Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
‘I tried Kent restaurant’s £10 Limitless burger and it could be the best in the UK’
Despite having just two restaurants across Kent, Please Sir! has caused a stir. It is the county’s best-rated eatery and is now in the running for national accolades. Reporter Max Chesson went to see what the fuss is about...
Oh god, not another burger review!” I hear you cry. But this is not just another burger review. This is a review of Kent’s best burger from Kent’s best restaurant.
Well, Please Sir! has got a claim on both titles. It’s the only Kent restaurant represented in the final of the National Burger Awards, and is top of the Tripadvisor list of restaurants in the county. Competing with titans from London, Edinburgh and Bristol, and major players such as Bleecker and TGI Fridays, the Limitless burger from the independent - which has just two restaurants - must be packing quite the punch. Keen to celebrate the achievements of a local business, along with wanting to see what the hype was all about, I decided to travel to the firm’s newest branch in Whitstable high street (the other is in Broadstairs). Would it be able to live up to all the noise it’s been making? Iwalkinonamonday lunchtime after everyone has likely gorged themselves over the weekend, so the shop is quiet.
The first thing you notice is the interior.
The dark green walls and wooden surfaces offer a sense of a vibrant, charming burger joint. The Mortal Kombat arcade machine in the corner is instantly intriguing.
The second thing you notice, which also adds to the vibrancy, is a tall man with a booming voice, slightly hunched over a table making an internet livestream for customers.
The man, who I later come to learn is the business owner, Steve Lawrence, has made a makeshift stand for his iphone out of two Coke cans. I think he’s doing a giveaway.
I walk up to the counter and am greeted by Dan, who dives straight into the specifics of a Smash burger.
The idea is to make the patties as thin as possible by smashing them down, he says. Seems simple enough.
I ask him what he’d recommend. “I wouldn’t know where to start,” is the reply. After a bit of pressing, he lists off three burgers.
The Smash, which is the original burger, the Jade, which Dan says is his favourite, and finally the Limitless.
“It’s been put into the final of the National Burger Awards,” he says with a modest dollop of pride.
It’s the Limitless that I’m here for, and at £10 (£13 if you want the XL version) I decide I’ll treat myself to skin-on fries for £3.50 and a medium Oreo milkshake for £4.50.
I sit for only five minutes before the food is brought to my table by Dan, who kindly brings sauces and salt to complete the dining experience.
Sitting in a takeaway container, with a Please Sir! sticker the only decoration in sight, it’s refreshing to get a no-nonsense meal. During the short wait, I’ve come to know Steve quite well. He talks at a million miles per hour, and he bounces around the room as though he might explode.
He approaches me after completing his live stream and begins to chat. He asks me about myself, taking a genuine interest in my answers - a trait that can be rare nowadays. I ask him about the history of the restaurant, telling him I’ve never been. He glows as he tells me about the work he’s put into making Please Sir! Kent’s top-rated restaurant. “I’m not a chef,” he admits. “But to be able to say we’ve got one of the best burgers in the country really means a lot to me.
“It’s testament to the work everyone’s put in to make this place work, and it really does work.”
Back to the food, and it’s time to see whether all the talk has been worth it.
I engage with the star attraction first. Each bite of the burger is slightly different. One flaunts the garlic aioli and the meat, the next teases the taste of Red Leicester cheese as it melts into the bacon. The steak patties are delicate and tender, offering a solid platform for the rest of the ingredients to thrive. The red onion jam is subtle but flavoursome and helps to balance the burger.
I get into a rhythm. One bite of the burger, a few ketchup-covered fries, back to the burger, then a sip of the milkshake. It’s a delightful feast.
The fries - crispy and salted by myself - were unassuming but that’s no bad thing, since I’m not here to talk about potatoes, and it made me savour the delicacy of the Limitless.
The milkshake is a perfect concoction of Oreos, soft serve and milk. Not too thick, not too thin and bursting with flavour.
The portion size is near enough spot on for me, too. The burger fit into my hand like a glove, and the portion of chips on offer didn’t leave me wanting for more. There’s such an obsession with dirty burgers and large portion sizes, but as Steve and I agree, less really can be more.
While I eat, I’m joined by two more customers who also happen to be first-time customers. Steve glides over to them and disarms them with the same confidence and charm he showed me. They settle on the Jade burger with a side of Cajun fries and some beef gravy. Steve applauds them on their choice.
He tells me he’s learning to get over some of the negativity that comes with having a business gain such attention, but simultaneously thrives on the success the burgers are bringing.
“We’ve had ITV in this morning to do a feature, it’s just mad to me,” he says.
“In my head, I’m just Steve from Margate, but people are reacting so well to the food that it really does blow my mind. Not that our food isn’t brilliant, because it is.”
As I finish up and prepare to head out, I decide I’ll ask Steve just one more question. When will the next store be coming? He laughs, and tells me that he has a few ideas. Does he plan to open a relatively big one or a few smaller shops around the county?
“I don’t have the answer yet, but I know there’s more to come,” he confirms.
With that, I head out into the blistering cold, satisfied with my dining experience.
Is it Kent’s best burger? Quite possibly. It’s not short of rivals. Will it win the coveted title of best burger in Britain? Hard to tell - it’s up against some really strong contenders, but if it does claim the gong, I won’t be at all surprised.
To even be in with a shout is testament to the quality on offer from the Kentish fastfood brand.
Is it the best restaurant in Kent? Depends on what you like. If you don’t like burgers then probably not. But it’s a decent, no-fuss burger joint that does what you ask it to do. Four-hundred-and-seventytwo five-star reviews out of 485 suggest I’m not alone in the belief it’s a fantastic place to eat.
And what I can tell you, with certainty, is each customer is treated as though they’re the most important person in the world.
You’ll be offered delicious food and a comfy seat to sit and enjoy the terrific energy that oozes out of the walls in the joint.
And that ethos, which has been evident in the business since day one and keeps the fast-food restaurant top of the chain, is just as invaluable as any award. SCORES
Food: The burger was excellent and arrived promptly. The range of the menu offers variety for those wanting to try something different too. *****
Drink: The milkshake was the perfect consistency and brimming with flavour. There were plenty of options to choose from. *****
Décor: Its wooden tables complemented the not-sosubtle green walls in a way that was inviting. The arcade machine tucked away in the corner was a lovely touch. *****
Staff: Both Dan and Steve were friendly, charismatic and good-humoured. *****
Price: It’s not something one could afford every week, but for 18 quid I’m satisfied with the cost of my meal. ****