The Earl of Portobello

Wagwan, mon!
That’s the limit to my Jamaican accent. Sorry people. But burger quest V has totally extended my burger knowledge through Jamaican burgers, because when I heard the Earl Of Portobello decided to have a boom burger pop up there, I was all like–
«Jamaican me hungry with all dis talk abaaht plantain fries and spices.»
I know, that was terrible. The burger was not terrible though, opted for a jerk burger, chicken with plantain, and mango with paw paw sauce. I don’t even know what paw paw sauce is, but I am having it. The chicken was good and juicy, and the paw paw sauce was more chutney. I think an avocado would have made it more amazing, I felt the plantain fries inside the burger over did it and became quite dry, perhaps a slice of avocado would have lifted it? Plantain fries on their own though, YUMMY!
It’s pricy though, a tenner for burger and chips?! Served in a basket. No plates?!
I didn’t order but from what I’ve heard from the other Unilocalers said the service was not sunny and tropical, and they weren’t even happy with reggae music on in the background. What happened to ‘don’t worry be happy?!‘
BOB MARLEY WANTS YOU TO BE HAPPIER. DO IT.

BOOMBurger is a Jamaican-​themed burger pop-​up and its menu offerings reflect that traditional flavours of the island. Which meant of course jerk spices and plantains — but we’ll get to that in a minute.
There are a couple of things to note when it comes to the Earl of Portobello. First, there are several large tables outside if you are fortunate enough (and we were!) to be out and about on those rare summer days. The second thing is that this place has a surprisingly good bar from the top quality beers on tap to the fairly extensive whiskey selection behind the bar. Grab a Leffe or Kozel and relax while the rest of the group straggles in.
The BOOM burger was well put together with a soft bun that had surprisingly resilience and absorption qualities yet remained light and airy. The bacon jam was excellent with a sweet and salty flavour with a solid umami component. I could probably just eat that on bread and be happy. Sadly, it wasn’t perfect with the patty being a bit of a let down. The beef was overcooked with barely a trace of pink inside and completely lacked in flavour. With the bacon jam it was alright but that’s more a testament to the jam. Sorry guys, that’s just a fail.
The Jerk BOOM was a win, though, with tender chicken coated in a flavourful jerk mix with a hint of heat. The crunchy fried plantains were an excellent addition and the mango added a sweet element that worked well with the spice. I couldn’t quite identify any pawpaw but that didn’t detract measurably from the burger.
Sides-​wise, the fried plantains were very moreish and we devoured several orders within the group. But the stand out were the BOOM wings. Tender succulent chicken coated in a crunchy slightly peppery batter then deep fried to a perfect deep golden brown. Add to that the jerk sauce which is a rich creamy mix with added heat, and you’ve got a winning snack for any occasion (especially when said occasion involves beer and your mates).
In short, BOOM = fail, Jerk = win, wings = EPIC WIN.

Boom!
Thanks to Andrew M for organising BurgerQuest V at the Earl of Portobello. The pub itself is distinctly average with bar staff who don’t seem to be too keen to serve you. Weird especially as it was quiet
Fortunately, we were here for Boom Burgers. The menu is short and succinct — Boom (beef) burger, jerk chicken burger, veggie burger and breakfast burger. They also offer potato fries, plantain fries and jerk chicken wings
The mango and paw paw relish offered in the jerk chicken burger sold it for me. I like the fact that the burgers are made to order and mine arrived warm and fresh. There was a nice spicing to my burger though there is jerk sauce if you want more heat. The sweet relish delivered as promised. The coating on the wings and plantain was still crispy
So, in conclusion, great burgers. Boom! Poor bar service. Boo!

The last of the dick-​faced mohicans works here. Douche with a bleached mohawk who openly stated that he didn’t want to make me a cocktail (just a brandy sidecar by the way) about an hour before closing on a Friday night. A dead friday night I might add. And begrudgingly handed me their drink menu which had other cocktails on there that were MORE COMPLICATED THAN WHAT I ORDERED?!? Ahem… sorry.
According to the NICE bartender who came and said hi to us later, this place has been open since February and has been trying to survive ever since.
Really cool décor, lots and lots of room, there’s even an upstairs bar (thats only open when its busy) and a great little terrace. Just on the other side of the bridge on Golborne Rd. Honestly there’s not much foot traffic at this point on the road here so I can see why it was so slow on a friday night. But they are trying lord bless em.
Except for the mohican. Douche baggery personified.
Another amusing thing I noticed is their bar staff uniform is the same outfit that Alec Baldwin wore in Beetlejuice. Teehee.