81 Hamburger Heaven in South Northamptonshire

Watch out for the £100 parking charge. We enjoyed our visit here with our extended family but a week or so later a bill for £100 was sent to us for parking outside. The parking machine was not working so we were asked to scan a QR code and enter our registration on that which we did. We sent a copy of our bank statement showing we had paid the bill and our internet history showed we had gone onto the parking website. Nevertheless our appeal was refused as they claimed they could not find our registration and wrote if we paid £20 immediately they would not pursue the original £100. There is a further appeal to a company they part fund but if not accepted the £100 is pursued through the courts. Dreadful end to an otherwise good experience

Definitely the worst chicken caeser I've had for a long time, swamped in dressing so no flavour other than the sauce, and the e weakest coffee I've had all year... I won't be back....

What an experience. Never seen food this big in my life. The ribs were ok, sandwiches ok. Everything was well done, not ground breaking. But for the price you can't knock it. Go try it, you'll be waddling out of there and they have lots of parking. I knock a star off because the toilets could do with a revamp.

Buddies will always hold a special place in my heart after I worked there for a few years as a young un……but I haven’t eaten there for years…..popped in last night and it’s even better than I remember it! Burger was cooked to perfection, service was spot on and the price is unbelievably great value for money…..well done Buddies ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 🇺🇸 Special shout out to Dougie for the chef skillz and to Jaelin for the service, what a team.

Stumbled upon this place on Saturday night, turned up in a bad mood and left in a good mood! Food was great, lots of choices and massive portions. Staff were all really personable and competent. Will absolutely be seeing you next time I'm in the area.

Just like the old buddies. Quality food at reasonable prices with good service.

Generous portions of good diner quality food. Fast friendly service, despite being very busy. Don't miss the tiny train running around the room close to the ceiling.

Ambience and food were on point. Staff were good with their service delivery. Portions could be more generous considering the price.

Lovely meal. Friendly staff create a nice atmosphere. Very Handy for M1 and A45

We discovered this little place by accident. The food is so fresh, and the atmosphere takes you to a different place and time. The staff were friendly and professional, and families, especially children, were having a good time. I recommend this place to eat when in Northampton. I'm definitely going back soon.

Great service from hard working efficient staff. Huge choice on the menu and big portions so be hungry! Reasonable prices too.

Went yesterday with my dad and my brother that it was he's birthday. We had a great meal and nice and big great place and great service. Looking forward to coming back there again.

Came here for lunch during work because my mate recommended it and honestly..it was as good as he hyped it up to be. The entrance and decorations definitely took my attention, it really gave “American sitcom set” vibes. The only disappointing factor for me was the wait for the food, Amber, a lovely nice waiter at the place, looked after us as soon as we got sat, we had drinks in within 3 minutes but I didn’t see the food until like 35 minutes later; almost finished my drink by then lol. Given the wait I hoped for the food to be grandiose. Unfortunately, it wasn’t but it was still nice food, just some dryness in terms of the salad and burger. Other than the odd wait the experience was nice, the food was nice and the staff were also nice but definitely a shoutout to Amber, she was warm, kind and nice!

We had a really nice time here. The burgers were delicious

Good place to eat, with good range of burgers. A little pricey, but good quality food for a burger joint.

Yesterday 13.30 i walked in asked for L Double cheese burger,chips,coce “,the size of it was very small,no salads,no mayo,and been charged £19 take away,asked for a recite and they gave me only the one that shows i paid £19,i was on my break and scared i would be late for work so i didnt have time to ask why anyway never going back again

Outstanding atmosphere. Good food

I have been here three times and I highly recommend. Various menu, tasty food, good portions. I only gave stars for food however the only disappointing thing was that the hot chocolate was made with water instead of milk

Love this place so much. Went to Buddies so many times as a kid, so was gutted when I heard they were closing down. I was so grateful to discover '81 had opened to keep the spirit alive. Although I don't live in Northamptonshire any more, I bring my family here every time we visit and they now love it too. The menu is fantastic with loads to choose from. The food was great (as always,) loads of choice of drinks, including a smashing banana shake and the service was brilliant. Prices are reasonable too. Everyone should give this place a whirl. It deserves to be considered a food joint of Northampton legend.

Avoid took my daughter for breakfast there for her birthday awful experience

Great service and the breakfast was good quality.

Fab place run by the original Buddies owners. Food is reasonably priced and you know you've eaten after! Massive hint - try the cheese sauce wet fries, flashbacks to the old Buddies in Northampton Town centre.

