Please Sir ! — Restaurant in Thanet

All I can say is that it is absolutely criminal that I had not visited Please Sir sooner! I am ashamed to say that I ignored the great things I had heard previously given that I do not venture into Broadstairs all that often so for months I knew about this place but it never took priority. When my girlfriend told me that she wanted something meaty and delicious in her mouth I barely even had the chance to reach for something before she suggested Please Sir! When I then agreed (slightly disheartened) and admitted that I had not been, no sooner than I had finished my sentence she had grabbed me by the scruff of the neck and dragged me to the front door! When we arrived we were pleasantly greeted by the lady at the counter. Asking had we visited before, I managed to answer without moving my lips.. “He hasn’t!” I heard. This lead to a good few minutes of verbal bashing which I took like a man comforted by the sweet sweet smell of Gary cooking up a storm in the burger kitchen! I knew that no matter how traumatic this experience had been so far, it was definitely going to be worthwhile! Now I’m usually fairly impatient when it comes to ordering the food, it becomes somewhat of a military operation. Here however, I was well and truly stumped. For a relatively small menu, I literally found myself still clueless after a good ten minutes as every single item sounded like absolute perfection! I settled for an XL Jade burger, accompanied by house slaw, cajun fires and a small bathtub of beef dripping gravy. My girlfriend went for the Limitless burger which also got me excited knowing that I would be sampling that too whether she liked it or not! My god… A taste sensation! I would happily eat here until the cows come home. Then I'd have Gary pop them straight on the grill too! Half way through, the owner popped in and we was introduced. He doesn’t know it yet but I’ve spent the last 5 days since my visit posting letters through the door of number 10 suggesting he runs the country from now on. You could tell from his enthusiasm for the business that nothing but success is on the horizon, this is definitely reflected in every mouthful! Having talked us through the company reward scheme, I will be deeply disappointed if Gary does not win this month’s trophy for the absolute quality burgers he produced that day! I am now converted and in the process of selling all of my assets so that I can spend every penny to my name here until I can no longer move! Dont be fooled by her face in the photo, she's enjoying every mouthful but still in disbelief at how I had not been before. I was made to stand outside, walk home bare footed and I'm still sleeping in a tent on my driveway to this day. Top job team – keep up the good work and will definitely see you...

This is the third time I’ve eaten here now so this is a long overdue review.

First time … I was told by a friend that this was the best burger joint around and that I had to try it, I went in with the expectation of this being amazing … and it was! I had the Jade burger which has caramelised onions and a Korean style sauce and it was the best burger I’ve ever had. The Cajun fries were delicious and were the perfect texture, crunchy and crisp on the outside but not over cooked still retaining the fluffy inside. I also had the snickers milkshake which was exactly what a milkshake should be, thick and creamy but not thick that you can’t drink it.

Visit number 2 we ate in, it’s only a small place but we didn’t feel cramped and the vibe was good. This time I tried the Limitless which had Red Leicester, red onion jam and garlic aioli. Again the burger was incredible! Cajun fries on point and the peanut butter milkshake was again perfect.

Visit number 3 today, I went for the Holy which had pastrami, pickles and mustard and again I wasn’t disappointed. Again Cajun fries perfect and again the snickers milkshake delivering. Also had the beef dripping gravy which was good but I’d have liked it a little thicker so I could have more on my fries but I really am trying to find a fault here!

I didn’t go into detail on how good the burgers were individually as they were all incredible, my personal favourite was the Jade, I absolutely loved the combo of the onions and Korean sauce. The beef patties are full of flavour and cooked perfectly. Being smash burgers and how quick they cook you expect them to dry out but please sir have nailed keeping them thin, flavoursome and moist. Another thing nailed was the bun, usually the bun can become soggy due to the condiments or oil but please sir seem not to have this problem with a lightly toasted bun that doesn’t go soggy!

Lastly the staff. Each time I have been the staff have always been so friendly, they want to serve you, they want to accommodate you and you can feel they enjoy what they do so a big hats off to please sir!

(Also cannot wait for the Whitstable joint to...

Popped by this place when I saw the 4.9* reviews from almost 1000 reviewers. Sadly it didn’t live up to the hype, and as suspected we were asked to give a google review if we enjoyed the meal, hence the outstanding score here.

Don’t get me wrong the food was decent, we went for the double smash burger to try the core offering and enjoyed it, but it came nowhere near the best burgers I’ve had in London (Bleecker topping that list). It came closest to a Five Guys burger, which I enjoy and would put a little ahead of this one.

The cajun fries were very good though, about as good as you can hope for at a burger place, so were the star of the show, hence the 4* rating.

If you want a decent burger and great fries this is a good independent spot, but just don’t get caught up in the rating hype, it’s not what it seems.

EDIT: Thought I’d post a quick update as I can’t respond to the owners comment any other way.

I appreciate that taste is subjective, and it seems the vast majority are massive fans of this place. I enjoyed the meal and will always respect an independent store looking to pursue excellence, which it’s clear the folks here do. I hope it continues to succeed and impress, and maybe one day I’ll return to try another burger, the chips were remarkable after all.

I think my review is fair enough though, a shame that it touched a nerve. Everyone has an opinion, and I was asked to give one here so I have. The burger here was good and enjoyable but to my taste wasn’t remarkable, hence the 4*. I may have had too lofty expectations, or differing taste, but I feel I’ve been fair in my review. It’s totally fair to ask for reviews if I’ve enjoyed it, and equally fair for me to mention that was part of my experience. I could have spitefully given a low score to try to bring the 4.9 closer to my estimate, but that would be egotistical and unfair. I think my review struck a fair balance, and was less critical than the owners reply. Others may disagree.

Either way if you’re into burgers and in the area you should check it out, but I probably won’t be making a special trip to go...