The Suburbs – Deal or No deal – DEAL #Review

Stephen Wundke
14th June 2018

We never need much of a reason to go to The Suburbs. Its always buzzing, you get great service and it is one of those places that just feels, real. I guess that’s why they keep winning awards every year. Every judge gets the same feeling as we do. So, given that GCSE exams were all but over for our son Jake and it was Burger night at The Suburbs we set about trying out the burgers, because the reports getting back to TC HQ were very encouraging.

The offer itself spoke volumes, £12.50 for a Deluxe Burger and schooner of Beer but could they back it up or would be get just a burger and a beer. Knowing Kingdom and his love to show off, we expected something special.

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Hoole’s Finest

Sitting down we decided to start with a little pre-appetiser and share a couple of dishes. They have such a good choice of bar snacks. We chose the soft shell crab and baked Camembert and had our eyes on a couple of other dishes; when we were warned by our Waitress that the burgers where of a size that was quite a challenge, so we heeded her advice and stuck with just two.

When our snacks arrived they were spot on. The camembert was crusty on the outside and oozed out as soon as I cut it and the toasts were thin and crispy, just as we like them. As Moorish and unctuous as the dish was the star was the Soft shell crab. Moist, soft, full of flavour and again cooked superbly. Gaile, Jake and I felt we had really started well and if the burgers that followed were up to this standard then we were on to a winner.

Now came the tricky bit, decisions about Burgers – who would have thought you could be challenged so much by this one delightful American snack, well you can. Jake chose the aptly named American – which is Burger, Bacon, Southern Fried Chicken, waffle, maple Syrup, Cheese and Onion Rings. I was torn between the Mixed grill, which was Bacon, Burger, Black Pudding, Chicken, Tomato, Boerewors, Mushroom, Fried Egg and Hash Brown, or the Surf and Turf and opted for the latter, more on that combo shortly. Gaile chose the veggie option which in essence was Mushrooms and Halloumi with all the trimmings and appealed as the less filling but just as tasty option.

The first and most comforting fact was that these burgers took a while to arrive. We were worried they would appear quickly which would have suggested it was all pre-cooked, heated and then assembled and that would have been bad. It wasn’t. That was good. Within 20 minutes they duly arrived and to say it was a triumph would be understating both the visual imagery and most importantly the taste sensation. Food envy abounded throughout the bar as the monsters arrived. My Surf and turf had two Jumbo Crevettes hanging below the Onion Rings and inside tiger prawns with a chilli, Peri-Peri butter, chorizo, cheddar cheese and tomato. I could taste every item and they all worked amazingly. My ice-cold schooner of lager was the perfect accompaniment.

Meanwhile across the table Jake didn’t speak or look at his phone for 20 minutes whilst he made his way through his assortment of flavours and all we got, repeatedly was – “awesome, just awesome”. He even raved about the chips and he was right to do so, crisp, fresh, and soft with real flavour. So few get it right and treat the humble potato with respect – these were respected. Gaile’s burger also delivered in spades and by now her finishing the meal was looking doubtful so she dispensed with the bun to get through the coated, soft, salty halloumi and worked here way through the sweet potato fries that are always a winner when we just go drinking.

It might have only been burger night but we left feeling this was something special. It is without doubt one of the best TC deals on offer. £12.50 for one of these superb burgers and a glass of beer may not be the very cheapest but it is definitely the best value. The mistake many make is that when they do an offer they par everything down and so you leave thinking it was OK but not great. Kingdom and his team have taken the other approach. Get people in with a decent offer, give them something special and win yourself a regular customer. We didn’t need winning over but we are delighted to tell the story and try and convince a few more of you to get down to the Suburbs because this special offer, really is special.