Think outside the box!
Burger lovers will be delighted by the new Smash & Grab offerings at Sam’s Kitchen in Hammersmith. They are simple and memorable. They haven’t been around long but they already attract regulars. At 5pm on a Thursday evening the café was filling with office workers and locals, along with a tourist or two.
Following the success of their pop-up series earlier this year, Smash & Grab is now a weekly event at Sam’s Kitchen Hammersmith. This small café reminds me of the cosy snacking spots one might find in, say, Stockholm or Berlin. It is a light and airy corner plot in a smart development at the foot of the Hammersmith end of the now-closed Hammersmith Bridge.
The Thursday to Saturday evening menu is short and no worse for it. It’s burgers and fries for the most part and they are exceptional. We tried the Bacon Cheeseburger and the Chorizo Jam Burger, but they also have a Beyond Meat burger which is vegetarian and can be vegan. Although a carnivore myself, I would be tempted by the veggies option. It’s bound to be outstanding if it is as inspired as the burgers we tasted. All the burgers can be doubled for the joy of more hearty eaters.
Yes, there are plenty of bespoke burger restaurants around. Granted some of them might be cheaper but I would still suggest that a Sam’s Kitchen burger will soon be garnering a reputation with those aficionados who appreciate something a little different, even unique.
There isn’t table service here: order your food at the counter. There are tables inside and out, and the burgers and fries are packed in boxes so convenient for eat-in clean-up or takeaway travel.
Sam’s Kitchen has a drinks menu too. My guest was tempted by a Sam’s Lager, a light and refreshing beer and a perfect pairing for his Bacon Cheeseburger and Chorizo Fries (the same chorizo found on my burger). Two rashers of smoky bacon topped melting cheese and the succulent burger patty. The bread was soft and pillowy, soaking up the flavourful juices. It needed nothing more.
Our friendly, animated and professional waitress suggested I might enjoy a Volcan Frozen Tommy’s Margarita. And I did! Tommy’s Margarita is made with tequila, agave syrup and lime juice. Here it is served as an adult slushy with a hit of alcohol, and was the perfect libation to partner with my Chorizo Jam Burger.
Should be their signature dish
No, dear reader, this is not a burger with slices of chorizo and a dollop of strawberry jam. It’s a meaty and moist ‘jam’ made with well-seasoned soft chorizo which adds so much to the finished burger. This is made with the sausage-meat style of chorizo rather than the dried salami version of pizza-topping fame. I have no idea of this chef’s recipe, but I would love to know!
Once again, a garnish-free burger. It’s all about appreciating the quality of the meat. Mine was perfectly grilled with just a hint of pink in the middle. It had a melt-in-the-mouth quality which is seldom found. It didn’t hide its virtues behind tomato, onion, lettuce, coleslaw, a fried egg and camels’ cheese from North Africa. This simple creation was quite one of the best burgers I have reviewed in a long while. Unfussy and confident in its ingredients, it should be their signature dish. I had a box of the colourful House Fries as my side dish. They were thin fries with cheese sauce, both pickled and crispy shallots, and thin and delicate rings of jalapeños.
Sam’s Kitchen Smash & Grab menu is well worth a try. The burgers are crafted by a chef who thinks outside the box!
Address
Sam’s Kitchen
17 Crisp Road
Hammersmith
London W6 9RL
Smash & Grab is available from Thursday till Saturday, 5pm-8pm (or until sold out)
Visit Sam’s Kitchen Hammersmith here