Burger Theory in Bristol, City of

I’m not usually a burger bar person, I find them all a bit samey. Was passing through Bristol and was just taken by the sign so wandered in. Had the Blue Cow Burger and Kimchi loaded fries. Just blown away, absolutely fantastic. Genuinely a reason to come back to Bristol all on its own.

Nestled on a charming side street just outside Bristol’s bustling city center, this independent burger joint is a true hidden gem. The menu offers a wide range of options to satisfy every palate—don’t miss the garlic mayo; it’s absolutely divine. Our server was incredibly attentive, patiently answering all our questions and even accommodating a custom burger that wasn’t on the menu. With outstanding customer service, delicious food, and a cool, laid-back atmosphere, this place is a must-visit. What’s not to love?

Burgers were the tasty enough but very expensive given you have to buy fries separately. Staff seemed keen to shut down, rushing our order and closing down the bar early, which was all a bit odd.

What happened to this place? Sat and waited for ten minutes without even being given a menu. Gave up and left. Didn't even seem especially busy.

Awful service we had to wait over an hour for food and the children were restless. The food was greasy and not tasty. The price was huge for what we had. The wine was so overpriced so didn’t bother. No coffee as the machine was broken and after all that we were given a service charge to pay. If we hadn’t been with friends we wouldn’t have paid it. Not worth a visit at all -would never go there again.

Came here on a Monday evening and it was bustling and with a good atmosphere. The veggie burger was delicious, as was the dirty fries. The milkshake was absolutely incredible

Sat down to a table for two. Was ask any allergies. No allergies. When given menu. Chose a simple burger and a chicken burger double with large fries n 2 beers. Place was freezing . Beers come. Waited 25 mins for food , which isn't to bad . No salt or pepper or ginger or any sauce on table . Food came and nothing was said. Went up to ask for condiments. Then given with a slam on the table. Had to ask for any sauce . The food was greasy . Cold . And basic .

Extremly let down by this place, was reassured by the waitress that all the food I'd ordered was suitable for Coeliacs but evidently not. I had the simply beef burger with fries (both of which are labeled GF on the menu) and shortly after eating I became very ill and had to cut my night short as someone who has worked in kitchens, i get that it is a tough job and you're often rushed however it is crucial to take the correct steps to cater for allergens espeically when your menu offers these options!

We had lunch with the homemade sauce! It was heaven in bottle. I wish I could have bought some to take home!

We went in today, barely greeted by a waitress (no hello, just told to ‘sit anywhere’!) It wasn’t busy, had a choice of seats. Then got completely ignored. sat for a good 5 minutes, still with no greeting, and no menus….so we went around the corner to honest burger!! A simple hello, or “I’ll be with you in a minute” takes no effort what so ever, look after your customers!!

Went there last night my with friend, have to say, it was an amazing burger and my mate really enjoyed hers however I was terribly ill a few hours later. She was fine and all round was a good place

1st time we have been here !! OMG! The burgers were amazing. The fries with truffle and parmesan were so delicious, and the staff were so friendly… why have we never been here before !!! Would definitely recommend!

This small restaurant is an absolute gem with a great vibe and delicious food. The staff are super friendly, helpful and quick. The food took a while to arrive but that’s because everything was cooked fresh (open kitchen) and the wait was definitely worth it. The Mac10 burger was by far one of the best burgers I’ve had in quite a while. The meat was well seasoned, the bacon crunchy and the special burger sauce just added to the overall flavour. Now onto the milk shakes….. peanut butter vegan - so tasty despite the non-lactose! banoffee milk shake (not vegan) was also excellent. Overall this place deserves all its success!

Nathan and the team are wonderful and the good amazing ! It’s was my birthday and we sat outside watching the buzz of Bristol go by with great options whether you like meat and vege ( not just any old vege burgers the whole menu range in vege form !! Icy Margheritas nice food nice staff , what’s not to like ?

One of the best tastiest burgers I've had. Lunch time special. Great value. Friendly staff and beautifully cooked to perfection by Nick. Highly recommended.

We called in on spec for lunch. The restaurant was small, clean and relatively quiet. The server was welcoming and friendly and took our orders quite quickly. There was nevertheless a noticeable delay in our food being served but our burgers, when they came, were absolutely delicious and very filling.

