REVIEW: £5 burger Mondays at Racks, Bristol

pic from weloveburgers.com

If you say you want to go for a burger in Bristol, most people will recommend you pay a visit to the old Whiteladies’ favourite, The Burger Joint. I myself am a huge fan of said institution, so it was with some intrigue and trepidation (yes, trepidation) that I paid my first visit to Racks on St Pauls Road.

Reader, I can tell you that it’s worth turning off the main drag to find Racks, especially on a Monday evening. Why’s that? I hear you ask. Well, on Monday nights Racks offer 2-for-1 on their usually £10 burgers, so if you go in an even number or people you’ve got a £5 burger on your hands. Fun indeed. Oh, and did I mention it’s actually burger and fries included in that fiver? I know. Not too shabby eh?

It’s safe to say prices like this give McDonald’s a run for its money. Unfortunately, I personally found the fries not overly different to your average fast-food chain’s offerings (but to be fair, they are delicious.) However, that’s about where the similarities between Racks and McDonald’s end, as the quality of the burgers were on a completely different level.

pic from bristolpubs.co.uk

With a choice of beef, lamb or chicken, Racks serve their juicy, succulent burgers in rustic ciabatta buns, with fries, relish and dips on the side. Even as someone who’s not a big meat-eater (when confronted with the question of how well done I wanted my burger I was embarrassingly clueless), I appreciated that was some high-quality meat. A little research told me Racks actually source all their meat from Ruby & White butchers on Whiteladies Road – you know, the one that always has that ridiculously delicious-smelling barbeque tempting you as you stroll past, laden with bags from Clifton Downs Sainsbury’s.

While the meat and bun were great, I definitely could’ve done with a slightly higher vitamin content in my meal – the one lettuce leaf sadly didn’t do much for me (does ketchup count as one of your five-a-day?) And if I’m being really picky, a choice of sides other than fries might’ve gone down nicely. Sweet potato fries maybe, or a salad for those with a smaller appetite. On a similar vein, there was no veggie option when I visited last week. However...

EXCLUSIVE NEWS KLAXON! I have just been informed by Racks themselves that apparently the chef has been devising a new menu to start in April, which will include a veggie burger in the 2 for 1 deal. Good news for vegetarians there then (and also for meat-lovers with veggie significant others.)

pic from tripadvisor.com

However, considering the deal is just £5, it seems a bit ridiculous to be complaining about, well, anything. One word of caution though: watch out for the drinks. A £3.20 glass of Coke is an easy way to turn a bargainous dinner treat into a less student-friendly option.

Overall, Racks is an absolutely delightful restaurant with a great atmosphere. Given that offers like this are often only on at lunchtime (which is quite frankly just awkward half the time), Racks’ burger deal is not one to be missed. So, see you there on Monday night then!

Read this article on Inter:Mission here.