Ciao Burger in Bristol, City of

Oh dear, what has happened to this place? The burger was not high quality and cold in spite of a long wait.

Used to be the best burger bar in Bristol, but what I had last night was like something from Iceland’s cheap freezer section. They even put two burgers in just to make it look like one decent one. Shouldn’t have bothered. The chips were cold, floppy and uncooked too. Another great food place on Gloucester Road bites the dust.

I used to go here years and years ago and it was great… that ship has sailed 🤢🤮 It’s now along the lines of a disgusting burger van, the burger was deep fried, wafer thin cheap and nasty and it smelled like seaweed on a dirty beach, I wouldn’t even feed it to my dog,

Truly awful. Worst burger in 30 years Chips even worse. So not go here

Had a burger last night, absolutely awful. This burger outlet used to be one of the best in Bristol, but it seems to have taken a dramatic nose dive. Poor quality meat , rubbish bread and not a very nice taste. Please try and get back to the standard it used to be!!

This place has now changed for the worse, I cannot recommend anymore.

This place is definitely not ran by the same people anymore. Staff don’t know or understand the menu or what you’re ordering. I walked out without ordering due to my instinct screaming to me that these people had no clue and I’ve never experienced that there before. Place isn’t the same! Sad because it used to be sooo good. Defo not ran by same people

*Updated* Not what it used to be unfortunately. Meat is lower quality and burgers taste worse. But high price remains. Old review: "There is a reason I frequent this place often. Tasty burgers and efficient staff."

Avoid. Ciao looks the same but under this new ownership/management is not a patch on the original Ciao.

An insult to the name. Under new management and standards have fallen through the floor. Don't bother. Ciao from me.

Staff did not seem to understand their own menu. Requested the veggie deluxe burger with vegan cheese (as per advertised) and after correcting the staff member who put the order down as something else, I felt best to make sure it is vegan cheese (as advertised), only then to be told they don't do vegan cheese as "everything has changed". I pointed to the advertising board which shows vegan cheese (Ve) with this particular burger only to be told "the sticker must have fell off". Great work guys you know how to go downhill.

Staff did not seem to understand their own menu. Requested the veggie deluxe burger with vegan cheese (as per advertised) and after correcting the staff member who put the order down as something else, I felt best to make sure it is vegan cheese (as advertised), only then to be told they don't do vegan cheese as "everything has changed". I pointed to the advertising board which shows vegan cheese (Ve) with this particular burger only to be told "the sticker must have fell off". Great work guys you know how to go downhill.

Avoid! Got one today as I hadn't had one for ages and wondered why I couldn't add certain things to my burger then when it came I realised it mustve been taken over and honestly it was disgusting. Fried chicken burger was soggy battered mush and onion rings also battered mush. Such a shame as this was one of my faves.

Hello, I had ordered some food from this place from just eat and the order was accepted but never delivered and when checked on the app it shown delivered. Really very very upset on this kind of things. Was really hungry and that's y did order. This has happened to me for the first time and I did hear about just eat app having this issues but never happened with me. I didn't even receive my refund nor when I raised a complaint got any reply back. Please look into this matter and would expect a reply soon. Thank you.

haven't received my order and it says received . the delivery guy says delivered but haven't received it.

(Twice) I was really ill after eating a chicken burger from here. At first I thought it was a coincidence, the second time, I put two and two together. Disappointed as I used to be a regular.

I wasn’t happy with my food and I contacted them and they refunded me straight away, Ciao usually offer delicious food this is the first time ever they’ve let me down so I’ll let them off and try again sometime

Premium prices, your standard kebab shop frozen grisly patty. Disaster

Ciao used to be the best burgers in Bristol, alas no more. My burger tonight was proper rank, cheapest worst quality meat possible. Basically ropey kebab house burger for proper money. Fries were rubbish as well. Just an absolute shame, avoid.

3 chicken strips for a chicken strip "burger"

Very good quality burger. Thank you much enjoyed!

Gutted to be writing this ‘bad’ review. Ciao Burger and prior to that, Schwartz Burger have always had a huge following on Gloucester Road for many, many years. 30 odd years!! Renowned for its quality burgers, crispy fries and efficient, friendly team…the atmosphere had a real buzz to it! Things have changed. Sad times indeed. The burgers are standard.. nothing about them shouts ‘Ciao Burger’. Was given the wrong relish (chilli instead of tomato… 🥵 t’was painful and killed the burger). The fries were tasteless… nothing like they used to be. Huge wait for a relatively small order.. so I spent it reading all the unfortunate bad reviews and waited in the hope I would proved wrong. Gutted. I just hope those who need to know read these reviews, take note and save Ciao from fading into nothing but the history books. Such a shame to see it dwindle.

