Wriggling Lunch at Plead the 5th

Last week it was cold and wet I fancied a stroll and some food, naturally. I checked out Wriggle to see what they could temp us with and some scrolling revealed a stuffed cheeseburger with hand cut chips and some apple slaw for £6.50 at Plead the 5th on Park Row. Quickly purchasing two for such a bargain we headed out for some fresh air before burgering. Plead the 5th opened up last year in the place of the long standing Italian restaurant Mamma Mia. 

Plead the 5th is American themed, named after the 5th amendment of the US constitution, the right to refrain from speaking in court in case it incriminates you. An odd choice for a restaurant name but I suppose it's a phrase that has filtered down into everyday speech. Naming aside we arrived at the restaurant to be greeted by a friendly waitress and splashes of red, white and blue all over the decor. The music is overtly big American classic rock ballads and you'll find yourself singing along whether you want to or not, earworms aplenty here. 

Seeing as we had two such good Wriggle deals we decided to treat ourselves to some chicken wings to share. Opting for the cider apple barbecue glaze, which was a special item. When it came to the drinks I was disappointed that the selection was fairly sparse. Sodas are bountiful in America, they have many weird and wonderful options, this is where offering something a little different might be beneficial. There wasn't even any root beer, which was a little surprising. When I was a nipper even McDonalds in the UK used to serve root beer as an option, albeit not for that long. Plead the 5th has ten wines, four standard beers, and coke, lemonade and Dr Pepper. However if you want a cocktail the list is very long so maybe that is the best way to go if you want something different. We chose a diet coke and Dr P. but it wouldn't hurt for the drinks menu over all to have a spruce up it's all a little uninspiring and a missed opportunity perhaps?

Wings arrived and they looked delicious. Proper large full sized wings, a healthy portion. A pot of slaw accompanied them and an artistic smear of blue cheese dip. The apple cider glaze was delicious and the wings were nice and juicy we really enjoyed them. The blue cheese dip was really strong and was more like a paste but it really worked with the wings, I could have polished off a whole three plates of them. 

Our burgers followed soon after and again it was a pretty large plate of food the patty was large due to being stuffed full of cheese, The burger was topped with tomato, pickle and caramelised onions plus lettuce on the bottom with mayonnaise. 

The cheese in the centre was super hot and plentiful. It was a nice mature cheddar that was well flavoured. The burgers were all meant to be served medium rare but ours were definitely not pink in the middle, but they were pretty juicy and definitely messy. The buns though nice, disintegrated fairly quickly. The apple slaw had far too much mayonnaise and added nothing. The chips were nicely salted and did the job. It was a fair burger but not my favourite in Bristol. A table near us ordered the ribs and they looked great. They also do fried chicken and waffles which I've had before in London and I'd be interested in trying.

I just found our visit a little frustrating because Plead the 5th had some great moments but I just found the burgers a little underwhelming compared to the wings. The service throughout was great however, really friendly and attentive. I would visit again, because they definitely have potential just a few things need changing in my opinion. To find out more about Plead the 5th visit their Facebook page.

A Summer Evening at Three Brothers Burgers

Last week Jane and I decided to throw out our normal after work meet up plans of tea and a chat in favour of dinner and a longer catch up. Jane had suggested trying out the Three Brothers Burgers which has taken up residency at the Spyglass on Welshback, well I am always up for a burger, so it was decided.  Although the Three Brothers looks like a pop-up affair I was assured on Twitter by the restaurant that it has taken over the Spyglass permanently, so if you get attached you don't need to worry about separation anxiety too much.  It was just about warm enough to sit outside so we boarded the boat and made our way to the decking area.

For the bargain hunters amongst you Three Brothers do a lunch time offer of burger and fries for £5 from 12pm til 5pm.  Two things to note on the service, the first waiter we felt was a little terse and impatient with us whilst we were deciding what to drink. However the second guy, that took over was great, we had some good banter and fun with him which despite the fact he had just returned from Glastonbury was admirable, definitely recommended.

