Yep, we went back to Birmingham. We had a lovely stroll around the Custard Factory and a lovely dinner at the incredible Lasan. We also managed to squeeze in an early lunch at Brum street food legend, and previous alumni of the infamous Digbeth Dining Club, Meat Shack in their newly established bricks and mortar in the centre of town.
We piled through the doors into a stone dead bar and applied our confused faces. The polite bar man informed us that Meat Shack was upstairs, but if we wanted a drink we had to order them from him. So we did. After a brief kerfuffle trying to find ice and glasses, we were provided our drinks and headed up.
The Shack has fairly simple decor, with some artwork adorning the walls here and there. And at the end of the room was the wait station, complete with fully stocked booze cabinet. The polite barman had lied. Right to our wholesome, innocent faces. Clearly he was just monumentally bored and wanted something to do. Still though, dude, what?
The Mr. C is Meat Shack's entry into classic cheeseburger territory, the true measure of any burger establishment. And this one is an accomplished specimen.
The patty is fatter than you'd expect from the smashed technique they say they use, but the wonky, mostly medium center confirms it. The meat is soft, beefy, well-seasoned and beautifully moist. The American cheese is perfectly melted over the top to add that squishy tacky cheesiness to each bite.
The addition of ketchup adds a deep sweetness while the shack sauce gives the milder piquant flavour of a burger sauce/thousand island style mix, it is a solid combination. The iceberg lettuce, red onions and pickles apply the classic freshness, crunch and raw-heat-sourness that plays against the richness of the meat and condiments.
It is really rather good.
It is better than the cheeseburger at That Other Burger Place In Birmingham.
The fries are crisp, light and abundant and the Chipotle mayo drizzled asunder provides exactly the mild spice kick it should. The Meat Shack warrants a more extensive study of the menu for sure, when we'll ever get back up there though is the question. When we do, it's top of the list.