Meatwagon Mugging.

[cazfay]

If you want great pulled pork, you have to go a little further afield in my opinion and head to Bowdean's in Clapham. Yum yum!

[Michael Palaeologus]

I think that it is easy to romanticise the street food phenomena. New ventures are keen and hungry (ho ho), they price to sell and gain a loyal customer base. It is then all too easy for this too slip as success brings growth, more people, more outlets, standards can slip as the entrepreneur loses focus on the quality of the product.

There are many people wanting to get into this growth area. Serve low cost to produce at high margin prices to comfortable middle class folks who buy into the street-food vibe.

The smart ones listen to the negative messages and re-focus on the core values. Customers will quickly move on if the quality declines.

I have eaten fine burgers off the old Meatwagon on a rainy evening in an industrial estate in Peckham.

I managed to get into the last night of the Meateasy - the burgers were great, the mac and cheese and the fries less so.

I had good burgers and Phili-steak off the new Meatwagon at The Rye.

I think stick to the beef based products referably cooked on the Meatwagon.

They are not cheap burgers, but I can only eat 1 of them at a sitting. So, cheap meal.

The negativity could be a reflection of slipping standards, it could be that the whole enterprise was over-hyped and some less influenced folk have spotted this, it could be that some people want to have a pop at a successful enterprise (oh so British). It is probably a combination of all.

[Fenglish1]

i agree. I think Yanni should bake his own bread, raise his own meat and grow his own lettuce. get real, the factory in the back happens to be a working kitchen. If you were to go into any regular pub, a good burger and chips would cost around ?10 anyway.

[Orbital]

Fenglish1 Wrote:

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> i agree. I think Yanni should bake his own bread,

> raise his own meat and grow his own lettuce. get

> real, the factory in the back happens to be a

> working kitchen. If you were to go into any

> regular pub, a good burger and chips would cost

> around ?10 anyway.

That's part of the point though, isn't it? You're not going into a pub, it's street food, it just so happens to be parked at the rye.

You can't have the benefits of it being a burger van (which in all honesty serves AVERAGE food) and charge what you might pay in a bar.

I hope they get realistic, or I hope that all of the companies which have pitched up there (and who I see chancing their arm at other events around town) go under like the charlatans that they are.

Actually, I do aim that less so at the burger guys than the other ones. That vegetarian indian one was laughable. But the majority of my bile is reserved for the Mexican and Hog Roast people. Total, over-priced rubbish.

[Jeremy]

ibilly99 Wrote:

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> You're right njc there is a wider issue of East

> Dulwich and environs pricing but it's still ?10-50

> for a burger and chips

?10.50 for burger and chips is the same pricing as The Bishop, Victoria Inn, etc. So for political reasons, I guess they can't really sell them for less than that at The Rye. I think it's too expensive, but plenty of others seem happy to pay it.

[StraferJack]

Whatever the rights and wrongs of who likes what, I'm calling Orbital suspicious

Registering and posting so vociferously on one topic?

As for the cost, go do some maths. Buy a van, equipment and licenses. Then buy the ingredients. Now sell better for less. Off you go...

[Michael Palaeologus]

'fess up Orbital. Is there an agenda here? Who are you really?

Ronald MacDonald has been off our screens for some time after all.

[bednarz]

First forum post, and thought I'd add to this topic with a link:

http://www.burgerac.com/2011/01/meateasy-bacon-burger-with-cheese.html

If you don't know who burgerac is just read some of his blog, the guy REALLY knows his stuff (if by stuff you exclusivley mean meat & cheese in a bun)

The only burger to really beat the meatwagons offering is the Shake Shack burger in NYC.

(we are talking proper fast food burgers, not fancy 'posh' burgers like the bishop ones - though those are very very tasty in their own right)

Until you have tasted the heavenly burgergasm that is served at Shake Shack you are in no position to say what is/isn't a good burger!

[Orbital]

Michael Palaeologus Wrote:

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> 'fess up Orbital. Is there an agenda here? Who are

> you really?

>

> Ronald MacDonald has been off our screens for some

> time after all.

Hahahaha - like I said (I think my post got removed) I give a little bit of leniancy to the burgers (although they ARE overrated and overpriced). I have a bigger issue with the other stalls there.

[david_carnell]

Burgers are 6 or 7 pounds. Don't think they should be less given the quality (although I agree they've slipped a little in the dept recently) of the ingredients. Mince is fresh, burgers aren't pre-made and all meat in minced less than 24hrs before being used. After that it's chucked. I don't think they are over priced at all.