Best quality of food specially smash burger good.

I ordered Corned Beef Hash and it was TERRIBLE 🤢. I had to make a second order and that was Egg Benedict which was properly done and tasted ok. I left 1 star for the Corned Beef Hash because was really bad, tasted like it was cooked in 1964 and served in 2024.

Have been a few times and not had a bad experience. Staff are friendly and food is enjoyable. Plenty of choices so chances are, will cater for the more 'picky'. Definitely worth a visit

This staff requires training in communication with customers. I ordered chicken and waffles, but the waffles looked like they came from a pre-packaged supermarket product; they weren't cooked fresh to order.

Nice diner. Large menu and I suspect it helps if you know what they do best. Burgers, had two and they were good. Chocolate milkshake no good. Desert, chocolate ice cream and mars bar chunks, didn't like it. Excellent service from very friendly and professional staff. Would I go back? Probably not.

Huge breakfast. Hope you're hungry.

Was going home needed something to eat mrs said she wanted a burger so googled.... Best burger in Northamptonshire and this place showed up we was 2 minutes away so went. There is soooo much parking building is super clean, staff the second we walked in are really helpfull explaining the menu etc tbh i asked the young lady what she thought was the best she gave us a r2d2 burder with waygu beef burger. Also i got the chicken wong and blue sauce and a mac and cheese all of which are amazing. The restraunt is rather large and had a good few customers, however the food we did not have to wait long for and to be honest was outstanding we will be returning and yes this is the best burger in Northamptonshire. Also far from expensive

Well this was a pleasant surprise. Needed quick drink and comfort break. Interesting decor, menu looks good. If in Northampton again will visit again for food. Quick service and friendly welcome

Excellent food, fantastic service from Caitlin, esme and jeanna, very friendly, helpful staff, will definitely be revisiting very soon, thank you all & chef

Had to run home and do a review!! First time and won’t be the last visit here :) The breakfast was absolutely yummy 🤤 it reminded me of being back home in an America breakfast diner. Service was lovely 😊 nice atmosphere. Very clean. Can’t wait to try the other menu items so many delicious options to choose from :) Thank you for a wonderful experience.

Good brekkie - nice busy atmosphere

Great to be able to visit our favourite eating place again. Now known as 81 hamburger heaven, previously Buddies. Food is great as always, real value for money with generous portions. Never came away not enjoying the choice of meal we had.. Staff friendly and definitely one of our favourite places to eat out.

Arrived too late for breakfast but fortunately Corned Beef Hash is on the main menu, yay! Delish!! Staff lovely too, thanks guys x

Proper old school real tasty burgers that taste amazing Loads of chips not skinny fries Friendy staff and very quick service Gorgeous place for a brilliant burger Love it

Date night here was a great shout, good food, and a great atmosphere. We'll defo be back again

Loved it first time here. Needs a bit more atmospher like music in the background

The restaurant was half full when we arrived. They then told us it would be 5 minutes for a table. They then had us wait outside the restaurant, in the cold lobby. Won't be back.

This place is amazing, a real time warp for us . We used to live in Northampton and Buddies diners were one of our favourite casual diners. We thought they had all gone but no, this is Buddies by a new name. Amazing menu, great food and friendly service in a great atmosphere, in all but name it is Buddies!! Best Nachos this side of the atlantic

Great decorations in american old style, like typical breakfast and coffee restaurant watched on american movies . Stuff was really friendly , menu is massive lots of choices and lots of options to choose . Food was good and portions were very generous.

Have been a number of times and cannot speak of highly enough. Staff are always attentive and helpful, and service reflects this. The food is good in both quantity and quality. Lastly it is good value too, and the children’s menu is brilliant when grandson is in tow. Thoroughly recommend.

Celebrating exam results, food excellent as always, glad we had booked as it was busy, think it was a new server who was a bit overwhelmed, definately will be back

Called before arriving to ask if they served “American style pancakes” was told they do, turned up ordered and what can be described as 3 Aldi own pancakes from a packet arrived with a pot of maple syrup baring in mind there is 3 of us we all had the same and a hot chocolate each total came to £26,70 I wouldn’t have minded if they were actually made and had abit of flavour but I could have made this at home for less that one portion. Is defo not American style at all! Very disappointed, underwhelming and unsatisfying when you’re looking forward to something!