Having been a loyal customer of Ciao Burgers for almost 30 years, it saddens me to see it now. The food quality was always it's USP for a small takeaway hidden halfway up Gloucester Rd, however the chips were served soggy and the burger patties were cheap, unsubstantial and tasteless. Such a shame to see it fall like this.

Absolutely awful - Used to be a gem of a place - Now run by clueless numpties from a far away continent Stay clear - Visit Owee, Five Guys instead if you’ve won the lottery

Sad times. Ciao Burger is finished. Only the signage remains. After 30 years regular custom, I won’t be returning. The business is clearly under new ownership and they are clueless! In its heyday, you’d go in on a busy Saturday evening and be promptly served a delicious meal by 7 or 8 hard working coke heads, working beautifully together under pressure like a well oiled, techno loving machine. Now it’s the 3 stooges. There’s a language barrier which must be tough, but during my agonising 30 minute wait yesterday I witnessed 3 wrong orders. (It wasn’t busy so I would normally expect about a 15 minute wait). One poor guy came back complaining he’d received 2 burgers when he ordered 3. The staff just said he was wrong. Absolute madness. And the product is not the same: fries were tasteless, beef patty was thin, bland and dry, bun was cold. Management, if you’re reading this, please get help otherwise your shop will likely shut down by October at the latest. Ciao had a massive loyal following, which I’m sure you paid a lot of money for. But providing such an incredibly substandard product and service in such a competitive industry is unsustainable and unacceptable. The best thing you could do is take your ‘team’ to Oowee to see how it’s done. Actually, take them to Bravas and Seven Lucky Gods and a Lounge and anywhere where the customer is treated with respect by well trained professionals serving an enviable product.

I wish I’d have checked the recent reviews before visiting this evening! I struggled to communicate my order to the guy stood at the till and still there was a mistake with the number of fries. Once we got home, we discovered that instead of relish on the bean burger, we had hot chilli sauce which rendered it inedible. The fries were limp and soggy while a garlic mayo dip was not recognisable as mayo nor particularly garlicky… My rodeo burger was mediocre but nothing specifically wrong with it. The mozzarella sticks were just as expected so that’s something! To think that we’d come from Bath where we could have had a Schwartz burger before our journey rather than this disappointment after our journey. This will sadly be our last Ciao Burger, how the mighty have fallen :(

OMG WHAT HAVE YOU TURNED INTO. FOOD WAS AWFUL TONIGHT NEVER GOING BACK

NEVER TO RETURN .Schwartz Bros opened in 77/78 the absolute Don of high street takeaways,changed to Ciao early nineties.CIAO kept the same recipes and suppliers,sadly seems a likely a casualty of the lock-down 2023, March 2024 if I had my phone on me I would have phoned environmental health ,and done you all a favor,it's an absolute stink hole,filthy.Put my order in anyway as I was on a mission,several attempts,pointless pointing at the menu signs,as they are written in English.Staff are numerically and linguistically illiterate,. Returned home to find order was not complete. The offering is not Ciao,burgers are cheap offal,scrappings from the abattoir floor,buns are ,well they're not buns.Fries are something usually cooked in hot oil,Ciao chips are just vile. Spicy bean burger is some kind of paste. Prices are intentionally over priced,cheats you into thinking you are about to receive quality food,as in times past. New owners should have been prohibited from using the name of a well known quality brand. GO SOMEWHERE ANYWHERE ELSE,if you are ordering online,ignorance is bliss,but your stomach is likely to agree with the past twelve months of 1 point reviews.

Not Ciao burger,new owners using an established name associated with good quality and service.This is no longer the case,service is poor,actually it's hard work owing to the repetition of stating your order several times,even then I got home and was short on what I had asked for.Burgers are offal,not meat,bean burger is some kind of paste,the outlet is absolutely filthy.New owners should be prohibited from using the past owners name.NEVER TO RETURN,been using the place since the late 70's,when it was Schwartz Bros,Schwartz Bros are still going in Bath if you want some idea of what Ciao is not.

