Food lovers are flocking to a new burger restaurant which opens at 8am in the mornings for breakfast and carries on trading until 11pm to satisfy late-night hunger pangs. Boo Burger started out with a delivery-only dark kitchen in Lenton and proved so popular that it's expanded to open a restaurant in one of Nottingham's busiest spots, in Trinity Square.
Last year's planned opening was delayed until this month due to Covid, but it means the anticipation has grown for Boo fans who have been awaiting its arrival. Taking over the former premises of Gourmet Burger Kitchen, which closed at the start of the pandemic, there's a striking new look with bold black and white decor. The restaurant has seating for 40 and when temperatures rise the bi-fold doors will open onto the square with extra tables and chairs for an alfresco burger.
The prices are cheaper than its predecessor, where a burger could set you back over a tenner. Here they start at £5.50. Boo specialises in handcrafted smash burgers, where the patty is smashed down on the heat. While it's not uniform in shape, it creates the Maillard reaction, which heightens the flavour through a caramelised crispy crust.
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That's the science. Now the most interesting part for foodies. There's five Aberdeen Angus beef burgers, starting with the OG Classic in three different sizes, 4oz, 6oz and 8oz, in a brioche bun. Chick-a-Boo comes with a crispy chicken breast and Booloumi is halloumi. Vegans have the choice of Captain Planet with plant-based beef or Miami Vibes with faux chicken.
Prices range from £5.50 to £9.50 for the biggest burger on the menu, the 8oz Big Boo, a towering mountain with smoked beef rashers, crispy onion strings, lettuce, tomatoes, gherkins, American cheese and house sauce. For an extra £3.50 you can turn it into a meal with fries and a drink. Sides include wings, boneless bites, rustic fries, crinkle cut fries and fries with nacho cheese.
The drinks list includes fizzy pop (with refills for £.2.25), coffee, tea, milkshakes and hot and iced specialities with flavours of rose, white chocolate and matcha latte. Parents can feed their kids for a fiver, which includes a burger, fries and a drink.
Boo is also out to capture the breakfast market serving egg brioche rolls for £2.50 and egg and sausage for £3.50. Even better is the £4 breakfast deal for any roll and coffee or £5 with a shake with date and banana, honey oats and berry and espresso.
Customers order at the touch-screen kiosks and take a seat while their order is prepared. At quiet times it can take four to five minutes for a beef burger and around seven minutes at busy times.
Nakhedi Shomai, marketing manager, said: "The self service check-outs have imagery so that works well. If you've not tried Boo before you can see what you're ordering." He said the secret of their success is good quality, fresh ingredients.
"We get fresh produce and our meat is Angus Aberdeen beef which is one of the best you can get. We have taken time to find the right suppliers in terms of the meat and veg.
"We wanted to provide good smash burgers, simple, nothing too crazy. We take the time to find suppliers and create such a good relationship and a good bond so that helps with the price. We also make sauces in-house so that helps.
"That's what surprises people, the price. Once we get them through the door and get them to try the products, they understand. We won't ever dumb down the price or dumb down the quality of the ingredients, the quality always remains.
"We want to get as many people as possible to try it so they can taste the quality. It's been going well so far. A lot of people have been talking about it on social media and TikTok.
"A lot of new people are trying it, people who've not tried smash burgers before and we've had a lot of return customers as well from the dark kitchen, now they're coming into the store and taking in the atmosphere. The anticipation was high. This is such a good spot with natural footfall and all the bars work well in our favour."
Nottingham is part of the chain with shops in Leicester, Fosse Park, and Loughbrough and by the end of the year Boo plans to have opened another four outlets, including one in Derby.
Last August Boo made it into StagWeb's top 30 'badass burger joints' for 2021, based on the burgers, the range, venue, value for money and overall experience. The stag party organiser said: "American-style burgers brought to the shores of Blighty, Boo have boomed into our Top 30 with their transatlantic stacks which are truly bootiful!
"Let’s face it, America know their way around a burger and Boo have taken the best elements and put their own British spin on it with their succulent Aberdeen Angus patties and their home-grown grub."
Delivery through Deliveroo will launch on Monday with 30 per cent off for three months. Breakfast is served 8am to 11am and the main menu from 11am to 11pm seven days a week.
