Meat Liquor

Meat Liquor is a pretty cool place (although i personally find the fake blood stained plastic curtains around the kitchen a tad creepy) and if you go in for lunch you come out shocked that its daylight. The food is good, it all comes served on one tray. I'd recommend trying the deep fried pickles for something a bit different and if you're after a drink they have some great but lethal cocktails (the one i had they will only serve two per customer...). A bit of a different experience and definitely worth a try in my opinion. 

So, I'd been wanting to go here for a few months after hearing rave reviews and the hype surrounding the place and its humble street-food beginnings. 

There was a queue when we arrived (Saturday night) though it was moving surprisingly fast. I could imagine it would get to be pretty annoying were it for any longer than we waited (about 40 mins). They have a quite strict queueing system, which means you cannot hold places for people in your group, which is actually something of a good idea but goes to show this places' popularity. 

Once inside, you're greeted with a wall of sound, both from the blazing speakers pumping out 50's rock'n'roll and from the bar and tables of the punters themselves. This is definitely not a place to come to quietly pass the time with a burger and fries. This is party-time! And a very well organised party at that. The atmosphere is, for want of a better word, hedonistic, in that you feel as though you've stumbled into some little-known underground speakeasy where the clientel are making the most of its secrecy. The thing of course is that everyone now knows of this place, so I'm impressed at how they've managed to keep the vibe going...They also have the novel addition of a photo booth which takes surprisingly good quality pictures, definitely a big bonus for any group night out. 

We were seated within about 15 minutes of arriving and had the change to get in some photo booth time, a pint of 'house grog' (excellent) and a shot at the bar. 

The menu is nice and simple, a few variations on the burger, 2 hot dogs, fried, onion rings etc... Nothing looked overly expensive and I suspect that they offset keeping the food reasonable by charging well for the booze. 

We ordered a burger each (4 of us), a Chilli Dog, Chilli & Cheese fries and Onion Rings to share. Definitely plenty of food and a good rounded selection from the menu.
Burgers are king and all were cooked excellently medium rare (no option given when ordered). The Chilli Dog was ok but not outstanding. Chilli * Cheese fries, however, were my standout of the night. Lovely melted Jack cheese top and a VERY good (and seemingly house made) chilli, which was so moreish and memorable I wanted it the next morning for breakfast. 

The 4 of us spent a total of £140. At £35 a piece I thought it quite good as we weren't bothered about the bill going in....

All in all a really fun, filling and thoroughly enjoyable night out. Highly recommend going at least once to this one of a kind pig-out palace!

The house grog is one of my favourite cocktails ever. Go after 9pm, there won't be a wait at all. The Dead Hippie and the Double Bubble are absolutely amazing- greasy, meaty, flavourful packages of goodness.

Very tasty but there are down sides. The queuing system is frustrating and militant. I know it couldn't be any other way, but hanging around at the bar when you want to be seated and eat just isn't my thing. People should definitely go there, but for me it'll only the once, I think. Super greasy and super rich. The chilli cheese fries were good but got too much. The meals are just so heavy it makes you feel sluggish and I didn't even eat dinner that night (good value for money?) You only need to get one side - Don't go over board. The fries themselves were also a little plain.I just don't think I could face it again.

I've only been to MeatLiquor the once, it was a Friday night at around 11pm, and got inside straight away, after reading other reviews it seems odd this was the case, so i'm not sure when their busiest times are. We got served relatively quickly, I had the double bubble and thoroughly enjoyed it, the burgers could do with being bigger, and i was really tempted to order another (maybe that's why they are smaller than a lot of places?!) also ordered fries as a side and you do get a healthy portion, but they are INCREDIBLY salty, so if you have a dodgy heart, request them with no salt!... But it's obvious as to why they do this (so you order more 'liquor'), but the drinks are really tasty, served in jam jars and quite strong... You'll definitely leave tipsier than when you first went in, but its never a bad thing!... Overall I really like MeatLiquor and will definitely go back, really relaxed atmosphere with the feel that you can just let go and chill (with the exception of the loud music) but I personally dont mind that. Not extortionately priced for the location and definitely wont break the bank. Will be back soon for a COUPLE of burgers and I really want to try the other ones they have...