The burger place is under new management and the quality of the food and service is so much worse that it was under previous management. My favourite vege burger joint is ruined and this will be the last time I'll eat here.

Updated owners so updated review: Dreadful. Kebab level burgers sold for premium/bistro prices riding on previously good reputation. Avoid avoid avoid, spend your money on something actually decent!

😩sad times for this once great burger joint. Should have retired the name as the legacy of ciao burger is now tainted by the running of headless chickens. This is a hard one to take.

Wow this place has gone for the best burger place to the worst. Truly awful now. Ciao

This place has gone from the best to the worst burger joint in Bristol. Burgers poor quality overdone, no garlic mayo. Chips cold undercooked. Avoid

10 years of loving cio burger. It’s just your standard kebab house now. Disgusting food and ridiculous prices. No more garlic chicken mayo bite 😢

Ciao Burger has been taken over, no longer what it was. Sad to say Ciao Burger is now just another Turkish Kabab shop. 😢 prices are still very high for the food you get, difference is the food quality is now poor. Avoid if you don't want to over pay for Burger and fries.

Do NOT bother, this is Ciao burger in name only. Total disaster, order confirmed verbaly, 3 times and they still got it wrong. If you must buy from here use google translate. Good luck finding somewhere else to eat.

Today was a very bad day... Reality kicked in, no it wasn't just a one off (the other day) Ciao burger 'WAS' the best burger joint in the UK.. Sadly you've just got to accept its done. Old owners with the old concept please I will help bring this place back to its former glory. Gone are the days of me burping and still tasting my garlic mayo burger 48 hours later

I can't believe this place has new owners. It's abysmal. No longer is this the best burger place. Why why why?????? So disappointed. Would only accept cash. Didn't ring anything up on the till all really weird. Garlic mayo is like kebab sauce. Burger falling apart. This is the last time I'll ever eat there. Save your money. Bring back the old owners please 🙏 😢 😭 😫 😞

It’s a nice food, really I like it,the burger is very nice and chicken burger very very delicious, onions rings are well

RIP Ciao Burger, so sad but what more to say! New owners I presume, it's just not the same at all.

This is no longer the OG Ciao! Read below reviews. So so sad.

New operators don't know what they are doing.

It’s changed hands and is like faulty towers in there now with how clueless they are running the place and cooking food. They’ve changed all suppliers it seems the garlic Mayo is now a kebab shop garlic weird sour thing, onion rings super basic and terrible burgers. They have no idea how to keep control of orders or price or anything. It’s no longer Ciao burger. If you want a nothing else is open desperation burger. It will maybe be ok then. But tasty treat great dips it is no longer. Don’t call it Ciao. That was great this is not.

We are gathered here today to mourn the passing of the Ciao of old. We remember the happy times - like when the garlic mayo was the best you could get (rather than the cheap sugary gunk they pump out now), like when the chips were crispy and tasty (rather than the current half raw tasting weird things), like when you got what you ordered (rather than missing the key change you requested to your burger, or the fact it was a half pounder, or that your ordered extra dips). Like the times when you had a better than 50:50 chance of the milk shake machine working. Like before the prices crept up to the point it's no longer good value. I do keep going back, hoping for a reversion to the days of old, and clinging on to the good things (like when they don't mess it up the burgers are actually still delicious). In fact I've been back the last three Friday nights in a row (including tonight) between 19:00 and 20:00 - but on each of these three occasions the place has been closed (this evening, agonisingly, with the lights on but the shutters down to knee height). Come on, if Friday night prime time is not the time to be open (particularly when you advertise that you are) then when is? I've had to resort to Burger King. Seriously, what is going on? I'm officially in mourning. Take with a pinch of salt, any experiences you've had in the last couple of decades, it is not the same place as it was even 6 months ago (sadly).

Best burgers for price foe sure

Best bean burger I've had for a while.

Upon reflection this outfit is stuck in a time warp, delivering uninspiring burgers and rubbish onion rings. The fries are ok but my burger was so d r y with no sauce and a trillion bits of yuk pickle. There’s no need to chop lettuce - it just goes everywhere and jalapeños aren’t gonna stay in a d r y burger with no discernible sauce. A really poor effort from the past.

It was a nice experience overall. The environment was really cool, very nice decoration. However, the bread and chips could be improved. I recommend to try the Angus burguer, with blue mayo souce.

