81 Hamburger Heaven in South Northamptonshire

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

Me my wife and friend went here after a charity skydive. I have been before but my wife and friend have not been. We had great food nice and relaxing. Would like to come again.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

Not dog friendly, you have to sit in the car or the wind and rain. At least there's a good square of grass to be xcercise the dog on. The staff were very friendly and apologetic that our tiny, we'll behaved dog couldn't lie under the table. The burgers are excellent, and come with a huge portion of proper chips; unfortunately they quickly went cold as we had to sit outside. If you don't have a dog it's a good pitstop for lunch, near the motorway in Northampton.

Very good service and the food quality is much improved

Great food, great service..Huge portions. As a massive fan of the original Buddies, this place is spot on. Burgers as tasty as they once were. Cheese and bacon fries are a must!! Really lovely family meal enjoyed by all. Staff very welcoming and friendly throughout our visit. Very accommodating when one of the dishes didn't come out as expected, they happily took it back and made it again. Desserts finished everything off perfectly. The Manhattan Meringue sundae was delicious. We'll definitely be back.

Great selection of burgers, delightful atmosphere

Please don’t go if you’ve experienced proper American diner food. PLEASE! Really disappointed by the chef (Saturday lunch). My apple pie dough was half raw (truly!), my VLT was just filled with very wet coleslaw (this is not how you make a BLT) and my daughters toasted sandwich wasn’t actually toasted. The club sandwich my husband had was again filled with loads of coleslaw (again check google to learn how to make, its easy!). Burgers are good here but really avoid the rest! (And expect cheap frozen chips and hash browns w no spices/salt)

Great place to visit with friends, family and children. I like the theme inside and fun stickers around the place. Great value and food quality is excellent. Very big portion sizes everytime and their chocolate fudge brownie with vanilla ice cream is amazing. Nice on site carpark very close to the restaurant and services next door. Recommend

Overall burgers were very nice.really busy so need to book on certain nights.coleslaw portion is massive but not creamy enough more like cruncy vegetables in a watered down mayonaise.milk shakes are nkt worth the cost basically the same as using crusha at home definitely not a thick american style shake.

Party of 2. Seated quickly and we browsed the menus for some time before anyone came over to ask for drinks/food orders. We were sat a bit too long before the order was taken. Food arrived promptly as we were both very hungry and the food was delicious. Sweet potato fries were outstanding. The normal fries need some work, I think some of the other reviews have mentioned this. They're not bad but could be better. I ordered a mixed grill and the steak was cooked exactly as I asked, the meat was a bit chewy but that's down to the cut (rump). Looking forward to coming back, just need some improvement to the service. The poor waiter looked like he'd been dragged off the street and asked to work a shift, very shy and quiet. Ordered a sundae to share for afters and it was brilliant (Star Wars). Fresh cream and delicious ice cream (non whippy).

Great burgers, relaxed atmosphere, good service, what's not to like? Try the Wagyu burgers - well worth the modest extra cost.

Excellent food and service, good size portions always hot and fresh, lovely puddings, just wish they would bring back mint stint, malteaser madness, rolo blade sundaes.

Good place for parents with young children family friendly

Enjoyed the burgers, the decor and videos of New York, lovely for those of us that have been there. The food is priced fine. I would say avoid the ridiculously overpriced milkshake. Over £3 for frothy milk. No ice cream, cream or chocolate sauce. I have a blender at home, I know how little milk you need to make a frothy milkshake like this... and it isn't much. That aside I really enjoyed our visit and will definitely go back.

Frys were not that great, didn't rate it very much at all. The staff were more attractive to each other than what they were to customers. When seating us they didn't look at the group to seat as somewhere suitable and we had to ask if we could move. There is lots of choice buy it seems they use frozen food instead of fresh to make anything.

Great food and selection of burgers still.

Huge menu selection and not only hamburgers. Fast service and helpful server. Comfortable seating. Easy parking. Sensible prices for tasty offerings!

Easy over restaurant with fantastic breakfasts. Recommended. 🤩

Great fun, great food and huge portions! American themed. Glorious junk food, and perfectly good for vegetarians. This used to be known as Buddies USA, was sold, but this branch has now been bought back by the original owner and it's just as it used to be, including the train running around the wall. It's an institution - we stop off whenever we're in the area. Update: Sept 2023 and busier than ever. But one thing they can't do right is serve a soda the American way. Look guys - you need a 16 or 20oz glass and fill it with ice. Not three or four cubes; fill it right up. Then top it off with soda.

The old buddies restaurant has certainly kept its charm since changing hands. The decor although has been toned down a lot, it still looks fab and tasteful inside.. the food was great, a few classics of the original menu have been kept on which is brilliant. The only thing letting it down is the staff. The service was okay from one waiter who served us in part, however the other two people working during our visit looked less than happy to be there, we're cold and unfriendly when speaking to customers and generally didn't match the rest of the vibe the diner holds which was a shame.

Glade to see that the Buddies Restaurant is back under its new name. Love the original menu with good food and good service.

Ok food a bit too pricey for what it is, good service. Seems to have lost something from back in the day.

*EDITED* because of a polar opposite experience today 26/8/23. Oh how the mighty have fallen, it seems that when the doors were closed, they should have stayed closed. We arrived for breakfast this morning, my partner ordered the New York breakfast which had options on the potatos, she opted for the sliced potatos and informed the waitress as such, waitress brings cubed potatoes and when told these were incorrect states we will be charged for her mistake. Bill then comes out with the additional on which we are not paying for only then to be "told off" by another waitress after the original wouldnt come back to the table, no doubt as she knew she had made an error. We were told to "make sure it didnt happen again in the future" Are you kidding me? Holding me responsible for your waitresses error? Topped off with over priced cold black pudding at £3.70. So echoing a friends comments to me about it from his experiences, dissapointingly, thats it for me, we wont be coming back. *Old review, no longer relevant* AMAZING, its back. We loved Buddies and ate at most of their restaurants but after it was sold off it changed and we only went once. So pleased to see that its back, original sized portions, all the old favourites and the deserts too. Absolute master stroke by the owner to sell, cash in, let Buddies go down under new owners and then to re establish once that folded. I look forward to eating here regularly once again, just need Rushden back now.

Buddies diner used to be great Lost its way Happy to say this place has found it Good food at a reasonable price and very Friendly service A big well done to the staff

I was a long-term customer of Buddies and was disappointed when it changed ownership and went down hill. Thank goodness 81s opened and gave us amazingly tasty burgers to enjoy once again! The food is great…lots of choices, big portions, and proper tasty!

Great service and atmosphere. Old Buddies which brought back memories. Portion sizes are huge so wear comfy trousers. Lots of options for burgers etc and fantastic vegi menu.

Lovely decor lovely staff kids have great value dinners

Great food and service just like the Buddies old days

Very yummy, great service. Bathroom very clean and atmosphere was amazing.

Fantastic burgers with a vast selection of toppings, something for everyone including a separate vegetarian menu. I had the Hell's Kitchen burger, hot and spicy with wet cheese fries. Good service, would recommend. 👍

Never been here before but it was excellent. Good food, cheery staff and a great atmosphere. Will be back