Many places around Adelaide boast about having the best burger, and The Hackney is one of them. Having been to all of the recognised gourmet burger joints in Adelaide, I was here to put this place to the test.

The Hackney has a bar, a restaurant area, several function rooms and a gaming lounge. The bar area leads to an outdoor area where all the smokers congregate. Their “Burgerland” menu is specific to the bar, so that’s where we sat for the evening. Unlike other venues, the kitchen here doesn’t start cooking till 6pm. The bar area is very dimly lit. With one down light under each table, we were almost sitting in the dark.

One of the waitresses, that works behind the bar, has some serious attitude. On 2 separate occasions, I was ignored, while other customers that came after me were served. I should stop wearing my invisible suit when I go out for dinner!

Tonight, I ordered the Cajun Fried Chicken Burger with a side of Onion Rings. After a 20 minute wait, the dishes came out lukewarm. The chicken patty was well seasoned, but small and overcooked. It reminded me of a piece of KFC chicken that had been sitting in the warmer all day. The tomato and cos leaves were fresh, however, the coleslaw was really bland.

The bacon was fatty and soggy, and I felt it could have been fried a little longer. The bun was lightly toasted, but some parts of the bread tasted like I was eating sand. The beer battered chips were nicely salted but they weren’t freshly cooked. You could taste the hint of curry powder in the onion rings, however, they were a bit on the cold side and needed more salt.

Best burgers in Adelaide? Are we even talking about the same place?

Disappointing burgers. Disappointing service. I wouldn’t go back even if you paid me.

WHERE: 95 Hackney Rd, Hackney