Yeah top marks. Recommend it for sure, only let down wanted to eat inside, they have these high tables but no seats! So we crossed the road and sat at the petrol station to enjoy our food. Apart from that burgers are 9/10

Burgers are mind-blowing, no doubt in it. Last time I visited their dine in was off for some reason.

Literally the best burger I've had in ages. Jalapeño and gherkins on my chicken burger. AWESOME

Friendly staff, great food. You can't go wrong with a Ciao burger.

Lovely burgers and the chicken dipstix are amazing. Looking forward to ordering again.

Best bantz bones given in a while. Would’ve bin 5 if he’d share pikturz

God amazing food. Best burgers ever

First visit here despite working nearby for some time. Friendly staff, quick service, very impressed with the burger.

Visited the shop for the first time a few weeks ago, first and last impressions 10/10. Food was incredible and believe me I’m very picky, myself and partner and son all enjoyed the food. Me and my son had the chicken chunk bites and chips and my partner the grilled chicken rodeo burger which were all cooked perfectly. Chocolate brownies are to die for! If you get the chance have some. The lady on the till was polite, friendly and definitely helpful when we asked questions about the food choices and our order and even recommended mixing 2 milkshakes together. So if you was a quick bite to eat or fancy a burger or two here’s your pit stop!

Great customer service, welcoming and great choices from the menu. The taste of the burger is one of the best. Really well designed as it doesn’t fall apart. The taste is what matters the most and this place is getting it right so 👏

Visited the shop for the first time yesterday, first and last impressions 10/10. Food was incredible and believe me I’m very picky, myself and partner and son all enjoyed the food. Me and my son had the chicken chunk bites and chips and my partner the grilled chicken rodeo burger which were all cooked perfectly. Chocolate brownies are to die for! If you get the chance have some. The lady on the till was polite, friendly and definitely helpful when we asked questions about the food choices and our order and even recommended mixing 2 milkshakes together. So if you was a quick bite to eat or fancy a burger or two here’s your pit stop!

A real diamond among Gloucester Roads many food choices. If you want a build your own burger then this is certainly a good place to try. Great options available, no limit to combination you might decide upon. And please, what ever you do, try the Blue Cheese sauce dip. You'll not regret it.

Best takeaway burger in Bristol. So much better than McDonald's and Burger King

Great burgers with large choice available, awesome music and fast service

my favourite take out in bristol for burgers! the food is really tasty and doesn’t mess with your stomach (common occurrence with takeaways.) great options for veggies, vegans and meat eaters! i would recommend the mozzarella sticks and brownie balls.

Great tasting burger. Great service 😊 makes all the difference. Perfect

One of the Best burgers in bristol

Loved my bacon cheeseburger, full of flavor and massive portions! What made it better was the great service from the lads, definitely coming back!

So taaassstttty! I was having a really hard end of the day and I think the lovely people in Caio burger saw that and gave me extra yummy things and kindness. Plus super duper quick preparation of the food stuffs!

This is the first time I have ordered from Ciao burgers and I must say this is probably the best burger I have had. Keep up the great work!

Amazing burgers, great staff, really good service! What more can you ask for?!

Really great place for a burger and been around for YEARS, i can tell why its still here creating the same burgers (and more) that i know and love from my childhood! Staff are kind and friendly even when busy (that i know can be stressful for working in takeaways myself) over all top notch and still one of the best in my opinion ❤ love you always ciao!

Still here after all the years, one the best takeaway burgers in Bristol and great value too.

I went for the ciao classic and wasn’t disappointed. The first bite took me down a childhood memory lane of humdingers ( which is a very good thing ) …. Humdingers circa fishponds 1980’s

Trendy gourmet burger joints come and go in Bristol. Ciao just carries on serving top tasty burgers.

I have never really encountered any problems with Ciao burger as the food is always quite good and service is ok. My reason for the 2 star rating is not based on the food but mainly because of the customer service i received recently. After not going to Ciao Burger for a long time, i simply asked the ginger guy serving me, as i looked at the menu, "what would you recommend?" his response was VERY RUDE and INMPOLITE - "WE ONLY HAVE GRILLED BURGERS!" - i then asked him again "ok but which grilled burgers would you recommend?" - his response was the exact same, extremely rude which made me angry so i raised my voice back to him which made him calm down and speak normally to me. At this point i was still so annoyed but continued to make my order because of the travel. I advise that Ciao Burger teach their staff about customer service as i am a business owner myself and was not impressed with this at all! someone like that with no manners would never work for me...