Fantastic food. One of the best burgers I’ve had. Will be back again. Good menu and can make changes to be as low carb as possible. Thank you

Just moved to Bristol and tried this place for the first time and we’ll definitely be coming back. We had the cheeky clucker and the sheriff and they were amazing! Definitely one the best places we’ve been to eat for a long time! Amazing music playlist too! 10/10

Seated fairly quickly, good ambiance and friendly staff. Not a fan of burgers in general but thought I’d give it a try. I ordered a chicken burger that had pickles and garlic mayo. I ordered a single but it came as a double. I alerted the waitress as I did not want to be charged for a double. She came and took it away and gave it back to me. I wanted some wings too so I asked the guy who took our food order what sauce he would recommend as I was tired of the usual blue cheese and Frank’s hot sauce combo. He recommended the special house sauce - Thai sweet chilli and mint. I thought that was quite interesting and since it was recommended, I went ahead with it. I took one bite of a wing - BIG MISTAKE! Put it this way, mint is for lamb only. I ate the rest of my burger and left the wings. A natural wonderment of mine is that when he came to collect our plates, clearly saw that the rest of the wings were left untouched, what should have been the course of action? He didn’t ask if I liked it or not. He didn’t ask if there was anything he could do. Just collected and put it away. I’d come back here again but for the burger.

Absolutely amazing food. The selection on menu was good and food very reasonably priced. Staff were very attentive and welcoming. Will be definitely going back here soon.

Excellent burger one of the best I have had in a while I went the Mac 10 with extra patty and it was the perfect burger for me. Enough meat with 3 smashed patties and the perfect amount of cheese and sauce.

Great vegetarian burger, both my partner and I agreed it was one of the best we’ve had! Amazing macaroni fries too with quick service. The only reason it’s not five stars is due to the automated added service charge on the end, first time in Bristol and were on a budget so this felt a little pervasive.

That mac n cheese is a game changer! We went to the launch of their stokes croft restaurant, after frequenting the st Stephens street one MANY MANY times. Honestly such good burgers and sides. Probably our fave burger spot in Bristol! And that’s saying something because there’s a ton of competition. Keep up the amazing work!

Booked a table for 7.30. Arrived early at 7. Said I was happy to sit outside and have a drink and wait. It got to 7.45 and nobody had come to see me. I went inside and ordered food and drink and said I was happy to eat it outside. 45 minutes later the burger and fries came. The burger was average and the bacon tasted like it had been frozen. The fries were not great. No taste to them. Overall for the price it wasn’t worth it. Someone opposite me complained about the food as well. Will be trying the other burger place down the road next time. This place has so much potential but the standards of food does not seem that great.

Amazing! We visited the stokes Croft branch on the opening night and it was brilliant. First of all they had some excellent options for us alcohol free people; a pint of Vimeo - yes please! And the milkshakes looked loaded. My partner had the burger and it wasn’t around long enough for me to see it- but I was assured it was juicy, sweet and with the right amount of everything. I ordered the Mac and cheese with a chicken piece on the side and it was INCREDIBLE. When I mistakenly thought that the chicken would come without the sauce the kitchen were so accommodating and made me a new one; as I couldn’t eat the sauce due to an allergy. We took the brownies home and had them the next day as I might have exploded if I ate them there, and they were fudgey and delicious: 24 hours after being bought. So so so good.

Took my girlfriend here as a treat for her passing an exam and the food was fantastic and the service was great. Good location to go to bars after for a few drinks.

Was looking for a place for a banging burger and some blue cheese as we all agree that’s a winning combination! Luckily we stumbled upon burger theory and although it wasn’t on the menu our server spoke to the chefs who accommodated this to both...

So we popped in.last night for food. The staff were friendly and welcoming and service was quick and efficient. Then the food came the dirty fries were incredible and the fried chicken in the burger was stunning. The only reason why I didn't score it...

Came here on a Friday evening. Five of us, they were fully booked but the manager squeezed us in. Shockingly lovely service that we didn't expect from a (i guess) a chain restaurant. Felt welcome for the 3 hours we were there and tbh didn't...

I visited here on a Saturday with friends and had a quick wait for a table. I found the burger tasted and chips tasted a tad oily, however my friends thought the meal was very good. The service was a little slow on the sauces...