I decided after much deliberation to go for the Blue Brother's Burger, because it was topped with caramelised onions and Alex James' Blue Monday cheese which is heavenly. Jane decided to go for the Smokey Bro, topped with smoked Applewood cheddar, bacon, house-made barbecue sauce and crispy onions. Bare in mind that sides are not included so we decided to share some fries, seasoned with a secret spice mix and some deep fried pickles served with house-made ranch dip. 

the whole shebang

blue monday from above

As you can see these are some burgers. When they arrived I did think they looked a little small but actually what they do is give you a very thick patty.  The brioche buns were nice and light and held together, which is very important when eating a burger.  Oh my word the burger itself though, heavenly. One of the nicest burgers I have had in a very long time. If i was to describe it in one word it would be juicy. The meat had such flavour and the toppings only helped accentuate that the caramelised onions were sweet enough to cut through the creamy saltiness of the blue cheese.  I wasn't really sure what to expect when I walked in to Three Brothers Burgers but I was impressed by the quality of the burger, they are all cooked medium so if you don't like a pink innard to your patty they will cook it a bit longer for you.   

The skin on fries were large enough for us two girls to share and the deep fried pickles were absolutely delicious, this has been a must try for me for a while every since they started popping up. I didn't really rate the ranch dressing the pickles came with as it had too much dill in but that is my personal tastes. 

inside the burger

On the whole I very much enjoyed my visit to Three Brothers Burgers, there were a couple of issues with service and some people might not like that fries do not come as standard however for a very juicy meat experience you couldn't go far wrong. Our meal came to just over £13 each with a drink which isn't too bad for an evening meal, plus the beer lovers amongst you they offer a pretty big range of craft beers, as is becoming the norm in Bristol. To see what food Three Brothers has to offer check out their website.

A Friday Sandwich: Mi Casa at The Big Chill

I had heard some good things about food at The Big Chill, some murmurs about burgers and more recently more vocal praise for the Mi Casa Cantina pop up that had taken residence in The Big Chill kitchen. Mi Casa boasts American style big sandwiches, drawing inspiration from the New York deli's and diners across the US. The menu is a mouthwatering feast of deliciousness you can get the famous Reuben sandwich as well as their own version of a club sandwich. I was starving when I arrived so my work friends and I ordered immediately.  I decided to go for the Cantina Club which was pulled chicken, chorizo, smashed avocado. tomato and chipotle aioli on ciabatta. Although I was tempted by the spicy chicken turbo which had southern fried chicken thighs with hot sauce, salad and blue cheese dressing. 

menu peek

retro record wall 

I was so hungry I was close to chewing the plant in front of me on the table, you know when some lunchtimes you are just inexplicably hungry you have to eat everything in sight? It was one of those days, I did muddle over ordering chips as well but with hindsight I was very glad that I didn't. We weren't waiting too long before our lunch made an appearance, the size of my club sandwich was simply huge, but I felt I was more than up to the task of tackling it. 

Cantina Club

Cantina a little closer

Best sandwich I've ever tasted? Quite possibly actually. The chicken was melt in the mouth juicy and the slight heat from the chipotle was perfectly balanced. But I think my favourite part was the chorizo, not just slices of chorizo but it was almost as if chunks of it had been cooked right down to a rich mince. It is quite difficult to describe but it catapulted this sandwich from excellent to heavenly. The spicy chicken turbo which Sharon had without the spicy sauce looked really tasty as well, although the hot sauce on the side (which would have been on the chicken) wasn't quite right but we couldn't put our finger on why. But the fried chicken was crispy and was really complimented by the creamy blue cheese dressing and crisp lettuce. 

Chicken Turbo (with a side of spicy sauce)

commit this logo to memory, it's a sign of tastiness

I would love Mi Casa to stay at The Big Chill, or at least not to far from my work or home locales so I can selfishly have one of their amazing sandwiches whenever I want. For some seriously good sandwiches, and I do mean seriously good, seek ye out Mi Casa you will not regret it. To keep updated on all thinks Mi Casa visit their website. Or to find out more about what The Big Chill has to offer, they have a colourful website of their own too.