Peterborough burger joint that’s bun-tastic

Now, that is not a criticism, far from it; I don’t need a Wurlitzer juke box belting out 50s rock ‘n’ roll, or walls with Americana images to enjoy my burger – and enjoy it I did.

Ok, the burger/shakes concept is an American throwback, and maybe the booth seating, but that is it.

The layout is spacious and the menu simple, as you might imagine; the burgers come as 4oz or 8oz (there is a 16oz option for the hungrier diner) and chicken and vegetarian options too.

There is a good variety of shakes – containing all manner of sweet delights and coming in a myriad of colours.

My 8oz “Smokin’ House Special” (£8 or £12 with fries and a shake) was right on the money. A nice brioche bun for starters, big, thick juicy burger, sweet tomato and red onions to bite into, cheese melted and runny with the burger sauce – and somewhere in there they found room for a rasher of turkey bacon and a hash brown. A word of warning it was messy! Very messy, but very nice.

The fries were somewhere between skinny and chunky, golden and crisp and well seasoned – actually too salty for my five and six years-olds, but that just meant more for me.

The girls both had the burger and fries from the children’s menu (£5 with a fruit juice) and devoured the meaty treat in front of them.

Star of the show for them, though, was the “cookie and cream” milkshake – incredibly thick to begin with but once it started flowing through the straw there was no stopping them (yes, I loved it too).

An enjoyable, simple early evening meal, in a family-friendly environment, but I am not a big fan of food served on slates.

Brad Barnes dines at Smokin Burgers and Shakes in Broadway, Peterborough city centre