1. 6 Feb


    Biddys Burger Bar (Station Road, Taunton) - Half Pounder Cheeseburger, Fries, Vanilla Milkshake - Approx £10 on a split bill Eating in Biddys Burger Bar felt like an episode of Quantum Leap. It is furnished with the sort of atomic retro wonders that would fetch a killing on ebay and could get the entire population of Broadway Market rioting over lampshades. I get the distinct impression, however, that these furnishings have always been at Biddys, from when they were fashionable to when they are fashionable again, with the really unfashionable bit in between.  In fact, everything about Biddys was pretty old school. From laminated menus to that really easy to bend cutlery. When the ATP residents all checked out at 10am and then went to Taunton to await their trains, inevitably, Biddys became packed with burnt out humans. The staff seemed to struggle with this influx of custom and the waitress was very aggressive and reticent. There was even a heated exchange between staff members about a lack of knife and fork which all resulted in a pretty uneasy atmosphere.  I went big and ordered the Half Pounder Burger which had that strange, slightly gelatinous quality that you get from burger vans at car boot sales etc. It was tasty in a cheap burger kind of way but I think most of this came from the grill surface as the meat was low grade with the occasional upsetting sharp bit in it. Lips and arseholes I presume. It did come with at least four slices of cheese and was served in a nice soft floury bap which was pleasing. It was only when half way through the half pounder that I realised that it actually did come with lettuce inside. The lettuce was shredded and secreted between the two patties and as a layer at the bottom but had obviously been obliterated but the molten hot grease from the burger. To be honest, it really didn’t need to be there and the whole dish came with a load of salad (complete with shrivelled cucumber) that could have been deployed inside the burger if I had wished it. The Fries were nice and crisp and dry for which I was grateful.  The milkshake came from one of those old, big white units that you see around and carried an awesome ‘fresh milk’ sign with some neon colours on it. I think that is what sold me and it went down well, but was ultimately just milk and syrup. I don’t want to be too down on Biddys as I actually really enjoyed my experience there and knew what I was getting into. But the burger was awful really. I can’t hide it and after having the Tom Selleck at Lucky Chip.. well, enough said. Rating: 4/10 Decor: 9/10   David 

    Biddys Burger Bar (Station Road, Taunton) - Half Pounder Cheeseburger, Fries, Vanilla Milkshake - Approx £10 on a split bill

    Eating in Biddys Burger Bar felt like an episode of Quantum Leap. It is furnished with the sort of atomic retro wonders that would fetch a killing on ebay and could get the entire population of Broadway Market rioting over lampshades. I get the distinct impression, however, that these furnishings have always been at Biddys, from when they were fashionable to when they are fashionable again, with the really unfashionable bit in between. 

    In fact, everything about Biddys was pretty old school. From laminated menus to that really easy to bend cutlery. When the ATP residents all checked out at 10am and then went to Taunton to await their trains, inevitably, Biddys became packed with burnt out humans. The staff seemed to struggle with this influx of custom and the waitress was very aggressive and reticent. There was even a heated exchange between staff members about a lack of knife and fork which all resulted in a pretty uneasy atmosphere. 

    I went big and ordered the Half Pounder Burger which had that strange, slightly gelatinous quality that you get from burger vans at car boot sales etc. It was tasty in a cheap burger kind of way but I think most of this came from the grill surface as the meat was low grade with the occasional upsetting sharp bit in it. Lips and arseholes I presume. It did come with at least four slices of cheese and was served in a nice soft floury bap which was pleasing. It was only when half way through the half pounder that I realised that it actually did come with lettuce inside. The lettuce was shredded and secreted between the two patties and as a layer at the bottom but had obviously been obliterated but the molten hot grease from the burger. To be honest, it really didn’t need to be there and the whole dish came with a load of salad (complete with shrivelled cucumber) that could have been deployed inside the burger if I had wished it. The Fries were nice and crisp and dry for which I was grateful. 

    The milkshake came from one of those old, big white units that you see around and carried an awesome ‘fresh milk’ sign with some neon colours on it. I think that is what sold me and it went down well, but was ultimately just milk and syrup.

    I don’t want to be too down on Biddys as I actually really enjoyed my experience there and knew what I was getting into. But the burger was awful really. I can’t hide it and after having the Tom Selleck at Lucky Chip.. well, enough said.

    Rating: 4/10

    Decor: 9/10  

    David