I tried the ‘world’s best burger’ to see if it’s worth £19.50
When you hear that something has been crowned the ‘world’s best’, it’s fair to say you’re going to have high expectations for it.
So when the server placed the Big Matt down in front of me on the table at Hawksmoor’s restaurant in Seven Dials, I was practically buzzing.
This was the ‘world’s best burger’, it was going to be a game-changer. I was about to eat one of the most scrumptious meals of my life. Right?!
But that’s the thing about hyping things up… more often than not, you’ll be disappointed by the reality.
As Metro’s specialist food writer, I’ve tried my fair share of burgers – everything from Burger King’s Whopper to Bleecker Burger – and the Big Matt doesn’t come close to the best I’ve ever had, let alone the best in the world.
It wasn’t even the best thing on the table at the time – that accolade goes to the rib eye steak my husband ordered, cooked to medium rare perfection and slathered in peppercorn sauce.
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For context, the Big Matt is Hawksmoor’s fancy tribute to the iconic Big Mac from McDonald’s, only it’s much more expensive at £19.50 and is served with a side of beef dripping fries.
The burger features two dry-aged beef patties, double American cheese, Hawksmoor special sauce, shredded lettuce, onions and homemade pickles. And yes, there’s a third piece of bread (a bottom bun) in the middle of the whole thing. Just like Maccies.
Created by Matt Brown, the Hawksmoor Group’s executive chef, the Big Matt first hit the menu in 2017 and went on to be ranked as the number one best burger in the world in 2023, in a list of the World’s Best Steak Restaurants.
People have called it ‘the perfect cheeseburger’ and say it’s ‘the best burger [they’ve] ever eaten’, but for me, there’s no escaping the fact that at it’s core, it’s just a gussied up Big Mac.
Now that’s not to say that it isn’t good, because it is. The Big Matt is everything that a Big Mac should be. It’s an elevated Big Mac, if you will.
There’s no doubt in my mind that if I had to choose between spending a fiver on the McDonald’s version, or splashing three times that price on the Hawksmoor one, I’d part with the extra cash to eat something made with higher quality ingredients.
The meat in the Big Matt is juicier (as you’d hope would be the case at a steak restaurant), the buns are thicker, and there are a lot more pickles. All of this combined means the overall look of the burger is better and the flavour is much richer.
If the OG at Maccies is your go-to, you have to try this while it’s on the lunch menu, and you’ll probably never be able to look at a Big Mac the same way again.
But if you’re more of a cheeseburger gal like me, then I’ve got a few other recommendations for you…
If you want to try a burger that really blows McDonald’s out of the water (and all other fast food chains too), head to 91 East 7th Street in New York’s East Village, where you’ll find 7th Street Burgers.
The menu is tiny as they only sell cheeseburgers and double cheeseburgers, but boy do they do them well.
A cheeseburger here will set you back $6.50 (roughly £5), which is the same price as a Big Mac, but you just can’t compare the two, 7th Street is in a league of its own.
To quote the burger joint’s owner, Kevin, the burgers are served ‘greasy and delicious, just the way god intended’. The smashed patties are smothered in cheese and a homemade secret sauce that some say ‘could end wars’. The whole thing is then topped with pickles and onions, and served in a potato bun which has been toasted on the grill in liquid butter. *drools*
Pair this with a Mexican Coca-Cola (made with pure sugar cane, instead of artificial sweeteners meaning it tastes soooo much better than the regular stuff), and you’ll have an elite combo that you’ll be dreaming about for months to come.
Alternatively, for those in London, swing by Supernova burger in Soho, which is serving up delicious LA-style smash burgers.
Much like at 7th Street, there are just two burgers on the menu and those are the Classic Cheeseburger and the House Cheeseburger. Priced at £9 each they’re a really satisfying eat – everything you’d want from a fast food burger, but dialled up to the max.
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