Chilo’s incredible burgers kick-off Scotland restaurant tour

FtLion’s unique food tour of Edinburgh and Glasgow gets underway with one of the most successful burger restaurant brands in Scotland, Chilo’s.

Guaranteeing to deliver ‘happiness in every bite’, they have done remarkably well since launching in 2020, with eight branches.

With 8 sites in Scotland & more on the way, Chilo’s is ready to franchise into England…

With four in Glasgow, two in Edinburgh, and one each in Stirling and Greenock, the one we visited is located on Great Western Road.

In their endeavour to deliver ‘happiness in every bite’, not only does Chilo’s “only use grass-fed and free-range certified Prime Aged Aberdeen Angus Beef for our premium smashed Burgers”, but their “fresh chicken is marinated for 24 hours”.

Chilo’s set for England expansion with franchise opportunities

This brand has big plans afoot too involving the following venues being in the pipeline: Kilmarnock, Bridgeton, Falkirk, Aberdeen, East Kilbride, Paisley, Motherwell, Coatbridge, Livingston, Dundee, and Inverness.

But that’s not the exciting part. With an evidently strong franchising model, Chilo’s is now ready and set to expand into England.

While initially inviting franchise inquiries close to Scotland, they eventually intend to grow their brand farther south, including towards London and beyond.

Chilo's Mandarin (320ml) - No added sugar, £1.20

Chilos Nae Sugar (320ml), Chilos Cola (320ml) - £1.20 each

The story behind these drinks provides a glimpse into the mindset surrouding this ambitious restaurant.

During lock-down, they began developing their own fizzy drinks concept as a viable alternative to all the sugar-filled cans out there.

The result were three flavours, which includes two colas, one of which is sugar-free, and perhaps one of the tastiest mandarine orangeades we’ve had, courtesy of a refreshingly strong tangy flavour.

King Kong Meal – Angus beef (255g), Chilo’s sauce, cheese, mayo, onions, gherkins, lettuce, £14.49

Yup, when they say they use “grass-fed and free-range certified Prime Aged Aberdeen Angus Beef”, you better believe it.

Chilo’s sauce is available for purchase

Right off the bat, this burger, whose utterly flavourous, umami-rich smashed beef patty came in at 255g, would have challenged even King Kong’s appetite.

Crisped to superb finish, and with layers of beautifully melted, quality cheese, this was one of the burgers of the year so far.

What brought this beast altogether was the Chilo’s sauce, whose secret recipe added that touch of mayo sweetness that married with the tangy hit of the gherkins.

And there must be some demand for this sauce, since it’s available for purchase as 300g bottles.

Godzilla Meal – Angus beef (170g), steak (190g), Chilo’s sauce, cheese, mayo, onions, lettuce, £16.49

If there’s anyone that might best King Kong himself, it could only be the colossal monster known as Godzilla, right?

In this case, Chilo’s version has the addition of 190g of beef steak, but without any gherkins.

Now, in our experience, steak beef can be a bit of a hit and miss affair, with most being far too chewy than their worth.

Chilo’s was adjudged just right, with the beef retaining enough of a bite to bring some extra texture, while enhancing that beefy goodness.

Big Mama Burger Meal – Grilled chicken, halloumi, cheese, mayo, onions, lettuce, jalapenos, £10.99

This Big Mama was another really well conceived burger, with the halloumi not only adding that piquant edge, but also marrying nicely against the heat brought in by the jalapenos.

And though the chicken was marinated in a quite delicious, lightly spiced sauce, while being grilled sufficiently enough, the fillet could have been more satisfyingly thicker.

Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich Meal – Angus steak (190g), Chilo’s sauce, cheese, mayo, onions, £12.99

If this Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich proves anything at all, it is that the quality of beef steak simply cannot be compromised on.

What a sandwich this was, with the beef being cut up on the grill and mixed in with copious cheese, onions and sauces, to make this one of the best ones we’ve ever had. Unreal!

Superb fries cooked in hot oil to ensure a crunchy finish

And what could be better than inhouse sauces coupled with top notch, uber-crispy fries to go with any of the above items? Dangerously addictive those fries.