Waited 25 mins for takeaway coffee and then we were served it in a mug to go...? They then poured it into a takeaway cup. The coffee tested terrible. It was supposed to be a latte and cappuccino but neither had froth, it was just warm milk. Overpriced for the poor quality. Some staff were not very friendly. Wouldn't go back we'd be better off getting food and coffee from the petrol station next door. The toilet was clean at least.

Good, delicious food, good value, nice atmosphere

Cool little place with exactly the same stuff on the walls from when it was "Buddy's". The 1st time we went the food was good, having the all day breakfast (a fry up). The food was nice and plentiful and was relatively quick. 2nd time we decided to go a bit more "American" and opted for the waffles and pancakes. Unfortunately it wasn't the nice breaky that we hoped for, the (pre made and prepacket) waffles were quite dry and luke warm. The pancakes (again, came from a packet) were tasteless and 3 small pancakes were not worth £5.50, I had to ask for more syrup to add flavour. Both times the waiting staff are attentive, curtious, friendly and knowledgeable. Really can't fault them! The place is great, really cheesy, Americana spewn, cute diner with plenty of meals to choose from but I'm thinking, not all of the dishes are made, from scratch, on site. So, just a heads up in case you're looking for a authentic American breaky.

Beautiful cheese and bacon burger and fries with a side if Coleslaw. Will be back. Good value for the quality of cooking.

Food acceptable on some meals but one of the burgers was burnt and tasted burnt too and the fish finger sandwich the bread was very dry. . . But overall most was very enjoyable

Best burger ever. I used to go to Buddies in Stoney and I didn't realise one was still open. I missed this so much. When I bit into my venom burger I almost cried.

Great tasting food, mostly burgers of all types, very American and great. Not a bad price as well

Nice feel to this place and the food was great with a hell of a variety. Since going a few months back, I cannot wait to go back again!

Always great, no misses. Thoroughly recommend for lovers of burgers and all things Americana.

Delicious, freshly made food. Great customer service and atmosphere. Lots of options and child friendly. Always recommend!

Very welcoming and friendly, very satisfied with all the above. Good value for money. Great size portion . Big, well done, team 81. We would continue to return and spread the word how good 81 is.

Great spot for breakfast and dinner. Really well priced, good if you have kids and never had a bad meal

Lovely food again at the ex-Buddies restaurant Grange Park Northampton M1 - loaded mac & cheese, half rack ribs & really nice ceasar salad

Great music playing. Food really good and tasty

Great American style diner. Huge portions of delicious food and very reasonable prices too.

Great American Dinner, survivor of the Buddies chain of restaurants. Great for late breakfast to a full evening meal. All the old favourites are back!

Really good food. There's a large options section with stuff you can not get anywhere else. The staff are very good. Prices reasonable. Spotlessly clean.

The style and the music are great! The service is okay. The food is not. (Overcooked poor quality meat, defrosted fries and poor beverage selection).

Like the Buddies of old, wouldn't hesitate to go back

Excellent food, throw back to the old Buddies on Fish St in town.

The atmosphere and decorations inside the restaurant are very American-style. The breakfast is more attractive than lunch, it has led me to patronize multiple times. The breakfast is very rich and generous in portion size. Specially the fried potato chunks is very delicious. Although the burgers were a bit dry overall, they were still decent compared to other restaurants. The BLT sandwich was average, perhaps ordering the club sandwich with cheddar cheese would be better. Surprisingly, the kids' "breakfast" was better than expected: the mushrooms, fried eggs, and tomato were all delicious, waffle was a bit hard, better to choose toast or pancake. The sundaes as requested adds sparkler candles. Serving ice cream with sparklers, which of course makes the kids excited.

Second time we tried to eat here since the new business took over. The first time the children's pizza was spicy. I thought it was just a kid being a kid but no, all other adults at the table agreed it had a kick. Had to be exchanged for something else. Waitress said they used a new supplier and its not normally like that. This time I got the barrack of ribs (1/2 rack with sides) and it was so tough I could barely get my steak knife through the rack and eating it was nearly impossible so after 1 bite I had to have it changed. Waitress mentioned someone else made the same complaint not long ago. Staff were friendly and gave great service but I was waiting for food for about 10 more minutes, by that time both other people at the table were halfway through their meals anyway. Chicken was just cooked so only ate a little bit and then just ate the coleslaw (which was lovely) and corn. Only paid for the second meal but considering the inconvenience it would have been nice if something else was offered. Won't be trying to eat here again, to us, it's not worth it.

