Not another burger restaurant I hear you cry. Well shut up a minute, this one is good. Heavy on the Bristol and South American influence, chef and owner Lucien Gordon is serving his burgers pink & juicy, using organic, high welfare beef and topped with West Country cheese.
Replacing Rosemarino’s on Colston Street, Asado is the newest burger joint to grace the city. The place has been decked out in greys and yellows which is incredibly eye catching with plenty of seating, a beautiful new bar and steps leading down to the kitchen and loos.
We were greeted by cheery staff and seated with a drink where we had a peek at the menu. I attended a pre-opening evening so had a menu already planned for us but the buttermilk fried chicken certainly caught my eye.
Firstly we were given chicken wings to share that were chargrilled and moist, with a spicy glaze, pickled chillies, coriander and a gorgeous mint and yoghurt sauce. Although a bit on the small side, perhaps I was spoiled with Carols Crab Kitchen flavour was there and they were devoured in earnest by the table.
We were asked beforehand how we wanted our burgers cooked, Asado prides themselves on cooking their beef “pink and juicy” and is served as the standard, however, if you prefer something a bit more well done, that is fine. I usually steer clear of pink burgers in most places, I can’t trust the beef is cooked well enough to not give me a stomach upset. But after hearing about how high quality the beef was and owner Lucien’s Gordon’s cv including Patty and Bun in London, I thought it best to try these burgers as they were intended.
We had a bowl of chips come up first which were plentiful and well seasoned with the advertised rosemary salt. Topped with the house-made mayo and hot sauce, the recipe of which I will trick Lucien out of someday, were a cracking addition and sadly a rarity in restaurants. I perhaps filled up too much on these as well as the wings and the burger felt a challenge when we were presented with it.
The burger its self is a lot smaller than the monsters we are perhaps used to but what it lacked in circumference it made up with in height and sheer quality. The patty was indeed pink and juicy, too much for my personal taste but everyone else loved it, and had that beautiful charred flavour from the traditional, woodfired asado grill used downstairs. It had a generous topping of bacon and cheese, pickled red onion, tomato, lettuce and sauces of garlic mayo, chimichurri and housemade ketchup. Sadly the bottom bun struggled to stand up to the juice and I ended up with very mucky hands, not that I was that bothered. The burger tasted fantastic and I have been thinking about it ever since. I really look forward to going back to try that Pollo Libre though.
Head to the website here and see for yourself
Bedsit Bonne Vivante 
“I usually steer clear of pink burgers in most places, I can’t trust the beef is good enough to not give me a stomach upset.”
Be interested to know what or where these “most” places are? Beef nowadays in Bristol Restaurants should be good enough to eat pink…..doing a dis-service to most places
Hi Greg. I’ve deliberately not named the places as I enjoy the food I just won’t risk eating a pink burger. If the beef isn’t cooked properly you run the risk of getting very ill. Plus I don’t care for the taste of pink mince (i have my steak med rare). I wasn’t clear what I mean in the piece so will change it. I’m sorry you think I’m doing anyone a disservice but I don’t agree with you.
So long as restaurants are supplied by a safe supplier they can cook them pink – are you saying that places in Bristol use meat from un-safe suppliers? Plenty of places cook burgers pink – as you state in your review above Asado do this – so you are saying you wouldn’t eat it pink in any other place? Maybe you should have asked them to cook your burger through. It just reads like Asado the only place that use safe meat that you trust…
Its not about where the beef comes from its about how they are cooked. I woudn’t eat burgers pink in most places unless I know the chefs, because then i know i’m getting something thats cooked properly. I literally say in the place I had the burger as intended because i trusted them to do it.
I’m sorry you have taken such issue to me not wanting to risk getting poorly for the sake of a burger.
It is also about where the beef comes from as well as the cooking – I have not taken an issue with you not wanting to get Ill – I just think you are doing a dis-service to the many great burger places as it reads as if you don’t trust them and only trust Asado – places wouldn’t last very long if they made people Ill word would soon get round. It seems you have taken offence at my comments so apologise for commenting. Maybe as with other reviews I read you should make it clear whether you paid for your meal or whether it was a freebie – as I think if you had being paying you might have asked it to be cooked a bit more….
Hi Gary /Greg, I appreciate your taking the time to reply. I dont think you can tell me “what I would have done”, plenty of people who attended the event had their burger cooked all the way through and enjoyed it.
I appreciate the effort you’re taking to keep your identity a secret btw 👌
x – I do like to generate debate – x – it does seem though it isn’t just about the cooking after all – from farm to plate
see you soon 😛
We that’s not creepy at all. Feel free to send me a message to come clean, I don’t mind being brought up on things and “debating” but you’re juggling a few axes to grind
nope no axes here – was interested – nothing more than that – I’ll leave now – no offence was intended or meant
Have a good day Internet stranger