Really nice burger and friendly staff but long wait for food , an hour and a quarter due to ‘Uber orders ‘ really should prioritise face to face customers who have made the effort to drive to town, pay to park 2 cars and pre...

Great little restaurant with some imaginative and innovative dishes. The food was deliciius but there was a delay in serving us the fries arrived 10 mins after the other food and we were then hurried by the staff at the end of the meal. Worth...

Burger Theory used to serve the best burgers in town. I have had lunch there many times. Now they seem to be going down.... I had lunch recently with a colleague and noted that the burgers were dry and overcooked. The service was extremely slow...

Popped in here by coincidense. Had a kimchi burrger with kimchi fries. An Asian taste on an American burger made this a really fantastic experience. Good service and a nice atmosphere. This place is highly recommended.

Popped in as a solo as I wanted a burger. Got sat down after being greeted at the door and 20 mins later I hadn't even been asked if I wanted a drink, neither had the guy sat next to me solo. I'll be honest...

Finally had a chance to give Burger Theory a try. Its got a great, close location with indoor and outdoor seating, though we did it as delivery. We ordered The Don, The Bo Peep, chili cheese fries, and plain fries. One nice thing about is...

Visited once recently and had lunch which was pricy but nice. Visited a week later for drinks only as had plans to take a walk then return for food, but as weather was warm a thirst quencher needed and was a a little early for...

Good quality burgers with a good menu that covers a range of tastes. Good outside seating area (needed in this heat!). Food was good quality but the prices are exceptionally high even for Bristol, which caps me at a 4 star!

After waiting an hour for our meals on a quiet Sunday night (29/05/22) we were amazed at the size of our burgers. That was the highlight right there how they had the skill to do that as they couldn’t get anything else right. My brothers...

Could easily have walked past this place but so glad we didn’t. Friendly staff, great beer and wow, the burgers!! Truly amazing food!

Better than 3 brothers! Tasty ‘blue cow’ burger and fries. Plenty of salad, cheese and jalapeños. What’s not to love!

Why bother with this place if you can finish your burger and chips just as full, with your taste buds just as satisfied, and more money to your name elsewhere? Okay, there are some good local beers and ales and an edgy vibe here (although...

Not what the jazzy photos suggested it would be... The Sheriff was really too dry, and the chips not particularly tasty. The beers were very good but the main thing you go here for – an indulgent burger – didn’t hit the mark for me....

Sunday lunch time. We ordered our burgers which took a long time to come and when they did were tepid and got cold quite quickly. There were no other customers waiting for food at that time but others came in as we were waiting. Their...

Burger Theory is one of Bristols top burger joints , great quality meat , inventive and creative chefs who’s ideas run wild on the menu . Great settings and perfect vibes this is really a great spot for a bit of dinner / lunch with...

Great Burgers, great beer, great atmosphere. If only I could try all the burgers and sides in one sitting. Definitely worth a visit!

So this place used to be good a few year ago, but it’s gone down hill. Ordered a deliveroo this evening, the Korean fried chicken burger was like jelly, with soggy skin on the outside. The chicken wings weren’t anything to rave about either. I...

Choose this restaurant for its Gluten Free options, most burgers could be made GF for an extra 75p. We ordered our food and received our drinks when the waiter came to tell me they had no GF buns, so I could have it bunless or...

The server was great and provided brilliant recommendations, along with being super friendly and quick. The burgers were fantastic and unique, which is always a draw for me, and the guest beers both complimentary and delicious. Will definitely be coming back!

The staff were all busy and trying their best, but seemed badly organised. As a result we had to wait 15 minutes to be seated. Whilst waiting we noticed brown takeaway bags being rushed into the kitchen… Drinks were even slower, 20-40 minutes!!! We resorted...

First time back since Covid kicked off and first bad experience. The beef patties were over-cooked and dry which is not too good for a place that only have burgers to think about. The service was off the boil as well. Inattentive staff that I...

I had the Mac10 burger which was very tasty, the sauce was especially nice. The staff were friendly and quickly sat me down. A bit of a wait for food but it was quite busy and I was in no rush, so this wasn't an...

We came to this place a few years ago and thought the vegi burger we had was quite good, but 3 years on and going back there after having tried the likes of Honest Burger, Oowee and Brewdog's vegan menus you realise how poor Burger...

