Review: Butta Burger, Edinburgh

THIS HAPPENED TO be my second visit to Butta Burger in the past week; read into that what you may.  This place took social media by storm during lockdown with the establishment’s gigantic chicken burgers, aged beef offerings, and seasoned “Butta”. They recently secured permanent premises on George Street after originally serving takeaway from a small spot just off Rose Street. Quite often I find these places never live up to the Instagram hype, but it’d be rude not to try.

We all know this August in Edinburgh is considerably different to a “normal” year, but there was a clear mix of tourists from various nations as well as locals, and that’s only ever going to be a good thing.  First impressions offered what seemed to be a well-oiled front of house team who promptly had us checked in and seated with a couple of pints of Camden Hells.

I was in the mood for beef, while Sarah was happy to sample an Insta-happy chicken option.  I asked our waiter what “double aged” actually meant, as it seemed a bit vague; it’s hung for 35 days apparently. The proof would be in the eating.

When trying a burger joint for the first time, I tend to go for a simple option to test the water. I decided on the bacon cheeseburger (£11).  First impressions were good: a solid bun, well-rested cow judging by the lack of leakage and actually crispy bacon as promised. Now, this was a good burger.  You really got the benefits of the meat ageing process, which had a gamey tinge to it, along with the smokiness from the grill.  The beef was pleasingly served slightly pink and was seasoned well, with the bacon enhancing both the salt and charred elements.  The cheese didn’t really taste of much, which was a slight let down, but the bun was good and didn’t disintegrate during eating.

Sarah went for the chilli cheese fried chicken option (£10) which came with a fresh, zingy jalapeno relish that stole the show.  The massive patty was succulent and rich with a suitably crunchy exterior and creamy ranch dressing.  We split a huge portion of good quality chips (£4) that were just too big to finish, and a side of chicken Kiev fingers (£7).  These were truly delicious and a meal in themselves.  Again, the buttermilk chicken was so tender with an expertly executed crunchy coating.  The black garlic sauce was powerful and had a slight sweetness to it.

The food was great, but the service was what stuck in my mind.  Staff were incredibly efficient, clearly well-trained, and hard working.

Butta Burger is a must-try if you’re after a cheap, no fuss feed.  You’ll need rolled out of the place, but I'm sure the exceptional staff would happily oblige. Everything does indeed taste better with Butta.

Web: buttaburger.co.uk Phone: (0131) 6290 700

Address: 137 George Street, Edinburgh, EH2 4JY

Opening hours: Mon - Thurs 12 noon - 10 p.m., Fri - Sun 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.