#2: Greedy Cow Review

Greedy Cow

My second review takes us from Mayfair to Mile End, a rough and ready corner of the East End. I was accompanied by Mrs BM, Danny and Laura all nobly giving up their time to help a mate out. 

The restaurant was clean but a little characterless, the sort with lots of dark wood and beige – a bit like dining inside a mocchachino. We ordered milkshakes which were pretty good and I felt that we might be in for a treat. The menu had a good range of burgers, including a build-your-own option and hand-cut thick ‘greedy chips’. Danny took advantage of the build-your-own option, ordering a ludicrous construction topped with Cumberland sausage.  

The rest of us stuck with the programme and ordered cheeseburgers, medium rare. The food was as pretty as a picture. The build was ciabatta, rocket, mayonnaise, burger, cheddar, tomato, onion. The restaurant had Heinz Ketchup (tick), but only English mustard (boo).   

It started well - I could pick the thing up and get it in my mouth. Inside there was perfectly cooked and nicely meaty burger (6oz). The thing held together well. But after one or two mouthfuls it became clear that there was something seriously awry.

It was the instant feeling of leadenness that led to the realisation that this was a burger from the Pret a Manger school of sandwich making: taking something that might otherwise be quite nice and slathering it with so much mayonnaise that everything else suffocates in an eggy, oily emulsion. Mrs BM had to discard her bread so laden was it with white goo – was there a guy in the kitchen applying this stuff with a caulk gun?

The combination of very thick chips (which in themselves were perfectly delicious), ciabatta and all that mayonnaise was just too much. This was a disappointment – as Greedy Cow was close to being really pretty good. I guess the ciabatta is a USP and some might like the idea a slipper of Italian starch round their cow. I don’t  – and this simply served to reinforce my view that you shouldn’t mess with the bread formula too much. But the volume of mayo was a shocker, and you’ll be able to see from the picture just a hint of what was contained inside.

It was about £6.50 for a cheeseburger, with sides at around £2.50. Four people ate with sides, milkshakes and a couple of odds and for just under £50. Not massively expensive, but equally not one that I can recommend at the moment.     

Greedy Cow, 2 Grove Road, Mile End, London, E3 5AX. Tel: 020 8980 7011

Comments

[lydia]

nice photo. the bread to burger ratio definitely looks on the heavy side. and that's a peculiar two-leaf salad garnish...

enjoying the reviews (although I don't really enjoy burgers, but maybe you will come across one so good it will convince me to give them another go!)

[Burger Monkey]

Lydia, done properly a burger is almost impossible to dislike. But there is just so much rubbish out there...just sit back and let me do the hard work :-)

[Ab Fab]

After visiting the Restaurant tonight I am very disappointed. I have been speaking to the customer of my pub about going to this restaurant for some time to find that I shouldn't have bothered.
I ordered the Italian Burger with Chicken and my meat was pink and still bleeding, the burger was dry with hardly any mayo. After eating the Onion Rings which I could not finish due to the fat dripping off them, I was left with a bad taste of cooking oil in my mouth. The Chef was on his mobile most of the time which is not a good look when you have a window looking on to the kitchen and people are waiting for their food. The service was slow even though the restaurant was not busy...................I dread to think how they would handle a large group booking?????? Maybe the chicken will still be laying eggs!!!!
The only part of my meal I enjoyed were the Wedges which I could have made myself just as good from Iceland’s at £1 per bag.
I would not recommend it to anyone.