Butchies Shoreditch — Restaurant in London

So I visited here given all the reviews claiming it was the best in London. My findings were mixed...

The Chicken Burger: I had the OG and honestly, it lives up to its claims. Best chicken burger hands down in London that I've tried (so far), simply for the tenderness of the fillet and the crunch of the batter despite not being freshly out of the fryer. It was divine. It wasn't seasoned bar salt (more on that below) and though heavy-handed, it was saved by the sweetness of the bun and the crisp lettuce. Something simple executed superbly.

The Fries: So these fries were yummy out of the box, albeit nothing standout, but I let them cool for 30 mins and they were near inedible. For the life of me I don't know why but they almost became compact to the point that some were chewy! Totally bizarre... my recommendation? If you're buying them make sure you eat them fast. The chicken will last, those fries sure won't!

The Wings: I got the 'Biggie' buffalo wings and they were the biggest disappointment of the meal. Don't get me wrong, they were gigantic (biggest wings I've ever eaten!) And they were crispy. But that salty batter and the lack of seasoning were a NO. And if the taste isn't right, the rest doesn't matter.

Chicken is the type of meat that doesn't often reach its full potential without a well-seasoned accompaniment (with exceptions) and imo this is such a case. If you're used to a fast food/high sodium diet the salt level is probably fine, but for those who are not, those wings were way too salty, so much so that by wing 3 it was uncomfortable. All you could taste was salt, so much that even the chicken's natural flavours were buried, which completely defeats the point. As a wing lover, I was devastated.

The Sauces: -OG sauce: Couldn't really taste it. Could have been regular mayo for all I'd have known. -BBQ sauce: Best of the bunch, the tang was fantastic! -Buffalo sauce: Pass. It had a lovely kick but was overall too one-dimensional. And runny.

The Staff: On the night I went, there were only two people there and the poor things were run ragged, so much so that they ended up closing early. They were also out of cheese so I couldn't try the Mac on Crac, though given the issues with salt that may have been a blessing in disguise. Despite all that, they were still so pleasant and smiley, so plus!

The Price: For what you're getting? Ever-so-slightly overpriced. For an OG meal, 6 Buffalo wings and an extra sauce, I paid just under £20 which given the overall quality of the food (not ingredients) was too much, but only by a slight margin.

Verdict: Go and give the burger a try, see what you think. The rest is pass-worthy. And for that, 3/5. Good but not great and certainly not excellent.

Edit: Went to Chick n Sourz and it is farrrr superior, their burgers are next level. I'll leave the edit at the bottom though, as Butchies does deserve a visit and still have cracking burgers! Just...

Out of this world burgers and wings, however beer is way overpriced. I first discovered the Butchies name through the Butchies market stand in broadway market on a Saturday ( Situated north at the very top of the market near the park entrance.) At the market stand there is always a 10+ minute wait however the burgers were just to die for, so naturally we wanted more. (I am somewhat of a fried chicken connoisseur from free range organic buttermilk to Dixys chicken. ) So turning up to the restaurant ( shoreditch ) I perched on a bar stool at the pretty cool downstairs bar and ordered a beer as my friends were late, I asked the waitress to recommend me a beer and explained my passion for IPA and pale ale (Yeah I'm one of those) I was given a cute little 330 ml can of ipa which i thought was perfect to start the drinks off (usually these fancy pants hipster beers come in these small cans so nothing was out the ordinary , that was until she pressed the cash register and I realise I am paying the price of 2 pints of beer for one 330 cl can ( I believe it was just under £7.00 - yes pints do exists for 3.50 - living in London I forgive you / we all forget ) I mean it was nice of course it was nice but thats not the point, I felt a bit taken back from the beer prices however apart from that I had a really great time and the food was great, expect to pay around £15pp excluding drinks for a substantial meal but the food is worth every penny. The atmosphere was a bit too "school cafeteria" upstairs but I get it thats the look they are going for, like the fiveguys / posh maccies vibe which for some reason is the trend all us yuppies are buying into after the surge of east London gentrification and actually London as a whole. ( might I add there no physical menus in Butchies because of this "hipster fast food" vibe - which Is good for the theme but what is damn annoying as there are no wall menus upstairs - I had to take a picture on a phone of the menu board and wassap it to my mates as we are all sitting upstairs )

So final notes: The burgers from the market stall are actually tastier (no idea why) I recommend anyone to visit the stall on a Saturday however the selection is poor in comparison to the full menu in the store so it really depends what you are looking for, overall this place is definitely worth a try, I was outraged by the beer prices however I am sure I am not the first to mention the alcohol prices and I am sure if they want to have a chance of staying open for a considerable amount of time and actually attract more people going for drinks I can only assume they will listen to the people and do something about this (Please, please do ) . I will definitely be returning. service was also great and staff are very friendly - cant fault the service...

Butchies Shoreditch is a cute chicken and bruger shop, serving badass American flavors on Rivington Street. The interior is split across two levels with the first floor dominated by a long bar and bar stools with counter seats. The upstairs offers more seating yet the space feels claustrophobic.

The attendant was super friendly and provided me some useful pointers on the menu. She was also kind enough to bring the my order to my table as each customer is given an order device that vibrates when the food is ready. The menu is a combination of sandwiches, buffalo wings, salads and sides - with a heavy emphasis on chicken. Having ordered The Original for £6.00 i was presented with a good sized chicken burger with the chicken being significantly larger than the bun (which i was very happy to see). The chicken was juice and tasty. While breaded it was not dry. The sauce was spicy enough to tingle my tounge but not burn it. The halloumi fries sides for £5 where a revelation. As they where filled with cheese yet super crispy in the outside.

All in Butchies delivers on taste, portion size and service. Highly recommnded if you have a craving for a chicken sandwich. The only thing missing is more seating in the shop and sauces available to add...