Gonzos Tea Room

Does anyone actually come here for tea?

Gonzos, formally the grotty 'all night' night club Cartel which used to have sticky floors and grubby bed like things along the side where you could seemingly do whatever you want on without getting thrown out. Thankfully Gonzos is nothing like that, granted it's still a bit grubby but more in a retro hipster way. The entire place is an ecclectic assault on the sensations for anyone born in the pre naughties. Tagged alongside a comprehensive burger and wing menu, what more could you want?

The Burger

So I opted for:

'The Hab: Angus beef burger stacked with Montreal smoked meat, swiss cheese, American mustard and pickles'.

All for a not too badly priced £12.50. The only thing that ramps up the bill at this place is the fairly hefty price tag on drinks. I can deal with one over-priced pint along with a meal but anything after that then I'd move on to a pub.

As ever the burger was requested medium rare, I did get some sort of minor spiel about the chef covering himself and it had to be cooked through to ensure he doesn't break 'the rules' et cetera et cetera but he would see what he could do. When it actually came the burger still had a glimpse of pink coming through and boy oh boy did that make the difference. This wasn't my first visit to Gonzos, the first time, although still good the burger was cooked through completely. This time though with that extra attention to the cooking elevated the burger to new heights. The meat was so unbelievably juicy I literally could not contain it within the remits of my face. There was burger juice everywhere. Mixed in with the american mustard that seeped all over the place it made quite a pleasant dressing for the insane quantity of fries that come along with the dish.

I'm not entirely sure what the smoked meat was but it was a delightful addition to the burger. It ramped up the meat content and added a subtle salted and smokey way, similar to how bacon acts but less intense. I don't normally condone the use of swiss cheese for it's pointless non-existent taste but I do feel in this instance a heavy cheese would over overshadowed the delicate smoked flavours coming through. Maybe on this one occasion, a mild cheddar would be better as oppose to a rich mature cheddar.

Pickles and American mustard? Classic combo. Yank mustard is great because it only has a very mild mustard flavour so there is never a risk it will over power anything, not even a toddler.

The only point I could say was that the bun should have been toasted in attempt to lock in some of the juice and keep Mary Berry's soggy bottom at bay.

The Sides

There was so many fries. Very crispy and well seasoned. After eating the entire plates worth I didn't eat again for at least 12 hours, no exaggeration (Though we did also have wings as an appetiser). They seemed to be skins on as well. No one can complain at extra roughage. Whether or not they were homemade I couldn't tell I must admit. If they are, then advertise it!

The slaw was a damn good effort. Lots of crunchy veg and not too heavy on the mayo which is great. I like to be able to see the individual components of a slaw as oppose to just white gloop.

Overall 

Well done to the chef for sticking his middle finger up at the overly meticulous world of food preparation laws and actually sending out a burger (slightly) pink. For that you gain the merit and hopefully more people follow suit from now on and make the request. Granted the burgers here are generally good regardless (very messy, but good). A sound medium rare cooking would take this burger up to another level. Hopefully next time I can get it a touch pinker. With such a varied burger menu available I can appreciate the draw to keep coming back, in addition to the fact that they are generally one of the better burgers I have had around Norwich purely because there is no posh pretence. It is a good juicy burger and it will be messy. My one recommendation is don't come on a first date and do not under any circumstances wear a white shirt.

8/10*

Gonzos Tea Room

68 London St

NR2 1JT

*Based on my medium rare experience.