Great little venue to watch the world go by and have a meal. Good quality food, great staff polite and friendly. But of a wait for the food as the place was full but well worth it

Staff friendly and polite however we waited an hour and 15 minutes for our food, when it arrived it wasn’t worth the wait, a average burger and overly salty poutine. Sadly won’t be returning due to the long wait and average food.

Found this place on a weekend away with my husband. We found the service friendly and the food tasty. The place had a nice relaxed atmosphere.

I think I was disappointed with this one and sadly for a number of reason. I went for a ‘cheese theory’ burger so i’m thinking a proper dirty cheese burger but the result wasn’t that at all. See the pics. We picked this up as...

I was in Bristol on a work trip and took my nephew out for a meal. His friends recommended Burger Theory to us. This was, without a doubt, the best burger I’ve ever eaten. COVID guidelines were impeccably followed, the staff were superb. I can’t...

Jean Claude van dam! That’s a great burger! Great atmosphere, awesome staff and topped off by the main event some incredible burgers! The fries are skin in and taste how they should, the burgers are cooked to perfection and their coupling of sauces and sides...

Lunch here today was amazing. The team were happy to fit us in despite us having messed up our booking. The menu was full of amazing choices and the special sounded great too. I opted for the Hairy Beast and Kieran Fried chicken bites and...

Expensive for a takeaway. How is it that this restaurant feels they can charge the same for a takeaway burger and fries as the amount they charge if you choose to sit down and use the ambience, the chairs, tables, electricity, waiting staff, lavatory etc?...

We had ordered a few times from here online, and the burgers have always been fantastic - particularly as we are vegetarians and they have always catered for gluten intolerance. Visiting was no different. It’s centrally located so easy to get to. Friendly staff in...

First off, the deal that Burger Theory crafted for Eat Out to Help Out is great, a real good saving to be had. They are working to a reduced menu, like most places, which is understandable. The COVID measures were great and the food really...

The food is decent enough but for the price I would expect fries to be included. The service isn’t bad or exceptionally good, it’s quite laid back but it gets the job done.

We ate lunch here on Sat 22nd Aug. Good covid measures, QR code to scan and enter track and trace. The Don (pizza burger pictured) was tasty and my wife enjoyed the bunless Sheriff burger. Local beer (Moor beer) available! Good lunch!

I always get the Prairie Girl burger and it is consistently amazing every time. My partner is vegetarian and a big burger fan. Having tried most of the places in Bristol this is his 1st choice. Often veggie burgers seem small in comparison to the...

I wanted to explore some different tipes of burgers as the place is advertised but actually I haven't been so surprised about the kind of burgers they offer. The taste was nice though but too greasy. The price, well, people expect fries included with a...

£48 for two burgers with fries and two beers. Pro: Location in city center. Decent size portions Felt safe for covid measures Like the concept of pickles made in house Cons: For a burger that costs nearly £14 you would expect that fries would be...

Ordered one chicken and one veggie burger (for a vegetarian) via deliveroo. Just before the driver arrived got a phone call to say that they were 95% sure both were meat. They said the only way to get a refund was to go via deliveroo,...

Amazing burgers. Had the Korean chicken burger and it was so tasty, some of the nicest chicken I’ve ever eaten! Tables were well spaced and all safety measures adhered to, staff were very friendly and service was speedy! Will definitely return if I’m in Bristol...

Came into burger theory because it was the closest restaurant to us, ended up having the best burger of my life. Friendly, fast service. I wish it was a chain so I could get one where I'm from!

Service was absolutely excellent, really accommodating and friendly. Delicious burgers (really good veggie patties too) and the service was pretty quick despite them clearly having a lot of delivery orders on the go too. The tables were well spaced apart so it felt perfectly safe too. Will definitely come back!

Been here many times and always come back. The unique burger menu is amazing and everything else they offer is great.

The pictures say it all, my recommendation is to stay with what they recommend! Specials to die for guys! Exquisite Burgers!