I always order a burger from these guys when the wife and kids are away (don’t tell). Never disappointed. They know their burgers, and fries also good. Quick delivery via Deliveroo. Thank you.

Still the tastiest burgers around👍

These are actually some of my very favourite burgers in Bristol - the patties are lush, the sauces and extras are to die for. The chips are a little soft and unexciting, but delicious with the chicken gravy! The gravy is a must!

Just eaten our monthly order. We get a takeaway maybe every 4-6 weeks. Tonight’s was really disappointing. One portion of fries missing (order taken down wrong), burger and all 3 chicken burgers dry as over-cooked, fries tasting not fresh, all with too much sauce. I’m sorry to write this as Ciao has been such a staple for us for 10+ years and I always rave about it to friends! So disappointing. My family not keen to use you again- Ciao, this could be the end of the road. ☹️

Expensive and increasingly find I'm being short changed on the fries... £3.49 for a tiny carton that was less than half full this time. Tasty veggie burger but sadly time to give up on Ciao burger for us

Best burger spot! Always made with fresh ingredients and I struggle to eat a burger, fries and drink all together. Loads of filling... OMG your garlic mayo is hands down the best ever INVENTED!!! Loads of choices to choose from, even Vegan friendly including the sauces.

It's been 10 years since I've been at ciao burger and it's still absolutely fantastic keep it going guys I won't leave it so long next time 👍👍

Hands down the best burger around especially better than 3 burgers brothers

This burger joint has been a favourite of mine over the last 15 years or so, still on point!

Best burgers in town in my opinion

Used to be my go to Burger place, pricing has gone up and the burgers have gone down, chicken is still nice, the Garlic Mayo is Bristol's Best! BUT...Bristol food game is peak so I think I can get better elsewhere. I live so close so I'll always indulge occasionally!

Lots of different burger choices and add ons if you fancy them. Great tasting and quick service. Been in Bristol for years, I started going about 20 years ago!! The fries are great too.

No beef burger in a beef burger ( just bacon ) horrible hot chilli sauce instead of blue cheese - £23 and an empty burger plus horrible sauce - no one ate tonight - get refund from deliveroo - great cheers 🙄

Me and the wife try to go every other week but sometimes we cant help ourselves, The food is really good and the garlic mayo is on point! Thanks!

Well Organised staff very understanding and put things right well help full

For the past 20 years I’ve dipped in and out of Ciao Burger...... did so last night and the quality has never dipped. The sheer choice of accoutrements that you can adorn with your burger or fries is utterly mind bending. You’ll spend about ten minutes just looking at the menu just for the graffiti style alone, never mind the actual content. Staff are always friendly and it’s the cleanest burger joint I’ve seen in the last quarter century. Keep it up for the next 30 years please. You are a credit to bristol and the patrons you serve

Deliveroo se negó a modificar un pedido que había realizado menos de un minuto antes y cuando llamé directamente al restaurante, el amable personal me dijo que no podían hacer nada o que todo estaba en manos de Deliveroo. Confirmaron que la comida estaba lista y esperando a las 13. 34 para que Deliveroo lo recoja: me llegó (a una milla de distancia) a las 2. 05 pm así que, por supuesto, hacía un frío de piedra. Es una pena que una hamburguesería independiente tenga que lidiar con Deliveroo. . . . Una hamburguesa muy cara pero mediocre y fría encima. Un regalo de cumpleaños muy decepcionante para mi hijo.

Once upon a time this was an iconic burger takeaway. I've lived in Bristol as long time and visited Ciao many times. Now it's an expensive, very mediocre option. Personally i wouldn't bother spending your money here... there are much better options on Gloucester road...

Great convenience, access, speed and good quality. Is 'upper' level of price, but pick a better burger for less, and I'll jump at it.

Best vegan burger for a great price and quick.

1 Burger didn't arrive with order, 3 of the other burgers had the wrong sauces or missing toppings and they basically said it wasn't their problem when I called

Loved our burgers and fries today. Very well cooked and portions are generous. Deliveroo was also very quick.

First time i go ok burger.3 times i order blue chesse dip i got mayo.When i call them and ask what happens, guy just hand up.I pay for mayo not blue cheese mayo.If i want mayo i wouldn't put my selfe

The family and I have just had our first Ciao Burger via Deliveroo. Lovely food and quickly delivered. Thank you.

Food is amazing and staff are INCREDIBLE 😍