburgh but you’ll have to pay for it, and there are still little bits that they could improve.

Me likes me some meat! In fact even thinking about this place makes me drool. I always favour the beef which was well tasty, however I do agree with my fellow diner’s comments regarding his bun. He wasn’t quiet so smitten with the place as he thought his burger was a bit too juicy resulting in a soggy bun which disintegrated around it. I kinda agree but think a slightly more robust bun would have sorted this out. Sourdough perhaps? He suggested a drier burger, which is just flippin madness! The thai chili cheese fries unfortunately didn’t float me boat (I think it’s hard to beat the cardiac inducing traditional american chili cheese combo) plus they stuck to the coated paper tray liner so ended up trying to peel plastic film off them. The ice cold frosty glass for my cider was a really nice touch and the service was great. So better buns, ditch the tray liners and it would be 5 stars.

yes, great burger with good quality ingredients.
great cheese.

Been countless times since I last posted a review, When I feel like a juicy, guilty eat, I come here. When I need to meet someone in town for grub we meet here. When I have a day to myself and fancy FOOD, I come here. When I have LOADS to do and still plenty time to procrastinate, alone or not, I come here. Hungover. Here. Sober & healthy? Here.
Discovered thru practice The Specials are best. Order them please. Plan a lie down

Stopped in for dinner while strolling through New Town. Very tasty burgers, if firm. Chips and sides were excellent, good drinks, and personable staff. The whole package of food, décor, table presentation just works.

Nice place. Came here just off a flight from the U.S. with kids in tow. Service was relaxed but very friendly. They have kids options which seems rare in the area. Price was high for a burger but was all very fresh and tasted great.

I really love BMB in Glasgow. And now its in Edinburgh! Which is exciting since I’m in ED more often. Its still the great burgers and chips! BMB has some of the BEST Chips I’ve had LOVE all their different sauces.
The only down point is the building. Its in the space UrbanAnger was in (which is a sad loss) But its just an awkward building, feels more café-​isn rather then a restaurant. The seating is a bit squished and it takes a bit for the waiters to check in on ya. Never the less those tasty chips and chicken burgers will bring me back!

Really, really disappointing.
First off I was expecting not amazing burgers but something passable. We don’t do burgers very well in Edinburgh so I was hoping this had brought some of the Glasgow magic to it’s Edinburgh location. My review reflects price and food together not just the food alone.
Things I didn’t like : —
£5.75 for about 6 thai sauce style wings. Wholesale to the restaurant, even using free range (of which there is no mention of) is about £2.50 a kilo. Wings are cheap, they are dirty, they are deep fried. They should not cost the same amount as a fish supper from a high end chipper. Their taste was ok. I would have fried them differently if I was cooking them at home and then trying to charge someone an arm and a leg. For that price I would have expected them to be confit in duck fat for at least an hour and then quickly flash fried. The dipping sauce was rather heavy on fish sauce of which I normally adore, however there was no brightness from lime juice or other acidity to counteract the fishy punk. Thai food is a balance of salty, sweet, acidity and chilli of which this had maybe two of the four.
My burger with bacon @£8.50 was very poor. Bun which was brioche was decent and about the only saving grace. The meat itself was handled too much and not seasoned correctly. This meant a relatively dense patty which although on arrival had rivulets of fat running from it’s center meant on the slightest bit of cooling became a solid puck. The patty was cooked in the ‘shake shack’ style which is how I cook them at home. This involves doing a last sear of the meat with mustard and caramelized onions in the pan so they cook into the patty. Unfortunately they had been left too long on the one side and so the caramelized onions were now pretty much inedible due to their stringy nature. I’d take a bite and a 10 cm thin blackened onion strip would come out tangling from my teeth akin to a charred piece of onion skin.
The bacon was pre cooked, grey and flabby. It’s only redeeming quality was of a thick cut but it’s provenance was indeterminable due to it’s unfortunate aging on the kitchen counter.
My partners veggie burger @£7.50 was rather pureed bean heavy and lacked any discernible seasoning within it’s pasty nature. No textural contrasts gave the eater zero hint of chew.
Burgers looked good on the paper sheet and the interior of the place is well decorated. Lighting is a bit flat and got heavily dimmed during our dining experience which was a little odd. Service was good but I don’t eat out to have people be nice to me.
Overall £37.50 for two starters, two burgers, two chips and a single cider (actually very tasty, probably the single redeeming feature) as my dining companion drank water. For that money you could have a slap up dim sum meal with the same quality of ingredients and far more food on the table, albeit one that the chefs have spent days preparing instead of a few minutes.
Do not recommend.

pictures only this time
As the review is moved to the actual Elite Event it belonged to.

