Please note, Dirty Burger Brixton is now closed. Time Out Food editors, January 2018.
This branch of Dirty Burger had been open almost a month by the time we dropped by, yet the place was practically empty. Maybe that’s to be expected since there are so many other places to eat in Brixton, but it’s a shame; these guys really do make a bloody good burger.
Each patty goes through a three-stage steaming process while sizzling away on the hot plate: first on its own, then with a layer of cheese, and finally with a bun on top. This explains why the meat is so flavoursome and juicy, yet the burgers themselves hold together without getting too sloppy.
They’re made in a narrow, stainless steel kitchen that runs along one wall of the restaurant, surrounded by a dining area covered in tarnished metal and varnished wood. It’s the kind of carefully constructed, scruffy-but-neat aesthetic you’ll find in Dirty Burger’s other branches, but it’s simple and it works.
The same can also be said of the menu, which you’re made to order from as soon as you walk in. We went for the Dirty Bacon, which came with a piece of pork that – I’m not joking – must have been at least 5mm thick, along with some onion fries that were crunchy and crisp and completely addictive. Honestly, whoever came up with those deserves a big round of applause. If there’s a downside to all of this, it’s that eating here can feel a little rushed. But maybe that’s the point. Dirty Burger is quick and it’s simple, and it won’t be long before the rest of Brixton starts calling by.