Bun & Sum

London isn’t really a car city. But the food from Bun & Sum—an LA-style takeaway burger spot in Mile End—just tastes better in a car and makes sitting in traffic and fighting the urge to scream at every cyclist worth it. These burgers are worth the journey, even if you have to settle and deal with a packed District line train like most Londoners. Crisped smashpatties are stuffed between soft buns, topped with everything from brisket or pastrami to a straightforward slice of American cheese. 

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

Google Maps has done you dirty before, but when it leads you down a sketchy-looking railway arch and through a gate that looks like it needs a permit or a hard hat to enter, keep going. The industrial-looking kitchen is tucked away under one of the arches. Its existence is only given away by a small sign and a hubbub of hungry people crowding around. The playlist is one of chewing and dunking, mmm’ing and polite faux offers between friends to have the last bite. It’s a carnivorous fever dream of oak wine barrels as makeshift tables, and eating excellent smashburgers in three satisfying bites.

Evenings require patience and a willingness to pounce on any barrel that frees up, and on a weekend calling ahead is the best move. But whatever the day, hands will get messy, t-shirts will get stained, and hair ties are strongly recommended. When it’s sunny, leaning against the hood of a car while eating their Big S’mac is an experience. As is ordering a couple of burgers and the BBQ rib-topped fries, and heading to one of the many green spaces nearby for a picnic involving London’s answer to In-N-Out.

Food Rundown

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

Big S’Mac

Ronald McDonald would approve of this take on the Big Mac. The pickles are thick and ridged, the cheese is perfectly melted, the smashpatty is thin, and the all-important sauce is creamy, tangy, and slightly sweet. We could order three of these and be happy.

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

Bow Dip

Two patties topped with American cheese and a healthy serving of 12-hour smoked beef brisket. The idea of this excites us, the look of this excites us, but the lack of BBQ sauce on the brisket lets it down. Hack: order the honey BBQ sauce as an extra, dip the burger in it before every bite, and this burger reigns supreme. Yes, that’s what the consommé is meant to be for but it's a little too watery and flavourless for our liking. So trust us and dip it in the BBQ sauce instead.

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

Easy Street

If you’re the kind of person who has a designated “sauce plate” at Nando’s, then this burger is for you. Overflowing with ‘easy sauce’, which is basically just extra creamy burger sauce, and onions so caramelised they require zero to no chewing, it’s the one to go for when you want something a bit more exciting than a straight-up cheeseburger.

Motz

We love onions with a passion, but this burger taught us that there is such a thing as too many onions. What feels like an entire onion is thinly sliced and loosely smashed into two patties and topped with American cheese. It’s still not a bad burger, it's just not the burger to get off this menu.

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

Animal Fries

We’re guessing this was inspired by LA burger chain In-N-Out’s not-so-secret menu item, and it’s a pretty great UK version. The fries are thin and crispy, the sauce is creamy, the caramelised onions add a nice sweetness, and the melted cheese is always welcome.

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

BBQ Rib Fries

These might be the best loaded fries we’ve ever had. The pulled BBQ ribs piled on top are sweet, meaty, and so tender. And they actually put enough on top that you can get some meat with each bite.