Cocktail & Burger

Was surprised to find a pretty good burger place in the middle of Sauchiehall St! And I didn’t realised it’d be so funky underground.
I ordered the vege burger which was really filling and spicy too! Alongside that, fries with beef chilli! Good combo
Staff were friendly too. Overall pretty ok experience.

A friend and I popped in on Wednesday to take advantage of their 2−4−1 Burger offer.
Staff were friendly and attentive, without being overbearing. They had a decent range of craft beers, though a bit pricey at £4.20 for a bottle. The tempura gherkins were to die for, and the Coney Island fries were nice, but tasted a bit more on the bolognese side than chilli. My burger, the Saint Petersburger, was… a bit uninspiring. The patty tasted like mince meat. Nothing exceptional. The pastrami I did t really notice, nor the «Russian» sauce. All I could think was «I wish my Sleazy’s burger had had this bun!»
All in all, it was pleasant enough, but I don’t think I’ll be rushing back.

Had heard about this place and was given a groupon voucher as a present so me and the missus went to try it.
Ok it was a Monday night so it was quit, but not dead, friendly welcome and nice atmosphere, must admit I do like it on the darker side. Presented with a cocktail menu and the burger menu. Cocktail list was extensive and good, recommend the Berry one. Ordered the B&C burger, the default is medium rare, so if you like yours done differently say when you order. And what can I say, it was one of the best burgers I have had in Glasgow, I am definitely coming back for another real soon

Went here on Friday for my birthday and all round it was a good experience. Food wise I had the Coney Island fries which were lovely and the c&b burger which was very tasty.
I think there is probably better burger places about now however C&B seemed do a very decent job and is good value for money.
I was a wee but disappointed that they no longer offer the mussel popcorn that I had wanted to try, but that is only a small complaint. Service was quick and the staff were friendly.
All in a good place to have lunch when you have a day off work on a Friday. So if you are not tired if burgers yet you should give it a try.

A single door leads down to this little haven away from the bustle of Sauchiehall Street above.
Having read good reviews I was keen to try the food here, yet another burger place to try, so I kept things simple and order a Cheeky Cheese (a straight up cheeseburger by any other names, I choose cheddar over Emmental or Gorgonzola) and a side of Coney Island Fries (fries topped with chilli beef and grated Manchego cheese).
My companions had the Poppin’ Pork and The Big Pole with regular Stealth Fries (ask then why they are «stealth»), we may also have ordered an item that is no longer on the menu but is was quiet enough that the batman happily obliged. I’m saying no more than that!
The food arrived very quickly and was snarfed in about the same time. Deliciously cooked burger, and nicely spiced chilli fries were well cooked. The burger could’ve been a bit thicker as it was a little lost in the bun but it was perfectly cooked to medium rare.
The pork looked great, and went down well, as did the hotdog, so it’s safe to say there are no qualms on the food front!
All in all I enjoyed my visit and will definitely be back to try some of the cocktails. The staff were friendly, relaxed and efficient (although it was still early and quiet), although the joss sticks that were lit were a little cloying so I was glad we had finished eating by then!
Price wise it’s pretty on the money, if a little on the high side, but I’d happily recommend this hidden gem to others.

A wee update following a lunch time visit — I hadn’t been back since May (how embarrassing) but I was glad to stumble in here on a very quiet Friday to find they were definitely serving food.
At lunch they have a burger and fries deal for £5, and a soft drink with endless refills is just £1. Amazing value, and I was keen to see whether it was as good as my previous visit. Service was fast and I was delighted when my burger arrived in a good amount of time — perhaps 10 minutes, not much more. The burger was great, very juicy and a nice patty. The bun is a good size although collapsed a little about ½ way through. The burger definitely needs sauce added to it and I kind of wish the tomato relish was already on it. Apart from this, it is a really good burger and great value in the deal. The chips can’t be faulted — lightly seasoned and crispy, very tasty indeed.
It was pretty quiet when I was in, only a few tables of customers and service was great. My drink was refilled without me having to ask which I appreciated. With the bill coming to a grand total of £6 I was very impressed.
Something to note is that if you have a loyalty card, it only counts at dinner time.