Cuando se abrió este lugar, era bastante bueno, pero ahora está en una pendiente resbaladiza. Mi última visita será la última.Habíamos reservado con anticipación, lo cual es bastante esencial ahora en una noche de viernes o sábado, así que muchas visitas fueron rechazadas.El servicio era deficiente una vez que se tomó el pedido de bebidas, hubo una espera masiva antes de tomar nuestro pedido de comida. Y por alguna razón, nuestro servidor prefirió estar detrás de mí, así que no podría verlos al realizar el pedido.La comida llegó después de un retraso un poco largo, ambos fueron francamente promedio. Si quiero una hamburguesa promedio, iría a Burger King donde no me cuesta más de 10.También es un consejo importante si desea hacer lo moderno de tener una cocina que los clientes puedan ver en ella. Puede ser una idea capacitar a su personal para que se tarde más de 3 segundos en lavarse las manos y que usar jabón sea una buena idea. Además, cuando esté a la vista cuando trabaje en una cocina, tal vez evite hurgarse la nariz.Clavo final en el ataúd, cuando limpies mi mesa Y tengas clientes esperando, no me obligues a pedirle la factura a TWICE.Mucha competencia en la arena de hamburguesas de Bristol sugiere que busques en otro lado.

The staff were lovely, except the manager. Here's a theory for you; don't work in customer service if you aren't capable of providing a good service. All we asked was to push the tables together, as they split us into a table of 10 and 4. Rather than politely explaining, or offering us a more suitable table, the manager was rude af. When I asked him why he couldn't be polite, his response was that I was making him be rude. Later that night the manager shoulder barged me as I walked to the bar. Also, one of my male colleagues noticed that he didn't wash his hands after using the bathroom.... And he was serving food. Avoid this man like the plague.

Really nice food with a great selection for vegetarians and vegans but only bother going if you're prepared to wait 1.5hr for a burger.

Blooming brilliant. It was my second visit and we went as a party of 7 this three young’uns (7, 10 & 12). The chap who greeted us was just lovely. He was really welcoming and seemed really passionate about the food he was serving. I went for the Hairy Beast, fries, chipotle sauce and a pint of the Moors. Quite possibly the best burger I’ve ever had. The patty was cooked perfectly and was complemented well with the chicken and sauce. Only slight downside was that they’d run out of gravy for the poutine. My eldest ordered garlic mayo with the poutine instead and loved it. We also ordered some cauliflower fries thing (I wasn’t paying attention) and it was amazing. Not sure I’ve ever used amazing in the same sentence as cauliflower, but this stuff was fantastic. Thank you Burger Theory, we’ll be back next time we’re down in Bristol

Tried the ‘moovin mountains’ burger - so tasty and had the look/ texture of meat. Husband is a meat eater but would definitely have this option again.

Arrived for our booking to a nearly empty resturant seated with menus chose what we were having had to ask for drinks nice selection of a local brew which I enjoyed waited for food staff were refusing entrance to walk ins until 5 we guessed due to the fact they were short staffed burgers arrived mine was nice the wifes was cold we did not say anything as we thought it would fall on deaf ears sadly as we had high Hope's for this place didn't like they add a service fee to the bill... really for a out the way burger place.Wont be going back

We were so looking forward to eating here but we were left so disappointed. We both ordered a quinoa burger and they were both so overcooked they were black around the edge & dark brown in the middle. The edge was also hard! When I picked up the burger oil came out of it! I took 3 bites & it made me feel ill! The chips are also very expensive for the portion size but they did at least taste nice. The service was very friendly too, however we would never go back.

We came here as we had seen it on our last visit to Bristol so thought we would give it a go. The burger i had was nice albeit a little more expensive than other burger places we had eaten in. The loaded fries again were nice but a smaller portion than others especially for the price. The drinks also seemed pricey. Don't get me wrong the food was nice but there are better burger restaurants not too far away.

If you're looking for a great burger, this is the place.

Great food, venue and service. Staff were incredibly friendly and I can’t rate this place enough. It’s a quality menu and you won’t be disappointed

As a 24st man i have seen alot of burgers, cooked alot of burgers, and definitely eaten alot of burgers. Some award winning burgers and some hairball 6am fully wasted burgers, but this... this is my favourite of all the burgers.

I Am really sorry to say this but I have to agree with some of the reviews below. All our burgers were really tasty but the staff made us feel pretty uncomfortable. My family and I felt as if we were not welcome in this restaurant.