We enjoyed the food and the young lady serving us was lovely. The manager however, we found totally rude and for this reason we will not be back.

Went this morning (Friday) served by two lovely polite young people, one male, one female.. first class service and first class food

American style dining with delicious food. Reasonably priced with plenty of parking at the front4

Large choice. Has a separate vegan and vegetarian menu. Staff are very friendly and helpful. We eat here often especially for breakfast.

For our Team lunch we ordered 10-15 burgers and fries combos from here!! We picked up and brought back to office, everyone loved their lunch, great choice and great food!! This is now an office favourite!!

To be honest, I cannot fault the attention we received on arrival The comfortable seats, the waitresses, and the enjoyable meal. Also thank you to the kitchen staff for clean cutlery etc

If you remember Buddies and liked it, then you need to pay this place a visit. If you don't remember Buddies, then you need to pay this place a visit.

I love this restaurant, still as good as it was over 10 years ago. Great selection of American diner food, great atmosphere and music. Staff are lovely and provide great service!

Very busy, so I advise you to book ahead by calling. Sooo many burger and food options. Food was served quickly and was great american dinner food. Staff working hard and never felt ignored. Great quick friendly service.

The place is ok... The portions are big, the prices are reasonable - unfortunately for us fries where a bit undercooked and the music a bit too loud for us. Great service and friendly staff.

What a lovely place. Quirky and fun. We found this American diner by accident. What a wonderful find. Burgers exceptional. Huge portions. The Air hostess and the lovely waitress with long curly hair were delightful. Well worth a visit.

Had been to 81 Hamburger Heaven for a team lunch. The ambiance was really good, gave a feel of a US Diner. The food was tasty and the quantity was huge. The food came out in time and the staff was attentive.

I had breakfast here this morning...the French toast was incredible! The staff were friendly and attentive while the overall atmosphere was cheerful and inviting.

Fab little restaurant. Great food and drink. Check it out!

An online booking system might be a good idea if the staff taking bookings over the phone can't tell the time. Mother's day ruined because we were told the wrong time, no attempt to rectify just told us it was our fault.

Had an amazing time at Hamburger Heaven, used to go to buddies a while prior to covid, however many seemed to disappear. So happy that this one is back open and seems to be unchanged, great value and great food, with the American diner vibe.

Why advertise breakfast served until 12 when you don't? Wasted journey.

Nice place good food excellent service

Been here a few times and it always is fantastic. Food is very reasonably priced given the portions sizes. Service was very quick. A must go place if you love diners

Great stop off on the way home. Better than any service station. Great atmosphere and food. Will plan it in to future M1 journeys.

Lovely food Great service 5 star

I love HH and regularly come here with family or friends, great food great restaurant, my only gripe is they changed the chicken crunches and they are no where near as good as they were. Other than that 10/10

Food was lovely not expensive great portion size service was good atmosphere was okay

Food was large portions and overall good. However, what did irritate me was the bill was brought over once we had finished but still had drinks. That I can deal with but to have the card machine thrusted in front of me 60 seconds later is a step too far.

Always Absolutely amazing couldn’t recommend enough always massive portions don’t eat beforehand suitable for everyone lots of choice !!

As a Dutch visitor I’ve never experienced food being good next to a motorway. Well, if you’re in for well worth over your food with some good American music in the background and the scene of a diner this is the right place to visit!

Had an amazing meal, so glad I went whilst in the area. The only downside is getting to it from the A road as it is hidden by the tree's

My wife and I have been visiting this joint for almost 30 years (from when it was Buddies) and now my 10 year old son is a fan. We went for his birthday and the service and food, as always, was fantastic! A great menu choice (a massive choice of burger toppings, also chicken and steak options - I have to say the sea food options are superb!), always wonderfully cooked and the service is fantastic. We are so glad that the original Buddies is back (albeit under a different name) and we look forward to being regular customers once more!

Great food good service great value🙂🎅🎅

Only went in for a drink but ended up having one of the best burgers in years. Friendly staff and a great experience

Superb place for an American breakfast, closest I’ve found to a true American diner. Lovely staff, great food, we meet friends here once a month for breakfast.

Breakfast - Great Service and Value.

Always a pleasure to visit here. Good sized portions, good value, great tasting and friendly service.

Absolutely love this place. I've been going to Buddies for over 20 years. The wagu burger is possibly the best burger ever.