][1]The 5pm Dining blog was at the Glasgow’s Best Burger competition on Ad Lib on Ingram Street earlier this week.
Now in its third year, the competition attracted twenty entrants from across Glasgow, all keen to prove that their burger and bun combo was the best in town.
The top prize went to Buddy’s BBQ and Burgers with MeatHammer at Nice ‘n’ Sleazy’s and Slouch taking second and third respectively.
Fast food Vs fancy burger
Chris May, owner of Buddy’s, was ecstatic: ‘It’s absolutely fantastic. I thought we were either going to come first or last. Most of the other people do quite a fancy burger and that’s the opposite of what we do. Ours is a fast food burger.
‘It’s made with two quarter pound patties, our own smoked belly bacon, our own burger sauce, shredded lettuce, a slice of tomato, slice of onion, own BBQ sauce and (Chef) Fin’s fantastic onion rings which are in a light batter.’
American style diner
The prize has come at a good time for Buddy’s. Their new, American style diner is scheduled to open on Pollokshaws Road within the next fortnight.
According to Chris, the new diner will feature ‘the same style of food, done with the same passion. We will have a dozen burgers, a dozen wing sauces and the sort of full barbeques menu that you would find in any good, southern barbeque place: brisket, pulled pork, ribs and chicken.’
][8]Innovative burgers
The huge variation among the twenty burgers served underlined just how much creativity Glasgow’s burger chefs were bringing to their creations.
Unexpected ingredients included Stornoway black pudding, bacon marmalade and a cheese slice/fondue topping made with Gruyere, Joker IPA and bourbon.
On the judging panel were James of James Vs Burger; Capital FM DJ Callum Gallacher, Guy Cowan of Guy’s restaurant and Tam Cowan, the Daily Record journalist and broadcaster.
Tam was being unusually subdued for some reason although he did express disappointment that there was only one female chef among the line-up.
Bringing up the rear on the judging team was your blogger, called in off the subs bench after a late cancellation.
While I wouldn’t want to do it again in a hurry, tasting twenty different burgers was more of a pleasure than your blogger expected.
Tam Cowan took it all in his stride and left Ad Lib shortly after the winners were announced.
‘I’m away to review an Indian restaurant in Paisley,’ he explained before adding the immortal line, ‘I was picking at those burgers like a sparrow’.
Here we have interviews with some of the judges and Stephen, a chef from Red Onion:
[https://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=PLQZO2IG8SlgWgZDQERVKxs5ZIjAeaszsn]