Return Visit: Double Western Burger – Buddy’s BBQ & Burgers, Glasgow

This was our second visit to what has arguably become the most popular and talked about takeaway spot in Glasgow. Since it opened just a few short months ago, Buddy’s has attracted people from all over Glasgow. It went viral on social media sites almost overnight and has been repeatedly forced to close early due to running out of stock. Since our first review, we’ve received reports of people having to wait in long queues stretching along Skirving street for food and sometimes not even being able to get food at all. Buddy’s official Facebook page is made up of a busy stream of both praise for it’s food and anger from being turned away when it’s all gone. We were eager to go back and try it again, not only to see if we could experience the manic queues that everyone has talked about, but to find out if the food has changed in any way.

You can read about our first visit to Buddy’s by clicking HERE.

In our first review, we said that, a couple of minor issues aside, we loved the food. We were a little disappointed by the bun used for the pulled pork on our first visit and decided to order it again this time to find out if it was different. We also decided to double up and order a double Western burger and a side of chilli cheese fries.

We decided to call ahead and pre-order our food. I called as soon as Buddy’s opened and right away I was greeted with a busy line. After a few more attempts I managed to get through. I tried to arrange a collection time of 6pm, but was told that the collection slots for that time were full. I was offered 5.45pm, which was fine. I didn’t ask how the system works, but we’re guessing that due to demand, they offer a limited number of pick-ups per time window to try and avoid lengthy queues.

When we arrived, the place was quite busy. There were around five or six people inside, which is a lot for a place this small. There were also a few people stood outside looking at the menu on the wall. Our food was ready and being kept warm and we quickly paid and got back into the car to head home and eat. In terms of chaotic queues, we didn’t experience any issues whatsoever.

We put out food in front of the heater in the car and put the heat on as high as possible. It was an uncomfortably warm drive, but we didn’t want anything getting cold!

The double western, presentation-wise was excellent. Wrapped in Buddy’s branded paper, it was messy but easy to handle and the toasted bun, which was nicely glazed, looked very appealing. We were unsure if the buns had changed since our last visit. They looked and tasted similar but had a much more apparent glaze and was toasted far better than last time. They also seemed slightly bigger, but that may have been to do with the fact that it was a double stack. If they haven’t changed the burger buns, then the modifications they have made to them are a welcome change.

Taste wise, the Western burger delivered. Consisting of two patties topped with cheese, bacon, onion rings and BBQ sauce, there were plenty of different flavours present that complimented one another well. I always worry when a burger contains BBQ sauce as it can often overpower everything else; however, there was just enough here to give the burger a nice smokey finish. The melted cheese, which was near liquified, combined with the BBQ sauce to create a very satisfying, gloopy texture which coated the two patties. The patties were thin and well seasoned and far too easy to eat. Everything was housed well inside the bun and represented exactly what every takeaway burger should be modelled on.

I wasn’t too keen on the onion rings, which seemed a tad soggy. In not sure if these are made in-house or purchased from a supplier but I felt that they detracted from the burger just a little. Perhaps it was due to the fact that they had been made for a while and were next to the heat on our way home? A little pulled pork would have worked better on the burger instead of the onion rings.

The pulled pork sandwich was much the same as our first review. The bun used had been changed from the old Warburton’s style one used in our first review, but none of us were overly impressed and felt it was too crispy for pulled pork. All of us felt that the glazed buns used for the burgers would have been better for the pulled pork sandwich. The pork itself was delicious – tender and with a nice hickory smoked finish.

The chilli cheese fries were great, but by the time we had finished our burgers and Cajun fries, we barely had room for them. The portion size was huge and they even came with a side of beans that had pulled pork through them, which were delicious. The chilli was nice and hot and made our eyes water ever so slightly – just how we like it.

Overall, Buddy’s has made some great changes since our first visit and it is still far and away our favourite takeaway spot in Glasgow. If they are able to get the pulled pork bun right and change the Western burger toppings ever so slightly, I’d probably go out of my way to visit a lot more. At £4, it’s still the best burger in town for under a fiver (although there aren’t many others). It’ll cost you an extra £2 to double up, but we felt that it added so much more to the burger and was well worth the extra money.

Price: Burger £4 / £6 with any side (add £2 to double up) / Pulled Pork Sandwich £3 or £5 with any side.

SUMMARY
+ Great value for money,
+ Handmade patty, cooked to order
+ Burger bun improved
+ You won’t find a better burger for under £5.
+ Tasty burger patty.
– Pulled Pork bun still needs work.
– Onion rings on the burger were a little bland.

Buddy’s BBQ & Burgers
44 Skirving Street
Glasgow
G41 3AJ
Website: http://www.facebook.com/BuddysBBQandBurgers