We originally intended to go to a different restaurant but they were fully booked so we pulled up Unilocal,saw that this was not too far, and decided to try them instead. I’m glad we did because I loved this place! A basement restaurant serving awesome burgers and great cocktails? Yeah, definitely my kind of spot. My bf ordered a hot dog (yum!) and a burger while I opted to get the pulled pork sandwich which was excellent! It was moist and flavorful and so satisfying! And their string fries were so good I couldn’t stop eating them! The cocktails, like most reviewers mentioned were on the cheaper side but they were quite good. I loved the Jack the Rabbit and the C&B martini! So with great food and drinks, reasonable prices, and a chill vibe I wouldn’t mind coming back again.

Super quick service today (we were quite late for lunch at 2pm so it wasn’t very busy). So pleased I finally got to sample the cider onions! The first time I ordered the pulled pork burger they had none left so I had lamb. The second time they had the pork but no onions :(
Having finally tried the full Poppin Pork experience I am a very happy girl! YUM! Stealth fries delish as usual and yummy pork — best pulled pork ever as it’s not bbq flavoured, just juicy and delicious! (I’m not a fan of smokey bbq flavours.) So they’re getting 5 big stars from me this time! Gutted the 2 for 1 offer seems to be gone though. We got the burger & fries lunch deal for £5 each.
Mum’s comment — even the lettuce is tasty! :)

Had a great night here recently with my boyfriend, his cousin and sister. This place really is excellent value for money and the food is so damn good. This was by far the best time I’ve been though.
We all had burgers each, a portion of fries each, a couple of cocktails each and it only came to around £80 all in including tips. Can’t beat that!
I had the C&B burger (bacon and cheese), really love the brioche bun it comes it. The main thing I love about the burgers in here is that they are easy to pick up and eat all at once. Really not a fan of skyscraper burgers that you have to dismantle, kind of defeats the purpose for me. Fries are a huge part of my burger experience and the stealth fries in here are so good. They didn’t come to our table for a while after we had our burgers though. They also give you Glasgow Death Sauce (think that’s what it’s called) on your table. Love this stuff!
Happy tummies all round and the C&B virgins were impressed! Wish I worked nearer this place so I could take advantage of their £5 lunch deal. Probably for the best I don’t though, I’d probably pile on the pounds.

This place has been hyped, and hyped and hyped EVERYWHERE. From the unassuming front, you’d never know that such a hidden gem was there. I FINALLY dragged my butt here with a few friends, and wasn’t disappointed!
I had a pulled pork burger, with Kopparberg (!!) onions. phwoaahhhhhh. taste EXPLOSION. and they gain about seven million points for using proper brioche buns, how can i ever go back to flour monstrosities?
the cocktails were also pretty fantastic (and boozy. woah.) They have a great lunch deal which makes the whole experience super duper cheap. I’ll be back for that!

Value for money?
I went to this place rather excited as apparently they are linked with the guys who own the Bier Halle. The burgers where really nice not the best I’ve had but nice! The major down fall for me was they where tiny, so order 2 or lots of sides.
However the disappointment didn’t stop there the service was awful! We waited for a good 30 mins before our first cocktail arrived. After 2 more mojitos down our burgers arrived, so you can imagine how hungry we where.
I will give this place a go again and hope for the best but for now am afraid it’s a 2 out of 5 for my hunger!

My husband and I popped up for an impromptu lunch; I’d heard lots of buzz around Cocktail & Burger and the husband is a HUGE burger fan so it seemed like a good match. We were seated right away even though it was fairly busy.
We both went for the £5 lunch offer which includes a burger (choice of burger, cheese burger or veggie), fries and a bottomless pop. As an American I totally miss free refills so this made my day! Husband went for emmental on his burger and I opted for cheddar.
Since it was pretty busy I was a little worried about time since I had to get back to work but we were absolutely fine. The burgers were great — only one gripe from me is that I’d asked to have my burger medium rare and was told that was how they came, but our burgers came medium. They were still tasty but I was so excited to get a burger to temperature and it didn’t happen — that’s the only reason for my missing star.
The good was totally worth £5 and throw in free wifi and I’m a happy girl! They had a massively extensive cocktail list that I’d love to come back and try when I’m not headed back to the office.

