Handmade Burger Co

Visited today for breakfast and will definitely be back. The Grand Central site is the only HBC to do breakfast and it’s fairly new so they were handing out 50% off vouchers outside.
The restaurant is more stripped back and industrial than other sites. I don’t like the feel as much as the Brindley Place one but not everywhere can have a canal.
Staff were super friendly. Usually you order at the counter but they did table service today as it was reasonably quiet.
I had a tea, Edd had a coffee, neither of which were anything to write home about but were only £1 each with breakfast. I chose the Full English which was one slice of bacon, one sausage, a fried egg, a flat mushroom, a little pot of beans, a fried tomato and a slice of toast for about £6.50. The bacon was the best bacon I’ve had in a breakfast– thick cut, perfectly charred and smoky. The sausage was tasty and good quality and the mushroom also had that wonderful charred flavour. The egg was over cooked and I wish the bread had been better quality.
Other options are a breakfast burger, breakfast brioche rolls, pancakes and granola. The pancakes looked great so I’ll be having them next time– maybe with a side of that delicious bacon…

Meeting my friend to go for food before the theatre we found ourselves picking Grand Central as a place to meet and eat. My friend had a «Get a main meal for £1 when you buy another main» for Handmade Burger Co so this was a done deal.
It was 4.30pm and the branch was practically empty. We waited a moment to be seated in a booth and our waitress talked us briefly through the menu. Suggesting the sliders to us.
Normally you have to pick either 3 chicken sliders or 3 beef sliders but as it was so quiet we were told we could mix and match.
We both had Chicken Brie and Cranberry, Sweet Chilli Chicken and Peanut Butter and Bacon Beef Burger with Rosemary chips.
The chips were locally sourced from Tamworth and were amazingly fluffy!
The burgers were tasty and I ate mine pretty quickly.
I’m not sure why it was SOO quiet but this fresh look for Handmade Burger Co works really well. Maybe its the price which makes it loose a star.
The service was pretty great.

Sorry Handmade Burger Co. but you just weren’t up to scratch.
I have been to other branches before, it’s never really don’t it for me but I thought I’d give it another go. We went up to peruse the menu out the door, I know its customary for them to greet you and ask if theres anything you want or any help; but when you polite decline as you are still reading the menu this employee tended to hover around talking to me while i’m still trying to read the menu — sad to say it’s almost desperate.
Regardless we decided to go in and were greeted by what I think would have been the manager, he was like everyone there extremely helpful and chatty… perhaps too so…
He asked how we were and the usual small talk, if we had ever been before I said yes. But then proceeded to walk me through the entire menu when all I really wanted to do was ready it; first the girl at the entrance and now him… is there something they don’t want people to see on the menu?
The other staff were more normal, they made small talk but it felt more genuine from them I think sometimes the management are trying too hard.
The food was well presented, tasted really good and even though we were informed of a 20 minute wait time was very prompt — but it was cold.
There was nothing wrong with the taste, but given the temperature this was not a burger patty that had been cooked to order and exhibit A was my none melted cheese slice — more chance with a lighter for that.
The patties would have been warm at best but when put onto a cold bun with salad there was no saving it. I believe they must of cooked several and are keeping them in warming trays for quick assembly when the orders come in; this is just my speculation of course but I cannot think of another explanation.
So this gets one of my lower ratings, there staff were lovely but just a little overbearing and unfortunately the food this time was just disappointing.