Stax Diner – American Food
The last time we came here, we were turned away despite turning up before their last call and being reassured by a staff member a day before that the “kitchen’s flexible”!
Undeterred, however, we decided on a second outing. But, be warned: you can’t book ahead; and since this place is small and cramped with limited seating, as well as being uber busy (and for good reason too as we’d come to learn), be prepared to be put on a waiting list and patiently endure the pangs of hunger for as long as 30 or even 40mins.
Now, although Stax Diner is halal, you won’t find them proudly putting up a certificate on the wall anytime soon (entirely understandable given the anti-halal movement). In fact, the owners assured us:
Our 28 Day – Dry Aged Organic Sussex Beef is stunned Halal and supplied by Abrahams Natural Produce who you can contact at [email protected]. Our chicken is also halal. We have no pork on the premises and we don’t cook with alcohol although we do serve alcoholic drinks. We don’t have certification ourselves because we do serve alcoholic drinks on the premises.
STARTERS
‘Stax Po’ Boy – Cajun Spiced Popcorn Shrimp £6.50
The popcorn shrimp was pretty good as a starter. Although crispy, it was the finger-licking cajun sauce that really brought it to life.
In fact, we’d recommend getting this sauce dip separately if you’re going to order non-cajun fries; well worth it!
Cajun Fries – Yup; that’s all you get. It’s tasty, but it could be a whole lot better. £1.75
MAINS
Chicken and waffles with maple syrup, we hear you asking with furrowed brows. As unusual as this might sound to us Brits, it’s apparently a not so bizarre combination in certain parts of the Land of Opportunity across the Atlantic.
The secret ingredient is the syrup. When poured all over, it positively brings these seemingly disparate food types harmoniously into an integrated whole. It makes them sing in a way you’d never have imagined.
THIS IS THE THING TO ORDER, period! Don’t think. Don’t hesitate. Just take our word and try it. It’ll blow your mind (and let us know what you think below)!
Frankenstein Special Secret Menu – Waffle burger £18.50
From the Secret Menu; behold: the ‘Frankenstein’ burger. Dunno whether to kiss the mind that dreamed up this monstrosity, or give it a slap for being so outrageous.
Effectively, this is a bastardisation of two of Stax’s best burgers and, in all honesty, simply doesn’t work in terms of flavour. It’s fun nonetheless!
BURGERS
The Big Stax – Spicy comback sauce, dill pickle, maple glaxed beef bacon, onions & cheese £10.95
Oh dear Lord! One of the best burgers we’ve had!
Now, Stax boasts:
Our free-range beef is sourced from Pedigreed Sussex Cattle and dry-aged for 28 days before being ground in-house. Our Beef Bacon is cured with our own blend of spices and Maple syrup.
And it seriously shows as well especially when burgers are cooked to such perfection (medium, well done). Although this isn’t flame grilled, it’s still seriously moist with the natural juices of the meat oozing out to coat the rest of the burger.
The bun is soft and tasty. And with precisely the right quantity of sauce, you know “they” really put a lot of thought into creating this showstopper.
The only quibble we had was that the bacon rasher was a little too chewy as opposed to the crunchy texture we suspect “they” intended. Otherwise, Stax has nailed it with this one.
The Blues Burger – Onion, Stilton & maple glazed beef bacon £10.50
Under normal circumstances, we’d be pretty impressed with this little baby.
But compared to the big bad boy above, this pales in comparison. Of course, if you’re looking for something smaller and more manageable, then this certainly does the job. Having said that, however, we’d recommend spending the additional 45p and adding a few extra ingredients to raise this up one notch.
The Stax Insanity – Mature cheddar, Fried onion rings, maple glazed bacon & hot sauce £11.95
Insanity is a great word to describe Stax Diners’ compellingly weird concoctions, and the above is no less insane, though in all the right ways (if that’s possible with insanity).
This time it’s onion rings with enough sauce and flavour to make this another winner.
DRINKS
Fresh Lemonade
Incredibly refreshing and a perfect palate cleanser when attempting to take on a humongous burger.
Beats a 7up for sure.
Strawberry £4.95, Chocolate Milkshake £4.75
Thick shakes. What’s not to like if you’re a thick shake person.
Though the cheap tin cherries you’d probably be better off flicking under the table.
Do they even clean this?
Made to perfection! Check the melting the cheese effect. Don’t worry, we saw them scrubbing down the stove after every portion.
- YES/ NO
NOTE: It's a popular though small venue with limited seating and cramped space, so be prepared to be put on a waiting list (they don't take bookings) before squeezing in snugly!
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Stax Diner
1st Floor, 1.7 Kingly Court,
London W1B 5PW.
T: +44 (0)203 137 2671 | W: feedyoursoul.co.uk/stax | E: [email protected]
Opening Hours: Sun-Mon 12:00-22:00 (last orders at 20:50) | Tue-Thur 12:00-23:00 (last orders at 21:50) | Fri-Sat 12:00-00:00 (last orders at 22:50)
Saniya Ahmed
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This looks amazing. I will have to try this next time I’m around.
12 Aug '15SAAD89
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I love this place. The juices flow though the burger but the bun breaks apart to easily.
25 Aug '15