Essentially taking the format of it’s sister restaurant Beer Halle and switching pizza and beer for, well, cocktails and burgers, overall this place is pretty impressive, but you did get the impression that it was struggling under its success a little bit.
As with the format, the layout is pretty similar to Beer Halle — a small bar area once you get down the stairs and a pretty decent selection of booths and tables considering the size of the place. The atmosphere is pretty chilled out, and the music selection was pretty good. In terms of pricing, it’s excellent if there is an even number of you as you can get 2 for one, but it does seem unfair on the lone diner. Having said that, the food is good enough that you could get away with charging full price for it…
I went for the C&B burger, and it was very, very good. A good size (I’m not a fan of the massive tower burger), and with extra garnish like onion and gherkins at the side to add if you wanted. Well cooked, and with some pretty tasty bacon, the burger was served in a lovely brioche bun, which kept its shape throughout, and was nice and sweet. I’ve not been to all of the burger places that have appeared in Glasgow yet, but at the moment this is ranking pretty highly. The chips were great as well, especially with the super-​strong chilli sauce you get with your condiments!
Where they did fall down was in timings. Alternating between two-​thirds and three-​quarters full when we were there, the staff seemed to be struggling to get round each table at a decent speed, and you could hear some rumblings of discontent from our table as well as those around us. By the time we left, some items were off the menu, and the folk seated next to us were told that it was going to be a 30 minute wait for their food. In time I’m sure it will settle down, but you did get the impression that dealing with that amount of people was a struggle at the moment.
All in all, a pretty good experience, and I would definitely go back.

I’d been in Cockail & Burger once before for the Unilocal Elite event. It’s a popular place to eat, that’s for sure. I called early in the afternoon in an attempt to make a booking but was told they don’t take bookings on a Saturday. I said I’d be in about 6 and he said it would be no problem to walk in.
Come six we arrive and it’s busy. Not packed but not far off. One thing is clear; Glasgow loves a burger. More so, Glasgow loves 2 burgers. — For the price of one. Whilst the value is great, quality and taste is not compromised. I didn’t have any cocktails this time round but they’re all pretty reasonably priced and, from my experience at the Unilocal event, delicious too!
When in Cocktail & Burger, I feel like I’m in a Tarantino Film. — (Pulp Fiction, if you’re asking!) I don’t really know whether this says more about the feel of the restaurant or the way my mind works but the style of the restaurant is very unique with lamps directly above tables for two, chalkboard menus on the walls and a killer soundtrack to boot. (Anywhere that plays Earth, Wind & Fire’s September instantly has my seal of approval!)
There was a bit of a wait for food but that’s perfectly understandable considering just how busy this place gets, especially from early on. — You can tell just how hard these guys work by glancing behind the bar. My only qualm, and the reason it didn’t quite make 5 stars, is that the music was far too loud, although I was sat next to a speaker. It did make conversation a little difficult.
I can’t fault the burger, the fries, the service. It was all exceptional as almost all of the reviews will tell you! I had the C&B Burger. — It was delicious, cooked to perfection and just big enough! (Oh, and they’ve stopped peppering their fries! You can flavour them yourself! I know a few people found it too strong!)
You know when your mum says, ‘I like this place’ that it really must be good. I’ll be back, Cocktail & Burger, because I want to give you that fifth star, you deserve it! (PS, is that a good enough excuse to go back and have another burger?)

Cocktail & Burger is definitely a place I would recommend for After-​work or a nice Saturday lunch. I just love the concept of pimped up fast food and good drinks. Its a concept that often lets me down though as many places never really take it to the max. Perhaps it is because no one wants to pay premium for a burger or hot dog even if its creative and made of premium ingredients. Cocktail &Burger is no exception, but it is great value for money, thus the four stars.
About the food: The list is quite simple with cheese-​, bacon-​, chicken-​, pork-​, lamb-​, and halloumi burgers. There was also a mushroom burger that was a new concept to me. I was intrigued to try it but I am way too fond of meat to consider a vegetarian dish in a place like this. To spice up the mix, there are a few mouthwatering hot dogs and salads on the menu. All food is served from cute, country style metal dishes. I had the Bacon and cheese burger (they were out of pork) with some crunchy fries. It was definitely a good burger. Not the best I have had, but considering the price, great value for less than 10£.
About the drinks: At Cocktail & Burger the list was not very creative, but the classic drinks were made well. I had a very nice and fresh Pineapple & ginger martini from the more creative front and my date went for a traditional Dark and stormy. Both excellent in taste and price. Where in London do you get a good cocktail for less than 7£, and now I’m talking good, not decent (I am fairly new in town, so perhaps somewhere, but I haven’t found it yet)?
About the service: Service was very friendly and I could appreciate the pre-​warning of food taking around 30 min to prepare. I don’t like waiting, but the information upfront gives one the choice to go somewhere else if patience is running low (due to hunger).

