*Atomic Burger is now open! Read our review by clicking here…*
Burger fans rejoice! Atomic Burger open their doors at 189 Gloucester Road at 6pm on Monday, July 23rd…
Already the owners of successful Atomic Burger and Atomic Pizza restaurants in Oxford, owners Martin Bunce and James Reilly have now turned their attentions further west. While James stays in Oxford to manage the flagship branch, Martin has moved to Bristol with his wife – who is originally from the city – to launch restaurant number two.
In July 2012, the former home of Cafe Delight will reopen as Atomic Burger: a venue that is, as Martin says, “not a diner, greasy spoon, fast food joint or contemporary restaurant. We want you, the diner, to be able to forget the world outside and remember the first great burger you ever had. The whole dining experience is focused on nostalgia. You will see, hear, touch, smell and most importantly taste memories.”
Atomic Burger will be, says Martin, a venue that focuses on all five senses…
Sight: As they have done in the Oxford restaurant, the Atomic Burger team will be creating an “Aladdin’s Cave of timeless memorabilia”, including images, videos, toys and games from our collective youth…
Sound: There will be no specific genre, music-wise – just a collection of “all the songs you haven’t heard for a while, but instantly recognise from ABBA through to ZZTOP and everywhere in between.”
Touch: “We have knives and forks, but they don’t get used very often!”, says Martin. “There is nothing better than grabbing a great big burger and diving in…”
Smell: The smell of freshly cooked, high quality burgers is enough to get anyone (bar vegetarians…) salivating. Their focus on the olfactory side of food doesn’t stop there, though. I like the nostalgia and novelty factor of their “Roasty Toasty Marshmallows” dessert, in which you are given your own “Atomic campfire” to toast marshmallows at your table!
Taste: Probably the most important of the senses, as far as food is concerned! Atomic are committed to sourcing as many of their ingredients from local suppliers as possible, with all meat, breaded products and salad sourced from Bristol-based suppliers. ” Our handmade burgers are made from our specific cut of beef, our chicken is an unadulterated breast and our veggie burgers are made in house too”, says Martin. “We have our own recipes for all our products and make them here.”
So…what about the menu? The weekends will offer American style breakfasts, including homemade buttermilk pancakes and grills. Appetisers are designed to be shared by the table, and include the likes of buffalo wings and nachos. Those who don’t want burgers can enjoy pork ribs, pulled pork, salt beef sandwiches and a variety of other options.
The burger menu itself looks amazing. Each of their 22 burger varieties can be served as beef, chicken or veggie – and each has its own name and identity. The “Frito Bandito”, for example, includes grated cheese, nachos, salsa, guacamole and sour cream…
All burgers are served with a choice of side order (from a selection of five), and if you want to swap any of the toppings, that can also be done free of charge.
Fans of Man vs. Food will also be happy to know that Atomic Burger have a popular eating challenge in their Oxford restaurant that they’ll also be bringing to Bristol. The Fallout Challenge is only open to those aged 18 and over, and a legal waiver must be signed before taking part! Those who manage to finish the triple burger with triple chilli fries – encased in two deep fried double cheese and tomato pizza buns and including XXX Fallout Ghost Chilli Hot Sauce – will win an exclusive Atomic Fallout t-shirt and maybe even a place on the Top 100 Wall Of Flame!
For those who want a slightly less scary challenge, Atomic Burger also have a great loyalty scheme. This reward scheme is in the form of a sticker book (remember those Panini stickers we used to collect…?) Every dish has a sticker, and when you order that dish, you get the sticker. Complete a menu section and you win a free dish from that section, complete the whole book and get a discount card for up to four people.
I’m so excited about this place opening – it sounds like the perfect quirky venue that’ll fit right into the Bristol dining scene. Review on the way after they open… 🙂
Find Atomic Burger on the Bristol Bites Directory…
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I've been to the Oxford one on numerous occasions and it is 10/10 Joint much more choice than Gourmet Burger etc.. and the layout takes everyone back to there youth. Would highly recommend it to anyone when they open.
I tried the old Godzilla challenge and failed miserably but it's defiantly worth a go if you like spicy food.
I might even pay it a visit from Oxford
Don’t ever remember hearing their name mentioned when I lived in Oxford. Maybe they’re really new, or it was older people than my friendship group who went… Anyway, glad they are opening here – anyone opening a place near my house that does pulled pork is a winner! I wonder if their pancakes will beat mine? I doubt it, but I shall enjoy finding out… 😛
[…] from others who had seen the menu and website and simply couldn’t wait for the place to open. We published details of the new venue back in mid-June and the write up has already been one of our most read posts since we launched the […]