SHOULD the perfect burger be fried or grilled? Smokeys in Ashley Road, Poole has built up a loyal following dedicated to their flame grilled offerings and has now expanded with a Bournemouth branch on Holdenhurst road.

The Poole branch is small and open; customers can see all the food being cooked a few feet in front of them. Despite going in late on a Wednesday night the takeaway had a steady flow of customers.

After perusing the menu board I decided to order a Jolly Rancher burger (Bacon, Mature Cheddar, BBQ Sauce) and my dining companion opted for a plain burger with bacon and mushroom which were very reasonably priced at £4.20 and £4.40 respectively. The meat was cooked well done with no option given for medium or rare but it was very tasty and flavoursome. Served in a plain sesame seed bun it’s easy to see what all the fuss is about.

We shared a large portion of chips and potato wedges which again were priced at a pocket friendly £2.40 and £2.60. Both sides were quite mundane in taste and didn’t really add an awful lot to the meal. It would’ve been nice to have an option for fries on the menu. Service was friendly and attentive however.

Smokeys makes a strong argument that the perfect burger should be grilled. It’s a great place to pick up a tasty burger for takeaway or home delivery. I was left thinking the quality of the sides could be improved to match the burgers, but for a mountain of food at a low price it represents excellent value for money. Definitely a worthy contender for best burger in town.

My BILL

1 Mushroom / Bacon Burger £4.40

1 Jolly Rancher Burger £4.20

1 Large Chips £2.40

1 Large Wedges £2.60

Total: £13.60