A suitably industrially clad setup, just like their Southern gaffs.  They are a chain after all so a theme is consistent.  A bit hipster, a bit edgy, yet comfy, relaxing, and the kind of place you'd happily sit for a couple of hours over a beer and a burger.  And we did!

Nowt much comes to mind in truth. It was never going to try and look/feel like Louis XV in Monaco.  It does what it tries to do perfectly.  As they've only just opened, the walls are a bit bare. Some burger, cattle, Manchester etc. artwork on the walls could add a bit of pizazz to the décor and ambiance!

A lot of burger joints have come and gone in MCR and beyond since the now prehistoric days when Gourmet Burger Kitchen impressed a lot of people.  I was personally never impressed at paying £11+ for a solo burger where you'd queue at the tills to order and pay.  £11 for just the burger, with only semi table service. It's no wonder that they've all but disappeared in most spots.

No such nonsense at Honest, where a burger and chips will set you back about the same amount.  You simply can't moan at that price tag.  I paid £7 for a flaccid Burger King at Piccadilly station to kill time on the train down to London the other week…

Sides are relatively pricey. £3.50 for some extra chips.  Sure, they are good, but you get about a medium sized potato's worth, which we all know costs about 18p in produce costs.  Extra sauces are also a bit pricey. £1-£2 for an added sauce?  Still, overall, its good value.

Super friendly, engaging, down to earth, had a good chat when ordering, and service was all that you need to be when running a casual dining joint here in Manchester.  They've got this covered and service was again ideal for the product.

Getting somebody's attention to grab the bill took a little while, but that’s about it.

Now a lot's been made of Honest's burger patties, and rightly so.  They are made of chopped, not minced, beef, which is crucially prepared by their own butchers, from their own quality cattle stock. That’s why they are allowed to serve their burgers pink, unlike many places, due to our often OCD and super-stringent food regs.  The food provenance; a word that’s generally neglected in this country, is totally on point at Honest. 

The self-named 'Honest' burger was a demonstration of simplicity and the right level of restraint. The bun being a perfect vessel to house the juicy burger patty, with quality well-cooked crispy bacon, lovely Cheddar and pickles, all working together.  None of the all too typical, messy, 7 topping nonsense.  There's a selected time and place for the trendy uber-filled monsters that have popped up on menus all over the show during the last decade or so.  My rule is that if you can't eat in in one piece, without the contents/flavour spilling out, then it's not a good burger.  And truth be told, classics are classics for a reason, and this flavour combo that will still be a favourite in decades to come.

Rosemary salted fries were also a spin on your regular Maldon seasoning, and added that Honest trademark twist.  Served skin on, since much of a spud's flavour is in the skin.  All in all, up there with some of the best burgers in the city.  Add to that, some quality drinks including beer from local favourite Runaway (who also sponsor the upstairs/outside area!), and it's a pretty solid food and drink offering.

I hate to say it, but the Manchester Burger wasn’t the hit that I'd hoped for, and that’s coming from a Bury lad who would happily ingest black pudding on a 24/7 basis via an IV drip.  The same tip-top bun and splendid patty, but it was massively messy to eat and in total contrast to the above burger. 

It slightly strayed into the above mentioned 'uber-filled' category, and fell apart as you munched away, with the black pudding ring being awfully soggy.  The also-soft mini roast potatoes felt not at all Mancunian and a tad out of place, as you already have fried potatoes, aka chips, on your plate. The cheese sauce, made with Runaway beer, was lovely, but further added to the messiness. The whole thing badly needed a textural element too. 

The simplicity and balance of the Honest Burger was lost on this effort, and it felt like they'd just thrown it together after 5 minutes' consideration as to which Manchester themed produce they could shoehorn in.  Each to their own.  Stick to the classic menu items that you can eat without a bib, I say.

A dead cert winner here in Manchester.  The unit is the right size, the price point is spot on, the service fits the market ideally, the product on point, and there's no other decent burger joints on that side of town.  

These guys really know what they are doing when it comes to putting a quality burger on your plate, along with the delivering the story, ethos, service, and an overall experience that makes the whole thing tick along nicely.

Not all launch-special burgers are a success……