Almost Famous Burgers (Leeds, City Centre)

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The Place

Tucked away as it is around a corner in Leeds city centre, we are slightly embarrassed to admit that we actually struggled to find this burger place the first time we looked for it (hey - we're still fairly new to Leeds, after all). Upon getting inside though, Almost Famous becomes immediately more striking, with a seriously unique and laid-back deco style. From the seven foot gorilla near the door, to the graffiti-style wall decorating, to the photobooth in the back, to the lights around the bathroom mirrors, this is a casually stylish place that seems to attract a very mixed crowd, perfect for a relaxed and approachable yet busy atmosphere. 

Visiting at lunchtime on a Saturday saw the restaurant fairly busy, and we were pleasantly surprised to see that staff were incredibly relaxed, friendly and attentive even as the shop continued to fill up as we ate. Food arrived quickly and even though we forgot to order some of it initially (whoops), even upon ordering fries later than the burgers themselves, they arrived so quickly that we still managed to eat everything together. The Leeds restaurant is open until 10/11pm dependent on the day, perfect from everything from weekend lunch to late after-work booze and burgers. 

The Food

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With such an exciting menu, we decided to keep things relatively simple. Between us we opted for the simple 'Famous' burger and the 'River Phoenix', along with 'Winning' fries and soft drinks to complement. All burgers are served double as standard and cooked medium / well-done, which makes for a really substantial serving once you add on the numerous toppings and side available. 'River Phoenix' was a great overall burger, with a serious helping of bacon flavoured bacon things, topped off with more bacon for good measure. Great, although it could be said that the fried onions could do with being a little crispier, but that probably came about due to the amount of sauce added on top. The 'Famous' burger came with only one burger as requested, which staff were more than happy to arrange, and was very, very good.  The Famous Sauce in particular is addictive, mixing with the chipotle ketchup to provide a fantastic flavour. 'Winning' fries are a mixture of regular potato and sweet potato fries, which got a bit of a mixed reception - I much preferred the sweet potato, whereas John preferred the regular, so between us we finished them off nicely. 

I think next time we go I'd be really interested to try out the wings, as I've heard seriously good things about them. Also their range of cocktails and alcoholic milkshakes, because come on. Who doesn't need more alcoholic milkshake in their lives? 

Rating

Food - ✭✭✭✭☆ 4/5

Value for money - ✭✭✭☆☆ 3.5/5

Recommended? 

YES. We've had a lot of burgers in a lot of places, and these are definitely up there with some of the best. If you want good food and a whole lot of alcohol variety in a great atmosphere and a really convenient centre location, Almost Famous might be the place for you.