When Fat Lil’s in Witney decided to concentrate on their Corn Street music venue and offered up the cafe space at the front, The Edge’s Tom Pickett and Phoebe Hall bit their hand off.
Already well known for their popular street food joint The Edge Eatery on the High Street (READ ABOUT IT HERE), Tom and Phoebe immediately filled the new bijou site with a fantastic burger offering, and we were there quicker than Usain Bolt.
Amidst a stellar burger line-up is The Big M which comes complete with Marmite mayo, nestled amidst a beef patty, smoked streaky bacon, 60 month aged Davidstow cheddar, gherkin, pickled shallots, shredded lettuce and a sesame seed bun, which had to be tried!
Non Marmite lovers can relax. There are six burgers to choose from (plus any specials) but after much soul searching we opted for the ALL ROUNDER (beef patty, smoked streaky bacon, smoked cheddar, caramelised onions, gem lettuce, tomato, gherkin, garlic mayo, Edge BBQ and a sesame seed bun) which sounded immense and had our mouths watering before we’d even tasted it.
And the AMERICAN (beef patty, American cheese, pickled shallots, gherkin, shredded lettuce burger sauce and a sesame seed bun). Both priced £12, they were juicy, seasoned, crammed with goodies and each component allowed to shine. They really were that epic.
Not only great value for money (the Big M was the most expensive at £12.50) they were definitely up there with the best burgers we’ve eaten, quite a feat after 20 years of reviewing!
The buns were soft and bouncy without being claggy or sweet, the burgers tasted flame grilled without being fatty, and were firm, seasoned and meaty without being greasy, and the sauces were all home made; from the Edge BBQ to the garlic mayo, vegan ranch and burger sauce. You can taste the love and passion in each and every element.
There is a FURGER offering for veggies and vegans, but we swapped its Future Arms Be*f Patty into the main menu without any complaints.
It’s not just the burgers that are that good either. We tucked into some thirst quenching drinks while seated at the rickety little metal tables outside catching the last of the sun – the Bloody Mary getting a 10/10m and the mocktails – elderflower spritz and a peach iced tea – just as memorable.
Neither could we resist kicking off with the mac n cheese (£6.50), just to see how it fared, and were amply rewarded by our waiter Fireman Ben. It arrived bubbling and oozing in its skillet pan – smokey, thick with sauce and totally moreish it was the perfect start to an already surprising meal.
The fries – skinny (£3) or sumac, garlic and herb (£4) were another treat. We opted for the latter because they sounded novel and delicious and were not disappointed; thin, crispy but still pliant, fragrant with herb and spices, we loved them.
They don’t really do pudding at The Edge at Lils, just like they don’t really do starters, but there is an ice cream menu, another novelty being that the ice cream is all DÁPPA – vegan and made of nuts, not that you could tell. We tried it in three manifestations – peanut butter and jelly, Biscoff, and the chocolate and caramel and they were all excellent.
Not a false step then, not one. If I had to be critical we’d have liked more sides/starter options but in terms of the food that we ate the whole experience was fantastic.
And while it might appear a simple set up, more shack style than gourmet restaurant, the food is incredible. So go for the main event THE BURGERS, and enjoy.
We will again and again.
The Edge at Fat Lils is at 64A Corn St, Witney OX28 6BS
