Reviews

The List - April 2008

Wannaburger corners the Edinburgh market for grown-up fast food served in an informal setting. The canteen-diner feel of its West End branch appeals to office lunchers and refuelling shoppers; the basic royal Mile branch captures tourists and passers-by. Under the same ownership as capital stalwarts the Caley Sample Room and the Cambridge Bar, Wannaburger boasts credentials for a professional operation and a reliable patty.

If indeed you do wanna bun-enrobed burger, a melange of guises covers all from straight up to off-the-wall. Accompaniments such as chips, excellent onion rings and coleslaw are extra, so the bill can creep up if you go for a blow-out, but the burgers are big enough on their own, especially if you go for the double four-ouncer.

It is reassuring to see the flames from the grill, and the beef tastes as good as it should in this form. The ‘classic’ does the trick, impressive homemade pesto improves the ‘Italiano’, but the beetroot, fried egg and pineapple combo of the ‘Aussie’ may be too much for some. The chunky char-grilled, squeaky haloumi with tapenade and Med veg is an excellent non-meat option. Desserts such as the chocolate brownie and the baked cheesecake are pretty anodyne, but it’s the burgers that are king here.

The Edinburgh Evening News 2008

“.....the burgers are the thing and they didn’t disappoint. Lightly charred on the outside, pink in the middle, it was possibly the best burger that i’ve ever eaten.

Best of all though was the Chocolate milkshake that washed the burger down. It was genuinely chocolaty and there was loads of ice cream in it. Danny gave the thumbs up to the strawberry one too.”