The Windsor Burger / Taxi Driver Burger – Gourmet Burger Kitchen, Edinburgh

We’d heard about a new, limited edition burger being served up at Edinburgh’s Gourmet Burger Kitchen and with it only being available until September, it was the perfect excuse for a trip through from Glasgow to the capital.

Introduced to celebrate this year’s Jubilee, the Windsor burger is the result of an exclusive partnership between Gourmet Burger Kitchen and The Royal Farms in Windsor. The meat is sourced from The Royal Farm’s Sussex cattle, which are reared in the grounds of Windsor Castle and then hung and aged for flavour and tenderness. Consisting of an 8oz beef patty, the Windsor burger is simply served with an English mustard mayonnaise in a toasted brioche bun. The burger was also served with ketchup, lettuce and tomato on the side.

With the Windsor, less is definitely more. The 8oz patty had a nice flame-grilled, slightly charcoaled taste and I couldn’t have imagined it with any other toppings other than just the mustard mayo. There’s a reason the GBK staff will serve it with the tomato and lettuce on the side – you’re not supposed to put them on it! The simplicity of the beef combined with only the mustard mayo and the lightly sweetened brioche bun is what makes this burger great. Speaking of the bun, I loved the fact that it wasn’t too heavy and at times, I almost forgot that I was even eating it, however that may simply be due to the fact that the meat itself was incredibly tender and well seasoned. I was initially a little apprehensive about the english mustard mayo, as English Mustard is something I generally try to avoid, however I’m happy to report that this was well mixed and mild enough that it didn’t take away from the overall flavour of the beef.

Since it’s not everyday that we drive to Edinburgh, we thought it would be rude to only sample one burger from the menu, so we decided to order another – the ‘Taxi Driver’ burger. Consisting of a 6oz patty topped with American cheese, a massive crispy onion ring, cajun relish, dill pickle, salad and smoked chilli mayo all encased in a lightly toasted brioche bun. Before arriving at the Gourmet Burger Kitchen, I was particularly looking forward to the Windsor burger after hearing so much about it, however I’ve got to admit that, as good as it was, I enjoyed the Taxi Driver even more! I’m a fan of spicy food and the combination of both the cajun relish and the smoked chilli mayo set my mouth on fire! The Taxi Driver burger isn’t even the hottest on the menu – I also noticed a Habanero burger topped with habanero jam which I definitely want to try the next time I’m in Edinburgh. As for the Taxi Driver, the patty itself, similar to the Windsor had a nice chargrilled taste and was well cooked throughout. I love good old fashioned American cheese on a burger and it was subtle enough that it didn’t mask the many other flavours that were present here.

Comparing both burgers, it was clear that the Windsor beef was of a slightly higher quality than than the beef used on the Taxi Driver, not to take anything away from the Taxi Driver burger, however, which was excellent in it’s own right.

Each burger is available with a variety of different fries available, however we decided to simply opt for the burgers. I happened to notice other diners near us who had a few baskets of fries, which looked (and smelled) great. Looking at the menu, I’d most definitely try the Rosemary fries when I return. We did, however, try the Vanilla Milkshake, which was absolutely fantastic. This is how milkshakes should be done. Ice cold and so creamy that I struggled to finish it all. Highly recommended.

The Gourmet Burger Kitchen proves that large chains can still do great food. GBK offer up a good quality burger and lots of options to choose from. There will be something on the menu to please everyone. Despite being hyped up as a result of the recent Jubilee and upcoming Olympic Games, I actually enjoyed the Taxi Driver more than the Windsor, mainly because I loved all of the toppings and the spicy kick that came with the Taxi Driver burger. The Windsor was excellent in it’s own right, but should only be eaten with the mustard mayo that comes on it when it is brought to the table. Any other toppings would ruin the flavour of the beef.

The Windsor Burger is only available until September so get it before it’s gone.

Price: £9.45 (Taxidriver) / £11.95 (Windsor)

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Gourmet Burger Kitchen is located in the heart of Edinburgh on George Street. You can check out their official website at www.gbk.co.uk.

Gourmet Burger Kitchen
137 George Street
Edinburgh
EH2 4JY
Phone: 0131 260 9896
Website: www.gbk.co.uk