I think it's safe to say that when you're having a bad week, a great way to improve it is to head to Buddy's with your mates! This was my first trip, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but I've heard so many good things about it, I was really keen!
We turned up around 8pm on Friday night, to find the place a lot less busy than we expected, which was good for us as there were 8 of us. We waited for around 10-15 minutes while they prepared a table for us, and in the meantime we perused the menu, which was full of burgers, including winner of Glasgow's Best Burger 2013, and a range of meats from their BBQ, like pulled pork, brisket and ribs.
The restaurant itself is very much designed to look like an American style diner, with red and white decor, leather booths and seats. The diner is split into two sections - at the front is a large, central bar with limited seating, and at the back a full restaurant area, where we were seated.
We sat down at our table and ordered drinks, while I sat painstakingly trying to choose what to have. I ended up opting for the Smashin' Burger - a 6oz patty of house blend meat with a mustard rub, topped with sauteed onions and double Monterrey Jack cheese. To make it extra special, I added pulled pork for £3. The burgers don't come with fries, so I ordered a portion of garlic fries and Sam ordered a portion of the Sweet Potato Waffle Fries.
After drooling over the menu, it felt like an agonisingly long wait for our food to arrive, but realistically it was probably about 20 minutes. The food arrived diner style in plastic baskets and red & white striped paper - no cutlery necessary!
The burger was cooked medium, which I always prefer as it means the meat stays nice and juicy. The pulled pork was flavoursome and tender, to be honest, after a tough week, it was exactly what we all needed. The garlic fries were delicious, most likely using garlic salt. If you can't handle much garlic, these aren't for you, but if you do, they definitely hit the spot. Just don't breathe too close to anyone after eating them! Sam's sweet potato waffle fries were more like crisps, and were served with maple syrup, which sounds weird, but works so well!
Along with a couple of drinks each and including the tip, the bill came to around £20 each, which might seem a little steep, but for 2 glasses of wine, a burger with extra meat and a portion of fries, I couldn't really complain. I understand why Buddy's has a reputation for providing tasty, uncomplicated food. We might be becoming overrun with too many burger joints here in Glasgow, but I think Buddy's is hopefully one that's here to stay! read more