I attended an event in Edinburgh recently, and as I’d come straight from work I was starving. I hadn’t tried the new BMB and as I’m a huge fan of the Glasgow branch I thought I’d go there!
I ordered a Tonka Truck cocktail which was a delicious drink that went down far too easy! I’ve mentioned before how fussy I am with alcoholic drinks — if it’s too boozy or strong I just can’t drink it. This was beautiful, sweet and smooth as it is an ice cold mixture.
The Thai chilli cheese fries. I managed to forget how ridiculously tasty these are! When I ate my first one I felt the food lust within me, and that was that, they were demolished!
BMB usually operated under a system of having the basic menu and then they’d have random specials each day. They’ve now introduced Seasonal Specials in conjunction with the daily specials and they will be available for a month rather than just a day. They’re making the most of the amazing and diverse produce available locally throughout the year.
This is the first seasonal burger which is made up of a homemade lamb burger, lamb tagine, carrot salad with cumin & lemon dressing, harrisa & honey mayonnaise and micro coriander. This burger was everything I’ve come to expect from a BMB special, but I have to be honest, the lamb burger part actually ruined it a little for me. It was a bit too big which made it difficult to eat and despite being quite pink, it didn’t taste like much. I actually removed it half way through and focussed on the rest — especially the lamb tagine which was absolutely gorgeous. I would’ve filled the whole bun with that personally. Maybe it was just me, but ultimately I gobbled the whole lot up, apart from half of the patty.
I enjoyed my Edinburgh experience of BMB but I have to say, I missed the BMB in Glasgow. The restaurant in Edinburgh looks the part, the food is the same and the staff are lovely but ultimately it lacks personality you get from the Glasgow staff.

when i found out that Burger Meats Bun was heading east and finally opening a branch in Edinburgh i was beyond excited! i’d been in glasgow one lunch time and had the chance to eat at BMB there and found the burgers to be excellent. i even asked at the time if they had plans of moving eastward to which they said it was always a possibility.
flash foward about a year later and i was on my first visit to BMB shortly after their opening. i was going on a date but to be honest was more excited about the burgers. the visit lived up to the expectations i’d had based on my jaunt in the Glasgow branch with the burger being juicy and full of taste, i especially loved the burger sauce that just really brings the whole burger together. the cheesy fries were crispy and had loads of cheese that was just a perfect indulgence. and the cocktails, were also a nice treat!
so a couple of months later i suggested BMB for a girls dinner as i hadn’t had a chance to re-​visit for another delicious burger. however, this time i left slightly disappointed. i opted for their chicken BLT and shared the thai chili cheese fries with one of my dining companions. our food arrived in fairly prompt order but i found the chicken burger greasy, with an excess of fatty skin left on the chicken. i did take this off but the burger remained slightly more greasy than i would have preferred and didn’t have a lot of taste either. also the thai chili cheese fries were not just slighty spicy but super hot! i just felt overall that it was a really mediocre meal. the only real high point of the meal was that the bill split three ways was only a tenner each.
after two tries of BMB in edinburgh, i’m sort of left disappointed. my initial visit was great and possibly because it was shortly after the opening everything was in good order. however last night’s visit has me thinking twice about going again when there are so many other burger options available in edinburgh now.

Friendly, happy staff, cheery music and great food. Perfect for a lazy afternoon or for battling past a hangover.

