The hype around The Beefy Boys opening in The Westgate has been unparalleled, their reputation preceding them thanks to their huge success in Hereford, Shrewsbury, Bath and Cheltenham. ‘Oxford has always been high on our list of dream locations’ The Beefy Boys bring their cult burgers to Westgate Oxford’s Roof Terrace
Which was only enhanced by news that the lovely Mike Carne, formerly of Dodo’s Slow & Steady, is the new assistant general manager, and in situ when we ventured in for lunch to see if The Beefy Boys could live up to their reputation. Emerging replete, happy and more than satisfied, we can heartily report that it does.
For anyone who remembers Atomic Burger on Cowley Road, there were plenty of similarities – the vibrant, cartoon-eque wall decor and neon signs for one, the lush red banquette seating and bustling atmosphere, the almost cosmic menu, where nothing is off limits, and all your burger fantasies come to life.
Think vibrant, cartoon-eque wall decor, neon signs, lush red banquette seating, bustling atmosphere and almost cosmic menu where nothing is off limits
Which means what to choose is nigh on impossible, and deciding what burger to pick is a Herculean task. There are a myriad of options in each of the three columns – the classic, the dirty and the specials, offering beef, chicken or veggie/vegan, and every filling known to man. They really are bespoke, because you can add what you want within reason…
Mozzarella sticks in a burger? No problem – the Pizza Boy is for you. Spinach, fried egg and cheese? The Jurassic Classic Nozboy. Nacho cheese? The Chilli Cheese Boy. Mac n cheese? The Mac Patty Boy.
As if that wasn’t enough, the four patty choices offer another dilemma – do you pick the smashed (2 x 3oz Herefordshire beef), thick (6oz with Hereford bone marrow and beef fat served pink), Oklahoma (2 x 3oz onion smashed Herefordshire beef) or Cali (mustard fried). Then you can add double or triple the burgers, a cheese skirt of grilled cheese, alongside multiple enticing fries options, meaning that by the time you order you’re in a state of near hysteria.
‘Mozzarella sticks in a burger? No problem’
To delay making a decision we weighed in with some crispy macaroni balls and fiery chicken wings, and while the wings kicked in and the pasta bites were crispy if rather uncheesy, our minds were unfairly concentrating on the next course.
We’d ordered The Dirty Boy – double American cheese, dirty mayo, beef dripping onions and bacon (£13.20), which had won an award, so a pretty good recommendation, opting for the ‘thick’ served pink in the middle. Absolutely packed with flavour, juicy, the onions adding to the intense taste without overwhelming, the dirty mayo – a spicy sauce made with American mustard, Sriracha, and garlic – and crispy bacon. And yes it was as messy as requested, but who cares when it’s this much fun.
The chicken boy, which came with a choice of either crispy buttermilk chicken tenders or chargrilled chicken breast ( we went breast) came with chipotle mayo, bacon, American cheese, Swiss cheese, lettuce, red onion and tomato (£13.20) was another huge hit, the chicken flame grilled to give it extra oomph and yet still moist.
‘as messy as requested, but who cares when it’s this much fun’
The Bacon Boy with triple bacon (baconnaise, double bacon and bacon jam) (£13.70) alongside American cheese, Swiss cheese, gherkin, lettuce and red onion, was obviously overwhelmingly bacony, rather masking the patty, and devoured in an indecent amount of time.
And the Chipotle Boy with American cheese, Swiss cheese, lettuce, gherkin, bacon and a mild and smokey chipotle mayo (£12.70) wasn’t as piquant as expected so that the chipotle could still shine without burning our tongues off. Quite a show!
Millionaire fries were a steep £6.20 but delivered with their topping of parmesan, chives, chipotle mayo and local truffle oil. But it was the chilli cheese fries – beef chilli, HPA nacho cheese sauce, sour cream, Ball Park mustard (a spicy brown American mustard), pickled jalapeños and chives (£10.50) was so darn good; the chilli rich, dark, thick and good enough to eat on its own, so dirty it needed a finger bowl, the cheesy, gloopy sauce dripping, a real hit of spice. Almost good enough to rival the burgers.
‘The Beefy Boys hits the spot without taking itself too seriously’
Any criticisms? The banana milkshake was too sweet, our ranch salad never showed up, and even though the chocolate brownie sundae made with soft serve ice cream, chocolate sauce, brownie chunks, and a flake was delicious, even with four spoons, we were sadly replete.
So in terms of top notch, innovative, and brilliantly delivered burgers, The Beefy Boys hits the spot without taking itself too seriously.
Open seven days a week you can find The Beefy Boys on Oxford Westgate’s Roof Terrace. https://thebeefyboys.com/locations/
