Honest burgers is a small chain that is expanding across London making it easy to find on a day trip to the capital. With 23 branches, 22 of which are in London (the other in Cambridge) it is one of the most regularly recommended places to eat in London for those wanting a gluten free meal. This is for good reason as it is literally gluten free heaven – a choice of burgers (with buns), onion rings, chicken wings and gluten free beer. There is so much choice and it is all safe for those with Coeliac!

Cross Contamination 

There is a disclaimer on the website that Honest Burgers can’t guarantee that their food is safe from cross contamination and  that puts some people off. This is true for anywhere I guess that isn’t 100% gluten free and I always recommend making sure the server understands your needs and can reassure you about the measures that they take regarding cross contamination before choosing whether or not to eat there. However, as far as I’m aware the food is all gluten free except for the buns for the normal burgers and they take measures to prevent cross contamination if you tell them that you are Coeliac. I generally use the Oxford Circus branch due to where I work and the servers have always had excellent knowledge and so far I’ve not been glutened despite eating there on several occasions.

http://www.honestburgers.co.uk 

For somewhere so good for gluten free their online menu is not! The online allergen guide shows the burgers as containing gluten, however that is due to the normal bun. The burgers themselves do not contain gluten so if you request them with a gluten free bun then it is gluten free and this has always included the specials when I’ve asked that have included items such as deep fried Camembert or bacon gravy – things that your head is telling you aren’t gluten free!

Burgers

On the burger menu there is a chicken burger, a vegetable fritter and a choice of beef burgers. From the classic beef burger, cheeseburger, the Honest burger (which adds smoked bacon to the cheeseburger) to a tribute burger made up of a beef burger, bacon, American cheese, burger sauce, French mustard, pickles, onion and lettuce. The choice is yours, including how they are cooked.

There is also always a special running and they are always amazing! The current special is the hot box consisting of a drool worthy beef burger, hotbox smoked pulled pork, BBQ sauce, cheddar and pink onions.

Sides

There are so many burger joints cropping up at the moment that there is a lot of competition and many can now provide a gluten free burger. However, the sides are really where Honest Burgers stand out in the gluten free world (apart from the fact the gluten free burger actually has a bun, it’s a thumbs down from me when they are served up in lettuce leaves like at Five Guys!)

Rosemary Salted Chips 

Unlike GBK coeliacs can eat the chips at Honest Burgers and they aren’t just any chips – oh no – they are rosemary salted, amazing chips (although admittedly sometimes they are a bit too heavy handed with the salt!)

Onion Rings

Yes you read that right, onion rings. Glorious onion rings. The winning item on the menu for us gluten free-ers! All gluten free and fried with no gluten items they are safe! That should be enough to get any coeliac through the doors!

BBQ Chicken Wings 

Often overlooked due to burgers, chips and onion rings it was a while before I tried the chicken wings, but I was missing out. Juicy and with a bit of a kick these chicken wings are so tasty but oh so messy and definitely not for a first date -unless you can find a way to eat them without getting covered in the bright red sauce!

Other Sides

There are other sides including coleslaw and salad but with onion rings and chicken wings on offer they have never been tried by me!

There is also an excellent choice of sauces to buy on top of the ketchup and mayonnaise available on the tables including curry sauce, chipotle mayo and bacon ketchup. For £2 you can also buy some bacon gravy which is awesome!

Drinks

The drinks menu also includes Daura Damm gluten free beer although as I generally go when I am working I normally opt for one of their lemonades. However, gluten free beer and a burger I’m sure will sell this place to many of you!

I love Honest Burgers for the choices available to me on the menu, I don’t have to look wistfully at the plates of those with me wishing I could eat gluten as there are so many things that I can eat that it is impossible to leave hungry! I would advise going as a group so that you can try all the sides as it’s far too much food to try and conquer on your own, and trust me I’ve tried when I’ve wanted to try it all! Whatever may bring you to London hopefully you will be able to give them a try! Now all I need to do is try out that brunch menu to see if it is just as good for gluten free!