Having tried and enjoyed the Glasgow branch, I looked forward to the Edinburgh opening of BMB. They haven’t disappointed enough for me to abstain from returning on occasion — the burgers are done well, the staff are really great and the specials are very enticing. However there are a few failings that merit the above score;
i) THE COST
A previous grump of mine with rival burger joint, Burger., BMB have hiked their prices even higher and, as a result, are almost pricing themselves out the market. The only thing that keeps me coming back is the creativity of the specials.
ii) THE FINISHED ARTICLE
Undoubtedly very tasty, the burgers are cooked well and, as said before, the ideas are very interesting. However a slight roadbump is the execution. I agree with another reviewer that the buns can be a bit tough (I think out of 3 visits I’ve had one bun that was entirely edible), almost as if defrosted from frozen but not completely. Also agree that on the specials, it almost feels as if an ingredient is missing. Couldn’t taste the bacon jam when they had the Chicken Thigh special, and the same could be said of the bacon jam and the spring onion mayo on the Pork Belly/​Black Pudding special. both very tasty, but seemingly not completely as advertised, or perhaps just a portioning issue. One final note in that I’ve found with the chicken thigh burgers in particular, the patty seems to cover only hlf the bun — would like to see a more even spread.
iii) NO TAKE AWAY
Couldn’t believe this wasn’t an option when I found out. Understand that, given the space they occupy this might be difficult to realise (obviously has potential to disrupt the ambience of the restaurant side of the business), but surely something to be rectified in time, as they must be missing out on so much custom not offering this. Maybe something to think about if/​when expansion comes?
The above perhaps paints an inaccurate picture of my overall opinion. So long as BMB continue to maintain the calibre of design in their specials, I’ll happily re-​visit. Their kim-​cheese chips were fantastic and should be a menu staple, not a special. And the service really is worth noting — at least the folk who have served me across my few visits.
But the above points mean that I am more likely to visit certain other Burger specialists, who provide the same quality at a reduced cost, when hunger strikes.

So when I moved here and heard that burgers were the new «it» thing in Edina’s culinary world, I thought, «Cccooollll…» *insert skeptical baby gif here*
I mean really, how hard is it to put a slab of meat between two pieces of bread and call it a good time? Turns out… not that hard. But to put a slab of meat between two pieces of bread and call it hallelujah? Well deal friends, turns out, that’s a gosh darn burger art.
Ok. I’m in. I throw my full support behind this burger obsessed town, because ladies and gentleman — the Scots know how to make em. What makes a burger hallelujah worthy in the great city of Edina? Well first off — it starts with a glass. You heard me, a glass. I got to BMB late after being caught in a torrential downpour on my walk over. I sat down and ordered a beer — 1 minute later (service ninja points), the world’s greatest beer glass hit our table.
Honestly, I have no idea how they frost the glasses here — as made apparent by my frequent fails to reenact this moment in my own kitchen — but they are icy, frosty, receptacles of joy. No matter what you’re drinking, it will undoubtably be better in this tiny, glass wonder.
But onto the main event — I ordered myself a Smokin Bacon: house smoked bacon, spicy ketchup, BMB burger sauce and braised onions. This is a SOLID burger. It’s big, it’s messy and it’s delicious. Definitely a perfect rainy day, food coma causing sort of meal.
We added a side of haggis popcorn — because what goes better with meat than more meat. In fact, by the urging of my cohort in crime Paddy H, this happened to be my FIRST delve into the world of haggis and sir, I tip my hat to you for making me take the haggisy plunge. I’m not sure why everyone is so scared of this stuff — it’s like meaty paté, and you guessed it — pretty damn delicious.
The only part of the meal I might skip next time around was the thai chilli cheese fries. They are tasty, without a doubt but smaller than I imagined and kind of ho-​hum as I was expecting something significantly more fancy. It’s chips with cheese and fresh chillis. A little lemongrass would go a long way here.
But it was a minor blip in an otherwise stellar, comfort food cracking meal. The best part? With three beers a piece (maybe four?), two burgers, two sides and two desserts, this meal came out to an amazingly reasonable £24ish. Not bad for a meal that left me full until the next day’s lunch.
I will definitely be back next time a burger and beer calls. But until then, I leave you with this pro tip: Extra bacon. Always extra bacon.

I’d been meaning to come here for a while now, so when our delightful new CM Jody B noised me up about burger shiznaz, this was the ideal choice.
And hoooweeee BMB did not disappoint in the slightest.
Let me cover some of the need to know type stuff.
There are beef, chicken, and veggie burgers of various persuasion. I went for the fiery beef burger. Big, juicy, but not too crazy on the messy front, and big enough but not so big you can’t get it in yer gub. I loved mine, and Jody was giving a very thumbs up for hers.
We ordered a couple of sides. Given she’d never had it before, haggis popcorn was not to be shunned, and they were excellent. The haggis was moist but the breadcrumb coating was crunchy and yum! We also order the thai cheese fries. I was curious as to what made them thai cheese, the answer was a load of chillis and spring onions as a garnish. Not quite blowing my mind as a thai flavour, but an upgrade from the usual chilli flakes you’d get with your average spicy fries.
The deserts were adorable, and mad tasty. Jody got some mini donuts that were cooked to order, and came with a little strawberry coullis dipping sauce thing. *so* good! Again my curiosity piqued, I ordered the burger and shake desert. What I got was the cutest little flavoured milk in a teensy milk bottle, and a god damn vanilla macaroon, with chocolate ganache with a slice of melon jelly and more of the delicious strawberry coullis, and they even sprinkled some sesame seeds on top too!
I thought all the staff were very friendly, as well as being attentive. I didn’t check out the toilets so we’ll have to hope they’re nice. They chill their glasses here, which does mean your drink stays cold for as long as possible, although the foam does freeze a little!
I’m definitely coming back here again because it’s ace.
the big question is, when i first asked they didn’t do takeaway, but a little birdie told me they do now. can anyone confirm this?
Apologies for the confusion surrounding takeaway, Glasgow does it, Edinburgh doesn’t.

