Great burgers in Edinburgh - a comparison of reputedly awesome burger joints

I've based this post mostly on my boyfriend Grant's opinions, rather than mine. He's a fantastic judge of burgers and all things meat and, it pains me to say that I'm wheat intolerant, so I don't often have burgers. It's nothing drastic and I won't break out in a rash or get a bulging eyeball if I eat a small amount of it, but if I eat something like a burger then there's a good chance I'll get a nasty stomach ache and feel generally unwell. I won't lie, sometimes it's absolutely worth it.

There are a few places in Edinburgh known for good burgers, although Grant and I haven't tried them all. The ones I know are:

• The Cambridge Bar (Young St, New Town)
• Wannaburger (Queensferry St, West End)
• Gourmet Burger Kitchen (George St, New Town) 
• The Holyrood 9A (Holyrood Road). 

The Cambridge Bar and the Holyrood 9A are both pubs, whereas the others are cafes. I think the Holyrood 9A is also quite young, and isn't as well known, but the Cambridge Bar has been around a while. I'm reviewing these two mostly because they're both pubs - and I like pubs - and both known for great burgers. There are probably endless places that have a burger as an option on their menu, but these places make them their focus.

The Holyrood 9A
We've been to the Holyrood 9A a couple of times now and the place itself is a great blend of slick and cosy (high ceilings, dark wood and floorboards and the odd stag print, plus heaps of boutique beers on tap). The service is friendly and casual but on the ball. Ah, but the burgers are excellent, with thought put into the menu to offer something for everyone - including haloumi and portobello mushroom burgers for vegetarians.

On these two occasions Grant's had the 'MOS' and the 'Bacon Guacamole'. The MOS was sauteed mushrooms with a subtle taste of rosemary, a juicy and plump beef patty and Swiss cheese on a sourdough roll, and the Bacon Guacamole burger, was, er, pretty much as it sounds, but really fresh and tasty. I had a sneaky bite of these burgers and could easily have wolfed into more but I'd ordered a couple of non-burger small dishes instead: lamb kofta with cucumber yoghurt and chicken skewers with a chili jam (there are also a few other non-burger items on the menu). Both were simple dishes, and I think they could have been more heavy-handed with the spices in the lamb kofta, but they tasted good, the meat was succulent, and the price and serving size was reasonable. I think next time I might take my chances on the stomach ache, knowing that I'll get a damn good burger and it'll be worth it.

The Cambridge Bar
At the Cambridge Bar, the menu is more limited. It's strictly burgers. Not a bad thing, really. Easy for Grant, but for me, they had the option of 'low-carb burgers', minus the bun but with extra salad (because of the wheat factor, not because I'm watching my figure). I chose the Hawaiian and he went for the Aussie (I realise how predictable that must sound).

Grant's Aussie was the typical leaning tower you'd expect from something with beetroot, egg and pineapple as well as the beef patty and bun, although unfortunately the ultra refined and slightly stale bun made it even more difficult to eat because the bun was so refined and dried out. It crumbled and fell apart. Not cool, considering the bun is the means with which to grasp the burger and shove in one's mouth. Just a shame, when there was a fair bit to like about the rest.

The benefit of my low-carb option was being able to taste the actual patty and toppings better without the aforementioned dry, refined bun. The patty was a little dry, but with a nice beefy flavour, and topped with a great mature cheddar, satisfyingly-salty bacon and grilled pineapple. Nice balance of salty and sweet.

But another disappointment: the chips. I know this is meant to be about burgers - not chips - but chips are the common sidekick to burgers. At the Holyrood 9A they use shoestring fries - rather than hand-cut chips or something more original (some Australians might think the herbed chips at Grill'd spring to mind) - but they're at least freshly-cooked and crunchy. The ones at Cambridge Bar were chunky, yet withered things that may or may not been sitting in a bain-marie-type vessel for some time. In the land of chip-lovers, I wonder if this would break Edinburghers' hearts.

Oddly enough, the thing that impressed Grant most about the Cambridge Bar was their strawberry milkshake. It was made with a premium ice cream and real strawberries, which might sound ridiculous, but with many made with supercharged, artificial topping, it's something to be very happy about. To flip it back to the Holyrood 9A again, they do milkshakes too: I'd say their chocolate one is just as orgasmic, very chocolatey, in a more authentic way.

My recommendation
For a burger hit, go to the Holyrood 9A over Cambridge Bar.  We still enjoyed our food at the Cambridge Bar, but the Holyrood 9A won us over first and the Cambridge Bar's delivery didn't stand up to its reputation compared to the Holyrood 9A.

For a cheaper option if you're in the West End of Edinburgh, you could always go for the much more casual, American diner-style Wannaburger. It's not a place where you'd hang out for much longer than it takes to wolf down your burger (although you can get beer on tap now) but still tasty, reasonably-priced burgers.

Are there other great burger joints? Have I rated these ones unfairly? I'd love to know what you think.