Aaah Monty’s Burger Lounge, the second in line to the Monty name. After years on success at their primary restaurant in Pokesdown, the team at Monty’s decided to open up a second meat-loving joint in Bournemouth’s hustling and bustling town centre. Their dedication to top-notch burgers hasn’t gone un-noticed; in fact most locals would consider it THE place to go for a sumptuous patty, not to mention all of the other delicious goodies they serve. Their food philosophy is rather charming if not somewhat quirky. A philosophy that says, “hey, we do things a little differently around here, and we think you’re going to like it”. To be more precise: “to enjoy every burger we munch and every glass we wash – because we believe life is for living”.
We were invited to review their new site, to get the dish on what’s hot and here’s how that went…
As we peeped through the almost pure glass shop front our excitement grew. I could see glimpses of vintage artefacts, wooden benches and what appeared to be a cot mobile, hanging from the ceiling. On we went. As I got closer it was even more enchanting than I had imagined. I discovered that the sweeping curved wall had been wallpapered in vintage magazines – Ideal eye-wandering reading material, for slowing lunch conversation. The ‘cot mobile’ was actually a Bournemouth seaside mural, entirely hand made, with textile seagulls, sailing boats and all things beach related, hanging as ornaments. The wooden benches I mentioned were just that – rustic and ideal for group dining.
After our brief meander, we sat down to peruse the menu and what a menu it was. Nothing was ordinary, definitely my kind of place (oh how mother always said I couldn’t just pick a ‘normal meal’). They offer burgers of all kinds and they have kindly categorised them into three main sections: beef, chicken and veggie. Each category has a series of delicious flavour combinations – all I can say is good luck picking because they all looked incredible.
Before any final decisions could be made on food, we decided to sample some of their adequately named ‘Freak Shakes’. For those of you that don’t know, these so called ‘Freak Shakes’ are a growing trend in and around major cities. Originally created in Australia (or so I’m told), this is no ordinary milkshake. The idea is to layer as many sugary treats as you possibly can, in and around a trendy glass (most popular seems to be the mason jar). Then once you’ve hit the vessels capacity, keep going! The finished product: a monstrous milkshake that deliberately overflows. I opted for Monty’s ‘Somewhere After Eight’ shake: a sumptuous blend of After Eights, Matchsticks minty chocolate sticks, mint-choc ice cream, chocolate sauce and god knows what else. All perfectly blended beneath layers and layers of whipped cream, oh and more chocolate. Whilst I’m fairly sure I had self-induced myself into a sugar fuel coma, I couldn’t have been happier!
After another peek at the menu, just to confirm my choice, I ordered their signature ‘Nice and Spicy’ burger. A 6oz beef patty with butchers cured smoked bacon, gooey cheese and homemade chilli chutney. I’m going to say something kind of bold here, oh to hell with it… it was, THE BEST BURGER I have ever had. New levels of burger heaven we’re met. The patty itself is really something special: cooked medium-rare, it makes for a very moreish texture and the fact that the patties are all hand-crafted on the premises daily, well that’s just the cheese on top. The homemade chilli chutney was divine; packed with lashings of fresh chillies (seeds and all) it really packed a punch – Spicy by name and most definitely spicy by flavour. I love spicy food when the heat is clearly present but it only makes the dish more special, as opposed to numbing ones taste buds beyond repair. Every burger joint’s favourite friend, the ‘brioche bun’ was there too, only this one was perfect – Less flaky and minus that off-putting ‘sat on’ look. It held all of the ingredients together so well, whilst retaining the subtle sweetness that brioche has.
Let’s not forget their rather quirky side dishes, particularly their sweet potato fries, “Did you just ask, If I want to add bacon and maple syrup?” I said. Don’t be too quick to judge folks , the contrast between the salty pork and the distinct sweetness of the syrup made for a moreish combination that I was unable to put down.
Needless to say I am highly recommending this place. Their ethos to incredible food, their endearing quirkiness and their beyond crazy milkshakes are all just small parts of there amazing story – go for yourself and find out more!
By Charlotte Williams
a. 39 Bourne Avenue, Bournemouth BH2 6DP
t. 01202 552588
w. www.montyslounge.co.uk
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