You’ll smell it before you see it. It’s nestled away between a bookies and an off-licence in Irlams o’ th’ Height, a much-loved and almost legendary suburb of Salford in Greater Manchester, on a row of shops that during the spring and summer months are partially hidden by trees. Hard to spot? Not at all: you’ll be tipped off by the crowd of Uber Eats delivery drivers that are pretty much constantly gathered nearby, waiting for the inevitable flurry of orders that arrive as soon as the door is swung open. And it’s not even officially open yet.
Manchester-born That Burger Place is a slice of authentic Californian hamburger culture transplanted into the north west of England, and it takes that level of authenticity very seriously.
I was watching places like Easy Street Burgers and Goldburger in LA… so I took a trip out there to spend time with the owners
Ryan McDermott, owner of That Burger Place
The first That Burger Place restaurant opened in Swinton, on the outskirts of Greater Manchester, back in 2017. It was originally inspired by a trip to New York City, and specifically a visit to what had been one of the mainstays of the city’s amazing hamburger scene since the early 2000s – a hidden restaurant in midtown Manhattan called Burger Joint. So profound was his experience in New York, upon returning home Ryan McDermott almost immediately founded That Burger Place.
The original Swinton location has since closed due to rent costs tripling, but after dabbling in the mysterious world of the “dark kitchen” earlier in 2023, the new Salford store will become That Burger Place’s second current permanent location alongside the super-popular Walkden takeaway store. It doesn’t officially open until Friday 18th August 2023, but we went along for a couple of test kitchen days in the weeks leading up to the grand opening.
When it opens, there will be booths and stools inside on which to sit and eat, and the signature bright branding on the outside. But when we arrived, it was stripped back. The aforementioned crowd of Uber Eats drivers outside and the glorious smell of hamburgers cooking were the Star of Bethlehem, guiding burger-loving pilgrims to their ultimate destination. And believe me, it’s a truly heavenly one.
The menu is yet to be finalised – although you can guarantee the signature California Dreaming burger, a finalist a the 2022 National Burger Awards, will make it – and the test kitchen nights were used as a chance to try out new regular menu items, as well as potential specials like the newest fan-favourite Patty Melt. If the Walkden menu is anything to go by, the selection will give you enough options to take your time over your selection, but not too many to be totally overwhelming.
Given the chance, go for the Oklahoma Onion Smash. It’s their take on the iconic Oklahoma Fried Onion burger, and it’s pretty faithful to the classic: finely sliced white onions smashed right into the beef patty, American cheese, and a couple of pickle slices. Traditionally, this would all be supplemented by mustard but here, you get a generous helping of their signature Sunshine burger sauce which is a perfect accompaniment. It nicely adds to the overall taste of the hamburger without taking anything away from the beef and onion, which should always be the dominant flavour in any Oklahoma fried onion burger. As a purist, nothing gives me greater happiness than an excellently-done fried onion burger and this is easily one of the best I’ve ever had.
One singular issue plagues many smash burger restaurants: the fact that they don’t actually serve smash burgers at all. Many of them just serve thin patties that they’ve attempted to squash down on the grill using a flimsy spatula. In 2023, that’s just not going to cut the mustard. A proper, authentic smash burger should have those lacy, crispy, caramelised edges but still retain a juicy texture at the centre. That Burger Place has absolutely perfected the method: you get so much flavour from those beautiful crumbly edges, and ample moisture from the middle of the patty.
It is an incredibly impressive hamburger. Every element would, on its own, be a standout. With them all put together? You have something genuinely special. The only complaint you’ll have is that eventually, one of the bites you take will be the last. It’s the kind of burger you wish you could eat every day. And you can taste the Los Angeles influence in every bite: while founder Ryan’s trip to New York was the inspiration for That Burger Place, it was the more recent visit to LA that helped perfect the formula.
It was our lockdown dream to get out to LA to try In-N-Out. People like Goldburger, Easy Street Burger, they’re doing this style too.
Ryan McDermott, owner of That Burger Place, to the Manchester Evening News
Ryan now runs That Burger Place alongside his wife Megan, who joined during the pandemic. They both grew up near to the new Salford store, and they see it as a sort of homecoming. The key, they believe, is building a connection with the locals which itself is the kind of approach you find at hamburger joints all over the USA: find your audience, treasure them, build loyalty, and watch as they keep coming back. If you can crack that, the sky is the limit.
It wasn’t always easy, though. The smash burger revolution in the UK is still a relatively new one and until fairly recently, anything less than a thick, juicy quarter-pound patty was seen as something of a lower culture option when it came to hamburgers. There were times that the original restaurant in Swinton barely made £20 for the night. And when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, what was essentially a total hospitality shutdown was in effect in the UK for well over a year. It was Ryan’s grandad, Bob, who encouraged him to keep going – and so during lockdown, at-home meal kits were sold and online cook-along videos were made to keep That Burger Place alive.
Let’s all thank our lucky stars for Grandad Bob. Without his encouragement, the UK hamburger scene would’ve lost one of its crown jewels.
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That Burger Place instagram.com/thatbgrplace
Location: 327 Bolton Road, Salford, M6 7GU
Price: £13.50 for the Oklahoma Onion Smash with regular skin-on fries
While you’re there: Get the Filthy Animal Style Fries. Inspired by the legendary In-N-Out “secret” menu item, it’s a huge portion of skin-on fries topped with grilled onions, melted American cheese, and their own Sunshine burger sauce. Utterly delicious, and utterly filthy.
Hamburger Britannia 