Growlers in Leeds

What an experience. We came here during our Otley Run for a quick bite to eat and it was just fantastic. Delightfully quick service and very reasonably priced food. My boyfriend and I shared the loaded fries which were topped with cheese and bacon. They were simply gorgeous. Some of our friends had burgers which they also enjoyed. My friend is a herbivore and she doesn't often enjoy veggie burgers but she enjoyed this one, so huge, huge compliments to the chef. I will definitely return for one of the burgers. There's also lots of seating available!

For context, I’m a big guy, one look at me and you know I like food. I love a good burger as much as anyone, and for the past few years I’ve trying new burger places to find the best one. And I tell you ,Growlers makes the best burger I’ve tasted. Firstly, the staff were very nice and helpful! Secondly the music was great and got my friends checking their Spotify. And thirdly the food was incredible, it may have helped I was a bit hungover from the night before but it still stands. I got a normal cheeseburger with onions and I don’t think it will be topped. Thanks again!

The day was a bright and sunny one, filled with a sense of cautious optimism of springtime approaching. After entirely too many beers and ill-advised tequila shots, my drinking companion and I set out for a handover-busting breakfast / brunch at The Greasy Pig in Leeds. Alas, there were an awful lot of awful looking men in puffer jackets loitering around the door and a vague feeling of awkward social anxiety combined with a rational concern about delays to our pork injection forced us into making a now, in hindsight, extremely regrettable, choice to go elsewhere. Wandering like zombies searching for sustaining brains down the main road in Headingly led us to Growlers. My initial reaction was that, while the name was quite funny, the step up into the shop was a little too high to be comfortable in one stride. This peculiar detail stuck with me. Stupid, I know. But it did. The little man taking my order assumed that after each thing I requested, I was done. And began to charge me. I had to tell him after each item that there was more. I also had to correct my order, not because he checked it with me, but because he wrote everything down on his miniature pad, and got some of it wrong. Fair enough, perhaps technology was broken that day, it’s actually quite nice to see someone writing things down, it’s so rare in 2022. We then began the long, long wait for food. A table of heathy looking boys were just being served heaps of meat in bread as we arrived. The exertion of serving the needs of seven lads simultaneously had clearly taken it’s toll on the chef, as when the our two burgers finally appeared, the waiter apologised for the, uh, wait, blaming the table of lads. Who by this point had long since finished eating and gone back to their various gyms and squash courts. The burgers were badly packed. Sloppy and devoid of form. They we weirdly bland, apart from the “hot mayo” sauce which was pink and had flakes of chilli in it and was horrible. It covered everything. It was on our burgers. Our loaded fries. Our fingers. And most upsettingly, our tongues. Everything was presented in disposable packaging too. Like polystyrene cartons. Vinegary ketchup and bland mayo was splodged into throwaway plastic tubs. If customers are eating in, such things are unnecessary. The sauce prevented the eating of our loaded fries. It was offensive, and made me want to rub it into the eyes of its creator. We tried to wash away the taste with our milkshakes, but we’d waited so long for the food that they’d curdled. The only condiment that was actually needed was salt - which was absent. Presumably they didn’t have enough plastic pots to put it in. We reminisced fondly about the salt we’d had the night before with our shots. Then a man and woman came and sat distressingly next to us. They ordered pretentious beer, and he told a tragic story about how trains have to follow their rails; they can’t just go wherever they want. It wasn’t a deep metaphor or allegory for whatever trauma he was going through after half a pint, he was genuinely explaining how trains work. I had to hear that story. Now you’ve read it too, but that doesn’t make either of us feel good, does it? We left most of the food, and exited via the too-highly-stepped door. Now the streets of Leeds seemed darker, and colder. It was overcast. The promise of a glorious day with good food had been broken. We trudged back to the car. I felt empty. Not just because I hadn’t finished my food, but because I was just discontent. Just a feeling of sadness and a complete lack of hope. I suspect that the Lunchtime of Disappointment is going to be at least partly to blame for the inevitable termination of my current relationship. There wasn’t a single particularly bad thing here (apart from the sauce). It was lots of little things that by themselves wouldn’t have made me as sad as I am right now. The wait. The incorrect order pad. The train bore. Planet killing packaging. No hangover busting sodium. Cream on my milkshake. The step height. Urgh. I think on a good day, this place could be ok. I want to hope it could be. I really do.

Ordered via deliveroo, thought the menu sounded decent with lots of options. My mistake as I should have checked the reviews first. Firstly, my food (2 burgers 2 sides) arrived absolutely freezing, with my food and cold drink being in the same bag. Then I unwrapped the burger, which looked absolutely worlds away from the pictures…I was greeted with something that looked like it had been cooked and purchased at an amateur football match. Burger was as thick as a brick, tasted not one bit like beef, cheese was a piece of plastic from aldi, the bun was non existent because it had quite literally disintegrated with all of the sauce that was shoved onto it. Absolutely rancid, can’t believe I spent £22 on something my dad could’ve whipped up at the family bbq. Straight in the bin. Refund requested. Would love my money back, cheers guys.

Called into this place on Saturday (Halloweeen weekend) evening. It used to be a micropub before the pandemic but has now turned into an overpriced, disorganised dump. I asked for a pint of lager (Veltins) and was given a glass of 'flat' liquid priced at £5. On handing over a £20 note I was told they had no change, to take a seat and they'd give me my £15 when it became avaialble. They eventually gave me my change which obviously had been taken from a delivery driver who arrived. The atmosphere in Growlers is horrendous, staff not pleasant and to sum it up - never again. Avoid this chaotic dump.