Our Laura hotfoots down to the coolest burger joint in Falmouth. With only a few months experience of eating burgers, well meat at all again really, it was a big gamble sending her to a place called The Meat Counter. Sure, when Jack visited Cornwall he said the food was legit and who wouldn’t want to visit somewhere with a MILF burger on special. But is any of it any good?
Rating
Cuisine:
To call it a burger bar is a massive understatement but restaurant sounds kinda wanky. Legit burger establishment with SERIOUS crank-credentials.
Appeals to:
Students, writers, freelancers, and general Falmouthians, plus always rammed to the rafters with tourists and general good food lovers. Who doesn’t love a decent burger? And veggies need never feel they should not apply (HOW MANY negatives in one sentence?)
In a word:
Filthy. But in the ABSOLUTE best way
Whose Meat Counts?
Calvin Trillin once said that anyone who doesn’t think the best burger joint is in his home town is a sissy. After a 30 year hiatus of even having eaten one , I have to completely accede to Trillin’s theory. As for whose meat counts, I think most people in Cornwall would agree that Warrens does. That’s to say that all of the best restaurants in the county use Phillip Warrens Butchers and as such they have made quite a name for themselves across the foodie scene of the UK. The Meat Counter order their meat in from Warrens and mince it on the premises to make high quality burgers, sides and American influenced chicken dippers. That’s not to say that the meat is the main attraction: the Mac ‘n’ Cheese is filthy too, and the bread and butter pickles tongue ticklingly delicious.
Who is the Meat Counter?
Presumably Head Chef and Mr Manager Miles is. Although Freddie Stephenson seems to be hot on his heels, having just assembled a seaweed burger for the Cornish Seaweed Co’s visiting journalists.
Centred in well, the main drag of Falmouth’s um… modest drag, the Meat Counter ambles towards the Non-Events Square end of town and thus is in a good spot for passing trade. With farm sourced meat and friendly, laid back staff, the food and ambience is Americana, but Kernow style. Think kind of natural wood and chalkboards, with simple lighting and you’ve nailed the Meat Counter.
Now you wanna nail the MILF.
And no. That’s not quite as rude as it sounds.
A weekly special created by the Meat Counter boys would maybe also be good dubbed the coronary, as there is no consoling oneself with any illusion that this is good for you. Except that they do insist on getting high quality ingredients to make their burgers with.
Anyway, moving on to the actual ingredients of a MILF, it’s a filthy carnivorous dream consisting of 100% beef patty, buttermilk chicken, pulled pork, smoked streaky bacon and cheese, as well as gherkins and relish. It’s about as dirty as bangin’ yer mate’s mum.
A Meat Encounter
In the eighties, which until last year was the last time I ate meat, I would have had the controversial Big Mac from you know where. The MC’s answer to this is The Notorious B.I.G. , which is two prime beef patties in Da Bara brioche buns with freshly cut lettuce, crunchy gherkins and homemade sauces. Chefs Freddie and Miles then layer the lot with cheese and finish them under a cloche. Which, alone, is why this should be known as a burger restaurant, as opposed to shack or cafe. Sinking my gnashers into this prime and tasty beauty was about as far removed from the eighties as food can get. High quality, locally sourced and prepared with love, the best burgers in the world can, indeed, be found in Falmouth.
However, the special was called the Mac Stack, although it could have been called the heart attack because it rhymes like Busta! With beef patty, DEEP FRIED MAC N CHEESE (yes, you read that right), American burger cheese, crispy bacon, chipotle ketchup , garlic mayo and rocket, the Meat Counter boys don’t do things by halves when they create specials.
Buttermilk Chicken Dippers
Coated in buttermilk and then a special crispy crumb, the chicken dippers come with two home made sauces: chipotle and a garlic mayo. Crunchy and with really juicy pieces of, again, locally sourced chicken, these make a good sharer. Needless to say, I smashed an entire plateful to myself and a B.I.G., as moderation and I don’t seem to be a thing anymore.
But what about vegetarians?
Actually, despite its name, the Meat Counter offers two veggie options, which have been carefully thought about to try and offer something that actually means something to its veggie customers. The Filthy Shroomburger, for example is packed with delicious dried mushrooms and portabellos, a smidge of seaweed and several other secret ingredients. But it makes a veggie feel loved and accepted, which the name of the joint doesn’t quite encapsulate. In fact, this piece of ‘art’ on its walls encapsulates how there is even a vegan option of the chickpea burger, which is the healthier option.
The Verdict
The Meat Counter serves quality local meat and has a food ethos that reflects the best Cornwall has to offer, using locally reared meat and making everything there on the premises. The idea of the menu is to reflect the kind of places I would see Calvin Trillin frequenting in Alice, Let’s Eat. So there should be no need for any attacks of moderation. With a special including deep fried Mac ‘n’ Cheese, this menu is delicious, and it is gluttonous, filthy and cheek swellingly generous. Arrive hungry.
The Details
Get your laughing gear around the best burgers in town at
The Meat Counter
01326 312220