Pickl. – JLT

Dubai could possibly be the burger capital of the Middle East. There are burger joints literally everywhere. Almost every neighbourhood now has at least one. And there are new ones popping up every week. Some are gimmicky, some rubbish, some rely on social media for popularity, and some have a big brand to fall back on, but you know, the vast majority are actually quite good. Dubai demands quality. You need to be really good, really special to make a difference in this market. In that context, say hello to Pickl., the newest burger joint in town.

Located on the opposite side of 1762 at the One JLT, the interior of Pickl. is an exercise in urban minimalism. I say that but it reminds me so much of one of my favourite JLT watering holes, the Axe House (now gone). Maybe that’s because both of them have roots from London, where Pickl. founder and chief officer Steve Flawith is from. A perfectionist, he has purposely kept the Pickl. menu short, believing in getting each burger right before adding any new combinations.

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Although I loved the DBL Burger, a double chuck patty with real melted cheese which looks and tastes very much like Shake Shack’s Double ShackBurger…without the excessive salt, it’s the Chicken Sando with their Feel The Heat sauce which blew me away – literally – bloody hell, it’s hot! I’ll be honest, the chicken burger I had at Super Chix a couple of days ago probably had the better fried chicken, but Pickl.’s was the better all-round package. That sauce makes all the difference. In addition to the sauce, the other bonus is that all their burgers come with those amazing, in-house made pickles.

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Pickl. is one of the few burger joints to also do a full breakfast. On a budget? Try their Egg N Cheese which at AED10 truly is unbeatable value. The Chuck N Egg adds a meat patty to that, and The Denver takes it all up a notch again. If you’re dieting or simply want to keep it light and healthy, try the Denver Salad which replaces the bun with fresh rocket – my favourite. Actually, I liked the Breakfast Tots the most. If you like hash browns, you’ll love Pickl.’s tots. Incidentally, Pickl. also has an excellent coffee machine…

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The staff at Pickl. are a friendly, well trained bunch. Ordering is a doddle and your food is prepared quickly in an open kitchen in front of you. I’ve had a couple of good burgers in the past couple of months, most notably from High Joint beside Ripe in Al Safa, Lads on Beach Road, L’Artisan du Burger at Dubai Mall and Smoked Meat Kitchen at La Mer. With the exception of High Joint, which did nothing for me, I really liked the others. Pickl. is right up there with the best of them. If you love burgers this restaurant is worth a detour.

Hey! Now read this –
Xerxes physically dines at, or orders from, each and every venue he reviews. He pays in full for whatever he and his companions eat, drink, take away or occasionally throw at each other. Xerxes accepts no money, gifts, discounts or free meals in return for reviews or favouritism. What you have read was NOT influenced in any way by the venue. Join me on Instagram @ravenousxerxes or email me on xerxes@dellara.com.