January 1st 2025.
Recently, there has been a surge of American and Canadian fast food chains popping up in London, but a new burger joint from the Netherlands has just opened its doors. Fat Phill's, known for having the "best burger" in Amsterdam, has quietly launched in Clapham Junction. The menu boasts smash burgers, American-style sandwiches, loaded fries, and mac and cheese.
Founded in 2019 by Armin Vahabian, Fat Phill's Diner (as it's also known) may be relatively new but it has already expanded to 18 locations across the Netherlands. Freshly Baked Ltd, the franchisor behind Auntie Anne's UK, has brought the chain to the UK, with the first site opening in December.
The main focus at Fat Phill's is, of course, the burgers. The theme is "the bigger, the better," and customers can even triple any item on the menu to their liking. The Big Belly, a quadruple cheeseburger with crispy bacon, may be the largest item, but it's the signature Double Cheeseburger that the chain is most famous for. For those who like a bit of heat, the Tamale Burger features a Double Cheeseburger with glazed onion, grilled jalapeños, spicy mayo, and mustard. And for chicken lovers, there are options made with Nashville Hot chicken.
But it's not just burgers at Fat Phill's. The menu also includes the Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich with thinly sliced ribeye steak, topped with cheese, onions, jalapeños, and Phill's secret sauce. There are also loaded or layered fries, Buffalo Wings, a variety of sauces like Ranch and Truffle Mayo, and milkshakes in flavors like pistachio.
Online, the chain has received numerous rave reviews, with people calling the food "amazing," "delicious," and "insane." Food blogger By Row even claims that Fat Phill's beats out competitors like McDonald's and KFC. On Reddit, user u/Dependent_Monitor215 wrote, "I can confidently say that this restaurant beats out McDonald's and KFC any day of the week."
The London location has only been open for a few weeks, but it's already earning great reviews, with a 4.7-star rating on Google. One satisfied customer, Matt Gough, raves, "Fantastic food! We tried the meaty burger, the Nashville fried chicken burger, loaded fries, and mozzarella sticks. All amazing. I definitely recommend checking this place out if you're in need of some fried goodness!"
Another happy customer, Minemar2 Martinez, shares, "Delicious burgers, the flavor of the meat is unique, everything is very fresh and super smashed. The quality and quantity are excellent." And FaithsStardust adds, "Just had one of their Nashville hot burgers at their launch... demolished it in seconds, yummy! The greeter serving the food was lovely too. It's nice that McDonald's in Clapham Junction finally has a competitor."
In other news, Metro recently went behind the scenes at Louisiana fast food chain Popeyes to learn their secrets for making their famous fried chicken. The chain is best known for its "Shatter Crunch" chicken, which has an incredibly crispy exterior. The key to this texture, according to Popeyes UK's head of food, Dave Hoskins, is a "magic tossing" technique when adding batter.
First, the chicken is tossed in a seasoned flour mix exactly 20 times, then coated in batter, and then tossed back in the flour another 20 times before being fried. But the real "magic" happens during the final toss, where the chicken is given a double tap, creating the signature "shatter crunch."
"If you tap it very sharply, you see all these nodules come, and that's what the famous shatter crunch is," explains Hoskins. "It's the batter doing that for us, with adding the aeration in the flour. As the little nodules cook, that's what gives you all the crispy bits."
Have you tried Fat Phill's burgers yet? Share your thoughts in the comments below. And if you have a story to share, email us at [email]. For the latest news in the capital, visit Metro's London news hub.
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