Burgers are in vogue right now. Well, I don’t know if they ever went out of vogue, but I’m certainly not complaining. For a while, British gastro-​pub burgers were all the rage: one’s so big you had to cut them in half with a knife and fork then risk lock-​jaw in order to get your mouth around the burger, bun, three toppings and onion rings included. That was «our» type of Burger here on our wee Isle.
But then something changed, and Americana came over to the burger scene, taking us back to the way burgers used to be. Thin but no less flavourful or satisfying. And to be honest, i prefer them this way. Who thought bigger meant better when it came to burgers, when you literally can’t fit it in your mouth for a bite, or finish it with chips without carrying food triplets for a few days after?
So, Burger Meats Bun is the newest addition to the Edinburgh burger-​scene, nicely carrying on the American-​style burger trend. The burgers are filling and the patties are still juicy, but it’s more American style, complete with thin fries and milkshakes on the menu, and the food coming wrapped in paper on a metal tray.
The burger here was really tasty. And they do gluten free buns! Hurrah! And their gluten free buns are the best I’ve tasted in the city. Yey! The kim-​cheese chips were SO good too, although laden in cheese, but that’s the point right?
The dessert of dunkable donut bits with salted caramel sauce with added bourbon was mmmm far too good, and then dark n stormy cocktails were very well made.
I think I would prefer to see a few more options of toppings on the menu. I like that its simple: beef, cheese, chicken, veggie, and a few specials (not 20 different options) but a few other relishes or sauces to add variety to the burger would be a nice addition.
A great place for a mid week dinner, and with good cocktails, desserts and milkshakes to boot. Viva Americana burgers!

I’m impressed. It sure did fill me up to the brim.
Hubbie and I decided to opt for the burger as the special was sold out. The burger was really flavoursome and big! The fillings were not on the ration side either. We also choose the haggis balls which were really nice — good quality haggis in there! He choose standard chips whilst I opted for the chips with cheese all over — MMMmmm that wasn’t the best judgment call of mine — as it killed me out right :) The shakes were wholesome and milky. Like Caz H. Perhaps a little thicker would do them justice. Service was friendly and chilled and we were checken on about 3 three times to make sure everything was up to standards.
Next time we are sharing fries though — it’s gonna be the plain and simple salted ones as I just thought the cheesey ones were becoming to greasy for me, Obvs the portions are fairly good size too hence the fullness as we left.
It’s another great burger joint to add to Edinburgh’s ever expanding burger neighbourhood!

Meh. I don’t know. I’m struggling between two and three stars.
To be honest I wasn’t a fan. The burger was alright — just alright. My boyfriend and I both opted for the cheeseburger and fries and came to the same conclusion.
The service was good and I liked the décor.
I also really liked the pickles they put on my burger.
The best thing about BMB was that they didn’t serve their burgers on a chopping board! Instead they served it on a red and white sheet of wax paper. I suppose they don’t have to hire a dishwasher! (Note to restaurants: serve your food on a plate!)
The worst thing was the actual beef. I selected the cheese burger. I couldn’t taste the beef! I could taste the cheese and the burger sauce. But no burger. That’s kind of important. For £7.50 I expect my burger to be flavourful. Further, the bun to burger ratio was off. Too much bun!
Maybe they had a bad day! But for a city that’s starting to up their burger game — BMB needs to improve their beef.

Well, what can I say? I was impressed when I went to visit these guys in Glasgow and I’m equally impressed with their Edinburgh outfit.
They have jazzed up the space that used to be Urban Angel and given it their own twist.
The burgers are run down your hands juicy and the wings tasty and succulent. The shakes could do with being a bit thicker but that’s about my only quipe.
Service was casual and friendly. We were seated as soon we arrived. All in all, it’s a great addition to the Broughton St ‘hood.