Everything they say about this place is true, except the waiting time. Admittedly we went on a Tues afternoon (12.30ish) but got a table straight away for a party of two, and received wexcellent service. The deepfried pickles and chilli cheese chips are a MUST, and the Time of the Month cocktail a favourite. well worth a visit and great value too! A table for two had 2 cocktails each, 2 burgers, deep-fried pickles and chilli cheese chips for just £50. In the words of Starsky and Hutch, DO IT!

 I went to meat liquor after knowing about it's present for a long time. We went at lunch time, queue was not too bad and we got in after about 20 mins. We were directed to the bar to wait for our table which is a nifty move as you spend more on drinks. Drinks were nice. We were directed to our table after about 15 mins. We were right at the back were it was very dark. This is the look of the restaurant (an a american dive bar), so not a problem but a bit disorientating in the middle of the day.
 Food arrived very swiftly and looked plentiful. We ordered dead hippie burgers, chilli fries and deep fried pickles. The latter was very nice but certainly not slimming. I was a little disappointed with the chilli fries, far too much cheese and not enough jalepenos. Burgers were moist but i have to admit, the sauce really reminded me of a big mac.
 I would return to Meat Liquor but I do know of better burgers. 

People say it’s good? It is. I am not convinced, that’s it is the single best burger in London, but without a doubt, it’s among the best burgers in town.

I went there on a Saturday afternoon and queued for only about 15 minutes. This place seems to be somewhat uberhyped, but despite the fries are not spectacular, the burgers are great. As it was kind of busy, I got a place at the bar. Which is okay, the staff are nice, but still constantly rushing around you. Although most of them are quite stylish (whatever this exactly means), sort of hipster-esque and nice to look at, sitting in a busy corner isn’t always the best experience. Unfortunately then a group was said to wait just next to me at the bar for their table, which didn’t make my place more convenient.

But the bustle and that aside, it’s a cool place for a tasty burger. You shouldn’t expect too much perhaps, but if you don’t queue too long, it’s definitely worth a visit.

Now then. As many have said, meat liquor isn’t just about the burgers. It’s about the queuing. The lovely people who own the restaurant have decided to not allow bookings. While this is great for those of us who are disorganised, the slightly OCD crew who book restaurants, cinemas and theatres months in advance are feeling at a great disadvantage.

So here’s the deal. We queued. I think it took us nearly an hour to get from the parking entrance to the front door. And then another 30min at the bar (having absolutely delicious cocktails – and based on feedback from the boys, DO try the grog) before they found us a table. Well, we were 8 very hungry people. It’s not that easy to sit a table of 8!

Then we did sit. Service came quickly and was efficient. Food appeared soon thereafter, on platters. No plates, btw. So make good use of the provided kitchen towels and cover the table in front of you as well as your lap. Oh, and do try the chilli cheese fries, they are to die for! Then… the burgers came! Goodness, they were GOOD! I cannot describe it. Good bread, good quality ingredients, good meat, cooked to perfection (all medium to medium-well), and the bacon in my cheeseburger was deliciously ever so slightly crunchy and didn’t have the typical ribbon of fat on the side. Perhaps they thought to trim it? Who knows!

Overall, I truly enjoyed the burger, the entrees (chilli cheese fries for the win!), the dribbliness of everything, the MEAT, and, of course, the cocktails! No wonder it’s called meat liquor. Amusingly enough, some cocktails cost more than the burgers. Truly sensible pricing. And for a hugely hyped place in central London! Well done!!

Oh, one word of advice. Don’t wear your best clothes. Accidents happen, there are no plates, and the environment / decor is slightly grungy. Suits won’t fit in, unless it’s post-fight-club.

After all the hype about this place, I decided to make my way through the long queue and try what is considered the best burger in town.
Well, the question in my head after we left was a loud “WHY?!”, why do people queue so long for a burger? Why did I want to queue 50 minutes in the cold and another 40 inside for an OK burger?
The answer is al down to very good marketing/PR, to which I completely bow to! Well done!
Don’t get me wrong, the burger was nice, but quite rather small, and honestly I have tasted better in London. The menu selection is quite small, which is not a bad thing; I had a bacon cheeseburger and of bacon I could taste none. The chilli cheese fries were delicious, despite staying with me until the following morning, not a good feeling.
The venue is loud and greasy – it reminded me of a student union bar with heavy metal music.
The cocktail list was fantastic though, despite not actually ordering any.
All in all, I left feeling that the long wait is definitely not worth! Sorry!