l had to come in on my own and sample the goods once again after the evening tasting session. I had the mussels to start they where in a thicker batter not tempura that suited them better, they would taste nicer with a lemon dip than tarter sauce.
For the main l chose the special the south east asian pork bun with a side of stealth fries. I still find the stealth fries are over seasoned and far too salty for my liking, if you are served a condiment tray that had salt and pepper then you should have the choice to salt or not to salt.
Overall the food was ok, service was ok l was approached twice if l was wanting to order a drink when l already gave my order in. I understand it’s probably a relaxed theme but l didn’t get the hot pant’s thing for a server l felt that it was putting the place to a lower standard than what they where trying to achieve.
The food is very good and very good value for money, the bar staff where the first people to greet you as you walked in the door.

Boom. Fifth star. Easy.
So take everything that I said below and just rub out the bit about the shoddy service. We popped in last night once agian before the Unilocal Movie Night, and the service had went from a little haphazard to being fully focused and efficient.
Ooh, a (kind of) word of warning. If you’re planning on ‘doubling up’ on the burgers, be prepared to hit some sort of ‘meat wall’ at about ¾ of the way through. Do not back down. Fight the urge to sleep. Eat. Eat. Eat.

I’ll jump on the band wagon if I want to, you can’t stop me and I won’t get off. This band wagon is heading straight to America, it’s actually going to lose its wheels and then set sail the Atlantic Ocean, with a pile of C&B burgers to show those Yanks that our Scottish burgers are better than theirs.
When I first heard that Cocktail and Burger was opening my immediate thoughts were, «well thats an inspiring name, who the hell calls a pub Cocktail and Burger?» I laughed, «I wonder what they will be selling, har har». Anyway, putting the rather crappy name aside I learned that they bake their own brioche bread (and stick a burger in it). Now, there was one problem with this. Brioche is a sweet French breakfast food. I don’t want no bloomin’ French breakfast bread in my all American burger. BUT, slap my thigh and call me a right fruit bat for being so judgmental. The burgers were quite simply delightful. So juicy, seasoned to perfection and the bread, wow, loved every mouthful.
Now, I’m not finished with my praise quite yet, the staff, a huge improvement on the moody Bier Halle zombies that used to work here and best of all, the burgers are 2−4−1 all day. Fantastic bargains to be had all day every day.
Sauchiehall Street just got a lot better thanks to C&B!

Burgers!!! Yay! After reading Lex’s review, the place had a lot to live up too.
Once I found it, I was expecting to go upstairs but alas you head on down. As I thought, it is one of the narrow entrances on Sauchiehall Street. I never frequented the place, as you’ve probably guessed, when it was formely the Bier Hof. I found it to be fresh and modern with a hint of «oooh this looks quite posh».
I found the Unilocal guys already tucked into a booth and as we were heading off to the lands of Middle-​Earth via the pictures we wanted to get our order in as soon as. With the majority on the C&B bacon cheese burgers and a wee cheeky order of Stealth fries, including some double ups at £3. As I’m wee I’ll just attempt a normal portion for now thanks.
Service was pretty quick, although I was confused at who was our main server, saying waiter sounds too posh for the place, even though the décor is. I believe drinks orders were confused and then the last food order was mixed up. My man arrived a little later but I thought, well service is rather quick he’ll be able to catch up, well with me anyway as I’m a slow eater. This is where it loses a Unilocal star, I think they need to just have one person allocated to a certain section, or they have one person for the same group of customers.
It left a 25 minute wait and after checking with the only girl member of staff that the order had been mixed up/​forgotten, I can’t remember which. My man ended up just cancelling the order as he knew we would need to leave very soon. The girl was very apologetic and helped out with a wee amendment to the bill, we also got our 2−4−1 burger deals.
Now lets get down to the serious business, da burger. Apart from the mix-​ups, the burger was the best burger I’ve ever had. Jings, I didn’t even need the red sauce on this baby. It was the most juiciest and tender bit of beef I’ve had in my mouth. Oh my! The burger bun, which was brioche, was so light and tasty, none of your dried out (I need to leave half of the bun as it’s like chewing on an Arab’s sandal). No idea why the Stealth fries were Stealth but they were mighty tasty and complimented the burger well. Fortunately no horses were harmed in the making of these burgers.
I would go back, try a hot dog and leave the car behind next time. They have raspberry beeeeeeer! Slurp! Hopefully they will outstand me and Ian will get his burger.
Btw was it just me or was California Man working behind the counter? «Linkage!»

