Mark Heath and his wife Liz visited Hmm Burger in Newmarket on a Saturday lunchtime for a beef-based feast. Here’s what they made of it.
Food
This is going to be the easiest review I've ever had to write.
As the name suggests, all that Hmm Burger offers is burgers - and they're ruddy bloody good. The best burger I've had in Suffolk, in fact.
So that's the take home message from this. If you fancy a really good burger, Newmarket High Street is the direction in which you need to point your wagon.
The details are thus. We visited on a Saturday lunchtime (around 2pm) and upon arrival, instantly regretted not having at least tried to book. Peering through the windows like hungry school children into the canteen, it initially appeared that the restaurant was full.
Fortunately, when we entered the buzzing inner sanctum, we discovered a solitary lone table and quickly claimed it. First impressions - Hmm Burger is very popular. An excellent sign.
And so to business. The menu is all burgers, beautifully and mouth-wateringly simple. There are 11 in all - including a couple of vegetarian options too - raging from the Classic Hmm to the belt-busting Big Daddy, which boasts two 6oz patties.
You can add an extra patty to any burger for just £3, while if you're watching your waistline, you can also order a Skinny Burger - all that beefy goodness sans bun, and with a salad.
No such concerns for the Heath party, although picking just one from such an enticing list did prove difficult.
In the end, I went for the Blue Burger, while my better half ordered up the BBQ Smoke Burger. More on those shortly.
First, of course, were drinks. A bottle of Peroni for Liz, while I thought it incumbent on me to try one of Hmm's other American-style offerings, milkshakes - in my case, chocolate.
I declined the cream on top but boy oh boy, what a mighty shake. Thick, rich and creamy, it was the perfect start to my Hmm experience. A paper straw too, so extra environment points.
On to the main event then, the burgers. Hmm serves their offerings alone on a plate - which makes for an eye-catching first impression - with fries in a shiny side bucket.
My Blue Burger, boasting a slice of the award-winning Tuxford & Tebbutt blue stilton along with red onion marmalade, lettuce, tomato and house sauce, was a delight.
The richness of that cheese - stilton a first for me in a burger - really worked with the perfectly-cooked beef patty, the sweet marmalade and the freshness and crunch of the veg.
My accompanying cajun fries were cracking too, although maybe a touch too heavy on the seasoning side.
Liz's BBQ Smoke Burger consisted of a beef patty, mature cheddar cheese, smoked streaky bacon, burger relish, cooked onions and smoky BBQ sauce, along with a side of sweet potato fries.
And an excellent choice hers turned out to be too. The succulent burger was cooked to a perfect medium, with its juices soaking into the bun to add extra flavour.
The meat was complimented beautifully by the sauces and toppings, which were generous but not loaded too heavily that the burger became difficult to eat - an important factor!
Indeed, few things rate quite as highly on the Heath food review check list as a burger which one can a) comfortably get one's laughing gear around and b) eat without having to take apart, cut in half or otherwise disassemble.
Honestly, I could not fault the burgers. My only regret is that my vocabulary is not large enough to fully convey to you, dear readers, just how good they were.
One slight criticism, if you can really call it that, on the fries side - neither I or Liz could finish our very generous portions.
In fact, you could probably happily share a portion of fries with a burger each and be content with your meal.
As it was, we were a little too content to consider a dessert - chocolate brownies and a range of ice-cream flavours being the options.
Which means, of course, that we'll have to go back - what a chore!
Drinks
On top of the aforementioned milkshakes - chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, salted caramel and Oreo, if you're asking - there's also a good range of hot and cold beverages.
Plus a cheeky bottled beer, wine and spirits, if you're in the mood.
Service
Despite the fact that Hmm was rammed when we visited, with food flying out of the kitchen, our hosts still took time to chat to us and make us feel welcome.
Little things like that really make a difference.
Good things come in small packages
Hmm is not a large restaurant - when we were there, I counted in the region of ten tables, although two of those were multiple diners deep.
If you're heading there at a busy time, either book or be prepared to be disapppointed!
Meaty issue
All of Hmm's burgers are pressed on site daily, using meat from local suppliers.
That may not matter to you, but I like stuff like that.
Parking
Hmm is right on the High Street, next to the famed clock tower, so has no dedicated parking.
We parked at Waitrose, a three minute walk away, but there are plenty of pay and display options nearby too.
Price
Unbelievable value. My burger was £7.85, while Liz's was £8.15. That is, frankly, robbery.
You'd expect to pay at least £15 for a burger of anywhere near that quality in a pub.
Highlight
Our burgers. If you've got this far and not anticipated that, you've really not been paying attention.
In summary
The best burger I've ever had in Suffolk. Tremendous.
Rating: 8.5/10
Our food reviews are always independent. They are the opinion of the reviewer based on their experience of the venue when they visited. The establishment is not aware of our visit, is not informed we intend to write a review and bills are paid by the reviewer. The choice of places reviewed is also independent and is not based on venues which do or do not advertise in our publications.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here