Whenever there’s a heatwave in Glasgow, you can be certain that pretty much every bar with an outdoor seating area is going to be absolutely jam-packed with people. During our recent visit to Ashton Lane, Brel was no different. We had reserved a table a couple of days prior to our visit and luckily for us, we were seated outside. Burgers in the sun? Sounded good to us!
The conservatory and outdoor seating areas at Brel are simply marvellous. It’s without a doubt, one of the best spots to hit in the city when the sun is shining. Inside, Brel is a cozy bar with a traditional feel that’s atmospheric and full of little hidden nooks and crannies for you to hide away in. But outside, it’s bright, airy, relaxed and super modern with comfy cushions and giant televisions for watching live sport.
The Brel Burger consists of a beef patty topped with swiss cheese and caramelised onions on a brioche bun. It also comes served with salad, a tomato relish and fries for £9.50. It’s a simple burger, but that’s something that works in its favour.
Presentation-wise, there was nothing overly fancy here, but again, this works in favour of the dish. As you can see, the bun was absolutely tremendous. Look how dark it is! It was beautifully toasted and had lovely char lines across the inside. It didn’t even begin to crumble or fall apart either. One of the best burger buns I’ve tasted in quite some time.
The caramelised onions were soft, sweet and complimented the melty, chewy swiss very well. Both of these toppings lifted the flavour of the beef patty, which was good, but could have perhaps done with a tad more seasoning. I added a touch of the tomato relish to the bun too, which improved the overall flavour even more.
As mentioned, everything stayed together perfectly here and the patty and bun were pretty much the perfect size. I’m not sure if the buns are made in-house, but it almost felt like they were made to fit the contents exactly.
The burger came served with chips, which were fine, if a tad plain. I did notice that there was an option of ‘Pommes Frites with aioli’ and I’m not sure if these are different to the chips that came with the burger. Next time I’m at Brel, I’ll order them and find out. If any of you are there, you can also let us know, if you decide to order them.
We don’t usually focus on any of the other food that we order during reviews, but I had to mention what came after the burger. For dessert, we ordered the chocolate fondue above. It’s designed for two people to share and comes with marshmallows, fruit and pieces of belgian waffle for dipping. This was absolutely fantastic and a truly indulgent way to end our meal. When we go back, it’ll be getting ordered again.
The Brel Burger is a solid offering which is simple, yet effective. The patty could have done with a tad more seasoning, but the caramelised onions, cheese and relish delivered a strong flavour, all housed within a really excellent bun.
Price: £9.50 (includes fries)
SUMMARY
+ Great bun.
+ Simple.
+ Caramelised onions were tasty.
+ Good sized patty.
– Patty wasn’t bad at all but a bit more seasoning would have been even better.
– Fries were a bit plain. Not sure if the ‘Pommes Frites’ on the menu are different to these or not.
Have you tried this burger? Did you love it? If so, vote for it in the ‘Glasgow’s best burger’ award by clicking here.
Talk to James on Twitter and tell us what you thought of this burger! You can also leave your own review and comments below. We want to hear from you! You can also leave a message or join in on the burger chat on our Facebook page.
Brel
Ashton Lane
Glasgow
G12 8SJ
Tel: 0141 342 4966
Website: www.brelbar.com
LEGAL / COPYRIGHT INFORMATION 
James vs. Burger Photography by Pamela Graham is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at http://www.jamesvsburger.com.
James vs. Burger 