Within the first month of opening, I have returned at least 5 times (introducing friends each time)… that must say something, right? Especially coming from this burger snob.
From some of the world’s best Michelin-​starred fine dining to humble hole-​in-​the-​walls, I will go anywhere for brilliant food. But every once in a while, I just have a hankering for a good old-​fashioned burger. More often than not, many if not most local establishments fail to meet or exceed my burger test. Yes, there are criteria for a burger to be considered worthy of being consumed and praised.
In a land blessed with such gorgeous and tasty beef, why is it so difficult to find a lip-​smacking *simple* burger in this country? Countless times, the homesick American in me orders a burger naively thinking «this will be better» despite the restaurant’s gimmicks of «gourmet», «hand-​formed», «made with heart»… they end up all the same: disappointingly over-​cooked, dry, and bleh. I’m a marketer and a cynic, yet I keep falling for it, because I so desperately want to believe a decent burger that is reminiscent of home exists in Glasgow.
Feel free to agree or disagree, but this is what I believe makes a good burger…
The test:
1. The patty — whatever meat is offered, it must not be overcooked. There is nothing worse than trying to chew through an overcooked dry hockey puck. If the meat is top-​quality and fresh, you should be able to enjoy it medium-​rare in all its glory (read: JUICY). Overdone burgers are a telltale sign that the meat is no bueno. Though for less adventurous types, well-​done burgers should still be dripping in juices (cooks and chefs should be creative enough to know how to achieve this — not rocket science here). The meat should be perfectly seasoned, but not over-​seasoned that it tastes «dirty» or «dusty» (yes, it’s happened to me — *cough* Black Sparrow and Brooklyn Café).
2. The bun — should be relative to the size of the patty. There’s nothing more awkward to eat than a burger that’s overwhelmed by the bun. Buns come in all varieties (e.g. poppy seed, sesame seed, multigrain, ciabatta, brioche, etc), but the most common variety I seem to come across in Glasgow particularly is stale. Therefore, I rarely eat the bun on my burgers here. Grilling the buns also provides a sog-​proof barrier in anticipation of the incredibly juicy burger.
3. The toppings and other options — the usual include lettuce, tomato, onions and pickles. By this point you have a humble but tasty burger. The burger should be able to hold its own in terms of flavour without the help of ketchup or other sauces. Smothering a burger with heaps of sauce is just a cover that the burger is dry. Kick it up a notch by adding cheese, bacon, special sauce, or customised toppings (sautéed mushrooms, peppers, various cheeses, the list goes on).
Seems simple enough, right? But why has it been so difficult to find a decent burger in Glasgow… until now.
Replacing the old Bier Hof digs, Cocktail & Burger dishes out impressive grub and libations to see you through the night. Serving up burgers, sliders and even hot dogs, C&B is a godsend for any homesick American or anyone who appreciates a properly cooked burger.
The vibe is laidback and low-​key, much like its predecessor. In speaking with the manager, I can kind of see how they’re trying to go for a speakeasy feel especially with the staff’s 1930s newsies look. Sure. Having been to speakeasies in SF, Chicago, St. Louis and NYC, C&B would succeed in this better than the failed Blind Pig because it’s actually underground (without the big obvious windows and cheesy writing on the wall about prohibition and what speakeasies are). If C&B is to evolve into a proper speakeasy, I’d like to see more inventive, labour-​intensive cocktails on the menu.
As for the food… oh the food! *insert insane girlish giggle* I cheekily ask for the burgers to be cooked medium-​rare, and all my dining mates follow suit on every occasion. Were they up for the challenge? C&B deliver on all points of my burger test, and I even devoured their glazed brioche bun. The Oban popcorn mussels are also a treat as a starter before the burger. The stealth fries are perfectly fluffy inside with a crisp spiced exterior.
In addition to being quite possibly one of the best burgers I’ve had in Glasgow, they offer incredible value. C&B burgers are always 2−4−1, so you only pay no more than £4 for a brilliant burger. You have absolutely no excuse to pay full price for a horrible Ketchup burger ever again. Never again. C&B has won this cynic’s heart and approval, and I want to give all the guys in the kitchen a great big hug for making me so incredibly happy.