For us, it’s impossible to make a trip to Manchester and not stop for some Almost Famous burgers. We ate our first ones back at the beginning of this year and from that moment, we said we’d never visit Manchester without making a stop there again. Imagine our absolute horror when; in the summer, the news broke that Almost Famous burgers had burned down with no timescale for a re-opening date. Nobody was hurt in the fire and the Manchester food community offered their support to the staff, but for many, the best burgers in Manchester were gone for the foreseeable future.
(You can read our original review of Almost Famous HERE)
Thankfully, Manchester wouldn’t be without Almost Famous for long, with the announcement that their burgers would be served from the nearby Lust Luck Liquor & Burn while the original is rebuilt and re-opened. With that in mind, we decided to stop by for a burger lunch during a recent trip to Manchester to see the NBA. Unfortunately, we forgot our trusty camera, so had to make do with mobile phone photography, so we apologise for these photos not being up to our usual standard.
The menu consists of a selection of AF burgers, Mexican food and various breakfast options which sounded delicious but weren’t available during our lunchtime visit.
There are five burgers to choose from and a selection of sides. I wanted all of the burgers and was initially tempted by the ‘Burning Down the House’ option, but decided to go with something a little less spicy, since I had the full day in Manchester ahead of me and didn’t want to have a fire in my stomach during the NBA game! I opted for the ‘Killer Bacon Cheese’ with a side of the heavenly bacon bacon fries.
Consisting of a triple patty stack (you likely won’t find any single-patty burgers here!) layered with bacon, cheese, fresh chilli, baconnaise, chipotle and ketchup, this was definitely more than you’re average lunchtime snack! Considering we had a pretty long day ahead, no time to stop for dinner later and a long, late-night trip back to Glasgow; however, I wasn’t exactly complaining!
The patties were juicy and served medium; the burger held together well and was easy to pick up and eat, despite the large number of toppings and the fact that it was dripping with lashings of sauce and cheese. The meat was well-seasoned and patties were fairly thin, giving off that classic fast-food vibe that so many burger joints seem to love these days. Almost Famous; however, do it right. This is the definition of ‘dirty burger’ and if the three thick slices of American cheese don’t convince you of that, then the dripping baconnaise, chipotle ketchup and burger juice combination running through your fingers as you eat most certainly will.
The bacon was cooked to perfection and thankfully, wasn’t overly crispy. The bun was light, nicely toasted and held its own against the might of everything that was crammed into it.
I absolutely loved the contrast of the smokey chipotle ketchup against the ever so slightly caramelised bacon and the super-rich baconnaise. Combined with the subtle, yet complex flavour of the beef, what I was left with was a little slice of ‘dirty’ gourmet fast-food heaven in Manchester’s Northern Quarter.
Presentation-wise, don’t expect Michelin star here. As we’ve stated, Lust Luck Liquor & Burn along with Almost Famous are all about dirty burgers, lashings of mayo, burger sauce, dripping juices, cheese and all of that other good stuff. That being said, this was an impressive looking burger and certainly helped reinforce the ethos of the restaurant. There was a lot going on in this burger, but much like all of Almost Famous’ offerings, you’re still able to pick them up and get stuck in without having to carve it up with a knife and fork like Christmas dinner.
I also must mention the bacon bacon fries again. In our last review of Almost Famous, I described them as ‘almost life-changing’ and I’m happy to say that my opinion hasn’t changed. As highlighted in our last review, these are a mix of sweet potato and regular fries served in a basket and topped with candied bacon bits and floods of baconaisse. They are every bit as unhealthy and absolutely spectacular as they sound and while the portion size wasn’t quite as big this time round, it was more than enough for two people to share. One of the best sides I’ve ever had with a burger.
Simply put, Almost Famous know how to do burgers extremely well. I’d go as far as to say that they’re probably the best burgers I’ve ever had. If you’ve never been to Manchester, then these are worth the trip alone. Make it happen whether it’s by car, train, Megabus for a few quid – whatever it takes. You need Almost Famous burgers and bacon bacon fries in your life.
Price: £8 (bacon bacon fries £4 extra)
SUMMARY
+ Incredibly juicy patties.
+ The definition of ‘dirty burger’.
+ Great topping combinations. The baconnaise and chipotle ketchup flavours worked so well together.
+ Good bun.
+ Bacon bacon fries were outstanding.
– Smaller side portions than before, but still enough to share – especially considering the size of the burgers.
Have you tried this burger? Did you love it? If so, let us know!
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Lust Luck Liquor & Burn
100-102 High Street
Northern Quarter
Manchester
M4 1HP
Tel: 0161 832 8644
Website: http://www.lucklustliquorburn.com
James vs. Burger 
I was up in Manchester over the weekend and the wait time for a table was 2 hours!!! How crazy is that?! As much as I wanted to I don’t think there’s any food that justifies that wait time.