Any burger joint that offers a kitchen roll on each table and deep fried pickles with bleu cheese dip on the menu earns an A+ in my book.

I love the simple packaging: no-fuss bun, simple dressing (thick-sliced, flavourful pickles). Extras like bacon and chili are perfect enhancements, in just enough volume and with just enough kick to add to the flavour without overwhelming the meat, which is perfectly seasoned and cooked a perfect medium, which the cheese slice melted just so on top. Burgers are the perfect size.

Buffalo wings are easily the best in London.

Other pluses: Friendly, attentive service — Excellent front of house team. Fun, appropriate music (as opposed to the Korean joint M & I visited last night that was pumping deep house, which most certainly did not add to the kimchi experience). Great pricing (£7 burgers!), especially in the midst of Tourist Central. Great drinks — non-alcholic ones served in mason jars and boozy ones in frosted steins — what more can you ask for??

Have yet to try the rabbit food options on the menu and don’t see it happening anytime soon…

Only downsides are long queues but off-peak hours work a charm. Wear clothes appropriate for burger juices running down your forearms. Sounds like heaven? It is.

Most reviews I’ve read have been fairly so-so about Meat Liquor but I would readily go there again.

My first taste of Meatwagon burgers was at the Meateasy. While it was a good burger it did not make my list as the best ever.

Today’s burger (a dead hippy) was nothing short of fantastic; a delicious, sloppy burger, nicely pink on the inside and really without fault. Fantastic.
I also enjoyed the deep fried pickles, they were nicer than expected (I mainly ordered them out of curiosity) and my only gripe here was that the portion could have been a bit more generous.

The venue IMO has a more favourable layout than the Meateasy and the staff were brilliant.

Although I had to wait a while for my burger and, as I was sitting at the bar, I at one point was being jostled by some suits, the food and the lovely staff more than made up for that all. I also had a quick chat with one of the owners and he seemed to genuinely care about what I thought of the food.

Go, but go early lunchtime or early evening to avoid the queues.

If you had the good fortune to visit #meateasy in New Cross in the early months of 2011 you might find Meat Liquor a little bit of a let-down. However, as Hunter himself sort of said: "the kind of peak that never comes again. New Cross in early 2011 was a very special time and place to be a part of. Maybe it meant something. Maybe not, in the long run . . . but no explanation, no mix of words, food, music or memories can touch that sense of knowing that you were there and alive in that corner of time and the world. Whatever it meant. . . . "

We rocked up at Meat Liquor on a Friday night around 6pm hoping to beat the queue and sure enough we walked straight in and had our choice of tables. Feeling a little bit “sensitive” after a long hard week we grabbed a table in the slightly quieter area at the back of the restaurant to the left of the bar – this would be a good spot if you are with a large party.

The trademark literary ‘wallpaper’ from the New Cross venue was in place and the dim red lighting, excellent soundtrack and somewhat scatty service made this all feel very familiar despite the new location in the heart of the beast.

We kicked off our evening with a selection of cocktails from the very inviting, well-priced drinks menu. As before these well put-together concoctions came in jam jars and really hit the spot. I particularly liked the novel take on the Negroni while the House Grog was a very tasty rum based creeper which is sensibly limited to a maximum order of two per person – not sure the good Doctor would have approved of this bit of nannying though. We teamed our drinks up with the already legendary deep-fried pickles, which – trust me on this one- no trip to Meat Liquor should be without.

Suitably lubricated we were now ready for our burgers and despite the carnage around us in the fast filling restaurant we managed to get the attention of a charming burgerette and place our order. Half an hour later we were deep into burger heaven. My chilli burger was just lovely with plenty of heat and a great charred patty packing plenty of flavour. I tried a small bite of B’s chilli chicken burger and for one brief moment had a touch of the food envy. Our dining companions, big Phil and the delightful Kate (who had been mistaken for a stripper from the “club” next door) were also swooning over their choices and comparing the Meat Liquor offering very favourably with the burgers they had enjoyed during the summer at “The Rye”.