The main thing was the food was good. But the place is very small and the tables are way too close together. Service was ok

Tenemos una mesa reservada para 8 personas para un cumpleaños de un amigo, nos dijeron que era un retraso de 40 minutos para la comida, dado que era un sábado por la noche, esto se puede esperar. Pedimos nuestra comida, no todo salió juntos, las patatas fritas eran tan saladas que eran indestructibles. El servicio fue una pesadilla, muy lento y miserable! Nunca nos ofrecieron un menú de postres, ¡solo nos dijeron que la cocina estaba cerrada! Nunca ofrecimos más bebidas o más agua para la mesa, cuando nos quejamos del mal servicio, la camarera nos dijo que había tomado nuestro pedido. ! "Lo siento, pero no fui tu mesera esta noche" básicamente pasando el dinero a pesar de que ella había tomado nuestra orden. Para colmo, ¡querían que pagáramos un cargo por servicio! En general, excelente comida, pero si quieres un servicio decente, no te molestes, ¡solo ordena en deliveryoo! !

Visité con un compañero durante un día o en Bristol. Ambos tuvimos la hamburguesa Hairy Beast y una porción de piel con papas fritas.

Lo probé porque los amigos lo habían comentado. Cuesta 25 por una cerveza y una hamburguesa porque los lados no están incluidos y 75 p por una porción de salsa del tamaño de McDonald's que fue muy gracioso. El personal nos apresuró un poco, lo cual era confuso cuando el restaurante estaba vacío. la comida era fabulosa pero probablemente no volvería porque no se sentía muy amigable

Called in while visiting for a gig at the fleece. Fairly quite so managed to get in ok For was nice n fresh. Thought the dip for the chips could be double the size for that price. But otherwise ok. Service was fine.

Food was delicious - could not fault it but the staff were grumpy & made everything (like ordering food) seem like an effort! Wouldn’t be so bad but they automatically put a service charge on for the pleasure (which it was not!) would have asked them to take it off but my boyfriend paid the bill without me knowing. Food I rate highly but service just awful.

Freshly made vegetarian and vegan burgers, double up options, discount during lunch hours, bun-less options and very friendly service. Will be back.

We booked a table here for Saturday night which I would highly recommend as it gets very busy and seating is limited. The restaurant is very casual and relaxed even though it is a little hectic!

Always guaranteed a good burger and like their poutine! It’s sooo delish. Team were friendly and we will be back!

We booked a table for 7 people and ordered various burgers and types of fries. The waitress was lovely and very friendly however the wait time was quite long and there was quite a wait between the arrival of the burgers and the arrival of fries and sides and even once they did arrive they told us that they couldn't do the poutines instead of telling us prior to arrival. To be fair they did offer different things to go on the fries instead of the poutine but it was a little disappointing. If they improved the service time (and didn't automatically tack on service charge to the bill) my rating would be higher. Very tasty food though. Would recommend the burger mi if you like things a little spicy.

Second time we’ve been, and the service hasn’t improved. Waited over an hour for food, despite the place not being especially busy. If you have an hour for lunch then this is not the place for you. The burgers are great, but it’s rare that you get service this bad in this day and age. First time I’ve ever had to ask to have the service charge removed from the bill!

I went especially to try the Pork of the Town burger as not available in their Cardiff venue.

Visited burger theory a few days ago with a friend. I'm not a veggie but I ordered the veggie burger because it looked really good, and to be fair did taste really good. However, the experience was really let down by the service. My burger contained lashings of onion chutney, despite my request to remove any onion from the burger (which I was assured wouldn't be a problem). The chips arrived 10 minutes after the burgers, and when they did arrive, they weren't the right ones - so had to wait another 15 minutes for the right ones to arrive. When they did arrive, they were way way way too spicy for me to eat, which was a shame because I'd been very clear about not wanting something very spicy and the waitress had assured me that they weren't too spicy anyway but that they could put less chilli on. At no point did anyone ask how our food was. The icing on the cake was receiving a bill with the service charge added on, when at no point did anybody ask if our food was okay.

We stopped here for lunch on a Sunday and it was empty when we got in, but the staff were friendly. My husband and I got a burger each and shared the poutine. The burgers were okay, but nothing special. the poutine was SO GOOD! I would happily eat two of them instead! Worth a go.