Chips at ?3 are a con. Poor standard and well over priced.

BBQ pulled pork and sides were pretty decent for ?8.

[titch juicy]

some people love a moan about sod all eh?

the burger this weekend past was just a damned good as the previous weekend, and the many weekends before it.

[njc97]

bednarz - if they are going for fast good, then they're not doing very well - I waited for over 2 hours at new cross meateasy BITD. But the burger when it came was miles ahead of anything from bishop/pretty much anywhere else I've eaten. And the onion rings were the equal of the one I had at marcus wareing - I am yet to try them from the Rye.

The chips thought - michael and david got it right. Not particularly good, and oddly expensive given the value of the burger. Still, my 2 year old son loves them.

[Orbital]

titch juicy Wrote:

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> some people love a moan about sod all eh?

>

>

> the burger this weekend past was just a damned

> good as the previous weekend, and the many

> weekends before it.

Wrong.

[titch juicy]

Sorry, what is?

Orbital Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> titch juicy Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > some people love a moan about sod all eh?

> >

> >

> > the burger this weekend past was just a damned

> > good as the previous weekend, and the many

> > weekends before it.

>

> Wrong.

[Orbital]

titch juicy Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Sorry, what is?

>

>

>

>

> Orbital Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > titch juicy Wrote:

> >

> --------------------------------------------------

>

> > -----

> > > some people love a moan about sod all eh?

> > >

> > >

> > > the burger this weekend past was just a

> damned

> > > good as the previous weekend, and the many

> > > weekends before it.

> >

> > Wrong.

Obviously your opinion on this matter.

Damned good? Some people love a moan about sod all? Perhaps the second of these is true, but not in this thread.

[Salsaboy]

Best burger I've ever had was in Sausalito, California, earler on this year. Queue out the door, hand made, cooked to order in front of you on a rotating griddle that looked about 100 years old, crunchy on the outside, moist on the inside, hand cut fries, ahhhhh bliss.

Would've had another but couldn't face the queue again.

[simonethebeaver]

Shake Shack ruined me for all other burgers. Also they are very cheap. But in New York, the buggers.

[cmck83]

Shake Shack, I still have dreams about the amazing burgers and peanut butter milkshakes!

Meatwagon burgers are the closest thing I have found in this country though.

Njc97, the wait in The Rye is only 5-10 mins now. The Meateasy had a long wait cos of all the hipsters coming down from Shoreditch on the ELL.

This thread is making me hungry...

[bon3yard]

I'm sure the burgers are delicious(never had one though so couldnt comment)...I was talking about the pork baps, and if there were 'sides' I never saw any.

[Beej]

Jeremy Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> ibilly99 Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > You're right njc there is a wider issue of East

> > Dulwich and environs pricing but it's still

> ?10-50

> > for a burger and chips

> ?10.50 for burger and chips is the same pricing as

> The Bishop, Victoria Inn, etc. So for political

> reasons, I guess they can't really sell them for

> less than that at The Rye. I think it's too

> expensive, but plenty of others seem happy to pay

> it.

It's not the same. Those are served on actual plates, with napkins and cutlery!!! They are dining prices, not streetfood prices. But we of SE22 fame are mugs for falling for the craze. I did. I admit it. I was first in the queue at the Rye, but sadly last time I went, my tummy said "eeewwww what the hell are you doing to me". It may have just been the novelty wearing off, but I rather guess it was my bank balance saying 'this bandwagon you've chosen's pretty damn pricey!'

[Otta]

Personally I really do feel that over a tenner is too much for a burger & chips, however good the meat and bread are...

Than again, I don't really like burgers, so I'll shut up.

[Jeremy]

Me too. Even with napkins and cutlery.

[stingray]

Mugging, conning, ripping off and overpricing?

Good ingredients, staffing, services, gas, electric, cleaning materials, rent, insurance, NI contributions, tax, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc and then maybe, hopefully #shock horror# make a profit, while trying to build a business?

I am off to McDonalds for an extremely fairly priced burger and fries to stick it to these evil corporate swines...

[RosieH]

Burgers are fast food.

Putting one on a china plate doesn't make it taste better. I'll pay for the quality and the flavour and you can keep your linen tablecloth.

[DulwichFox]

A Burger is a Burger is a Burger..

Basically the best Tasting Burgers are one with a High Fat Content. 15-20%

I.E. Those made from Cheaper cuts of Meat...

They are also the unhealthiest. Although No Burgers are Healthy.. None.

Burgers made from more expensive cuts like Fillet Steak tend to be Dry and Tasteless and

rely on Relish and dips for flavour...

Fox