The side dishes, and in particular the fries, are a big improvement on the New Cross days. The slaw was very tasty and for those folk who don’t get what this place is all about, there is a red neon sign bearing the legend “meat” over the front door, you even have a small “rabbit food” section on the menu.

We washed all this meaty goodness down with some fine wine from the short but well put together and reasonably priced wine list. Not sure I noticed it on our visit but anywhere with wine by the awesome Charles Smith on the wine list gets a big thumbs up from me.

We left at some point around 9pm well fed, with our wallets intact and glad we were not in the ever growing queue of foodie hipsters snaking their way down the street. This year has seen me on a bit of a burger pilgrimage around the capital and Meat Liquor is definitely top five in my book. This dark, dirty, sexy dive of a place will definitely not be too everyone’s taste but we are already planning a return visit in the New Year.

Bizarrely like being in an episode of True Blood – the decor is “deliberately trashed”, waitresses wear the likes of Ramones T-shirts and leopard print head bands. Not sure if the menus were “deliberately” sticky…
The fact is, if this restaurant was plonked in the middle of Leicester Square, most people wouldn’t touch it with a barge pole. But there’s something about it…the hype, the “no-nonsense” attitude, the burgers…that gives it some kind of pull.
No plates, no cutlery, kitchen roll on the tables and drinks served in jam jars: it’s all very cool, I’m just not sure if, hype aside, it’s that much more spectacular than a regular burger joint.

Honestly, I really don’t understand what all of the hype is about. I went to Meat Liquor on a Thursday at 7, so it definitely wasn’t packed. Found a table and ordered the buffalo wings, mac n’ cheese, chilli cheese fries, a dead hippie and a chilli cheese burger. The food arrived in a timely matter, but the mac n’ cheese was a bit cold and the cheese didn’t seem to be distributed throughout rather just on top and underneath the macaroni was bland and dry. Buffalo wings normally have a spicy buffalo sauce which was no where in sight. My friend really enjoyed her chilli cheese burger and overall the dead hippie was good, but definitely not worth the hike and maybe not even worth my traveling time from Angel to Marylebone. The flavors were there, but a pool of oil gushed out from my burger. Yes, I checked to see if it was just the juices from my burger. Unfortunately, it was just oil, which is odd since my friend’s burger didn’t have this oily pool going on. So I was a bit underwhelmed by the burgers, but what was shocking was the service here. It took less time to eat then to catch the waitress’ attention to have my order taken. Also had to wait 15 minutes for the bill to come although it wasn’t that busy. The waitresses seem inexperienced and clueless. There is no kind of service and maybe I’m just critical because I work in the industry as well, but it was just shocking. On another note, there are two great wines in stock at Meat Liquor. Both wines are produced by Charles Smith (used to be in the rock business so definitely fits with the decor), for a great Merlot I’d suggest the Velvet Devil. For something crisp and with floral undertones go for the Kung Fu Girl Riesling. I normally hate whites, but this one is fantastic. Anyways, I’d rather go to Hawksmoor or even Goodman for a burger. Meat Liquor is overrated.

#meatliquor …so they say …I went to this strange wild loud place on Tuesday at 6pm ….got my burger at 6 30pm ..after something called a largerita …it was quite frankly the best hamburger I have eaten in 33 years ..juicy dribbly tasty yummy ….I am going Friday again……. early -as there was a q of 20 when I left !.ab

The new resting place of the Meat Wagon, success has gained them a flashy, central London location. I arrived at 7 and queued for an hour, I balanced this with the fact I used to travel all the way to New Cross and Peckham.
We sat in a lower level and had to overcome the fumes of newly varnished tables. Service was erratic, much faster if you are proactive and get your own menus.
The burgers are still great, but not amazing. Not sure if its atmosphere, they just do not taste as good as the very first time I tried them.
Cocktail list is well priced and executed.
Will probably return, but only if I know I can avoid the busier times. They currently are doing 90 covers but hope to increase it to 140. Wonder how that is going to work as it was hard to find seats as it is.