Burger and Lobster Farringdon - Review

Lobster Roll at Burger and Lobster in Farringdon, London.

Yesterday I was in East London and took the opportunity to try out the Farringdon branch of Burger and Lobster. I visited the original Burger and Lobster restaurant, based in Mayfair, nearly two years ago and was highly impressed. Finally, I could get a decent lobster roll in London.

This is now my third Burger and Lobster visit and, with each trip, the experience has gone downhill. The Soho branch, which I visited last year, is bit large but still has a touch of charm and the lobster roll was pretty good. Sadly, the Farringdon branch is a big letdown. While it is always wonderful to have a taste of lobster, the lobster roll at Burger and Lobster in Farringdon was not that tasty.

As crustacean lovers know, lobsters are a product of their environment. Their amazing flavor comes from foraging the goodness of the wild Atlantic Ocean. Once lobsters are removed from the ocean and placed in a pound or tank to await their final destiny, their flavor starts to decline. The lobster meat in the roll I enjoyed at the Farringdon outpost of Burger and Lobster was missing that sweet, succulent flavor a fresh lobster provides. The lackluster taste made me wonder whether the lobster had been hanging around in a tank a bit too long or if it had perhaps been overcooked.

My understanding is that the owners of Burger and Lobster fly their lobsters in from Canada twice a week and store them in tanks at each restaurant which should ensure a decent level of freshness. However, when I quizzed one of the servers about their process of sourcing lobster, he was not able provide any insight. Instead, the waiter gave me a vague description of how their lobster comes mostly from the coast of Maine all the way down to South Carolina. I'm not convinced this is true, especially since the many of the jumbo lobsters they serve in Burger and Lobster can not legally be caught and sold in Maine, given the state's strict conservation measures. It would be so lovely if each of the servers in Burger and Lobster were educated on how their lobsters are harvested and able to tell that story with passion. Eating lobster is an exciting, slightly indulgent experience and consumers often want to know the provenance of their meal.

Lobster Roll at Burger and Lobster in Farringdon, London.

One final note about the Farringdon branch of Burger and Lobster is that the ambiance felt more like Red Lobster than the lovely Burger and Lobster I first visited in Mayfair. The layout of the space, the furnishings and the sneaker-clad waitstaff (aka trainer-wearing waitstaff to Brits) give off a low-end vibe.  Don't get me wrong, I am so grateful that lobster is becoming more accessible in London and, given the rapid expansion of Burger and Lobster (from one branch to six in several years), consumers are loving what is on offer. I just wish each Burger and Lobster branch could offer the same quality I experienced when I visited the original Mayfair restaurant back in 2012.

Burger and Lobster Restaurant in Farringdon, London.