The BurgerBoys!
Visits:
Carroll’s
NDSM-Kade 4
On this International Hamburger Day it was a no-brainer to do a new review. A tip brought us to Carroll's on the NDSM wharf. Carroll's has been on our radar since June last year when they announced they would start serving burgers from 5pm. Carroll's started as a daytime eatery, where you can go for coffee and creative sandwiches. This concept was created by the team behind Pllek, also on the NDSM wharf.
Carroll's is named after Lewis Carroll, the pseudonym of the author of Alice in Wonderland. Can Carroll's, like Alice's story, surprise us?
Location
Distance
Amsterdam-Noord, NDSM-werf. The ferry journey takes about 15 minutes. Make sure you take the right ferry.
Environment
The NDSM wharf must be THE hippest place in Noord. Carroll's is located directly opposite the ferry pier, so you don't have to walk far. A lot has changed in the NDSM in recent years. What used to be mainly hip and trendy, is now more industrial creative upcycled. The original atmosphere is no longer there, which is quite a shame.
Realm
Carroll's has a terrace overlooking the IJ and the ferries. It is cozy, lively and the perfect place to people watch, especially in the summer. Unfortunately we had quite rainy weather so we could not enjoy the terrace experience to the fullest. Inside, the interior is a combination of modern elements with an industrial touch, which fits well with the surroundings. However, there are no elements to be found that refer to Lewis Carroll.
Choices
Beer
There is a limited selection of beer. The prices are reasonable compared to other catering establishments. The disadvantage is that they only sell beer from a can; there is no tap.
Burgers
The menu features two beef smash burgers and one chicken burger, also in veggie versions. The Grand Slam, the Seoulful Smashterpiece (with kimchi and gruyère), and the Cluckin' Good Burger of chicken thigh. A few things caught our eye. First, they are Oklahoma style onion patties, where the onions are mixed with the meat. The Seoulful Smashterpiece has kimchi, which is very similar to The Beef Chief's Kimchief™. Coincidence or not?
Also check out Carroll's Burgers website .
Click on the image to enlarge
From Burger
We couldn't resist the temptation and went for the Seoulful Smashterpiece: two Oklahoma style onion patties with kimchi, daikon radish, Gruyère cheese and Kewpie mayonnaise. This seemed like an interesting combination and offered the opportunity for a comparison with the Kimchief™.
We didn't have to wait long for our burgers. The brioche bun immediately stood out, with the logo branded on it. The meat was a bit dry and could have been seasoned better with salt and pepper. It wasn't very juicy either; hardly any fat came out. The use of Gruyère cheese gave the burger a smoky flavor that reminded me of cheese fondue. There was a fair amount of kimchi and radish on it, and despite the strong flavors the burger was reasonably balanced. All in all very satisfied with this burger and Carrol's has made sure that this burger has its own identity.
But we can't get around it, this burger is practically the same as The Beef Chief's Kimchief™, but of a lower class.
The Fries
They have loaded fries on the menu, which we applaud. In our opinion, every good burger joint can't do without loaded fries. Here, the Gangnam Style loaded fries stood out, the ingredients of which are very similar to the Kamikaze fries from The Beef Chief.
Gangnam Style loaded fries: fries with kimchi, sriracha, wasabi, garlic, spring onion and sesame.
Unfortunately the fries arrived lukewarm. The sriracha gave them a nice spicy taste, but we missed the wasabi. Was this added? Overall the fries were tasty but they were a bit limp.
Judgement
Pros
- Daring citizen
- Striking brioche
Negatives
- Lukewarm fries
- Pay directly
- No table service, you have to order at the cash register. Food is brought to your table though
Overall rating
Coincidence or not, the menu is very similar to The Beef Chief. Although we have to admit that The Beef Chief is definitely better. But we do want to emphasize that the burger and fries at Carroll's have their own identity because they did a few things differently. Something that is very clever is the branding of the burger. We have not come across that at anyone else. All in all, this burger is comparable to that of The Beef Chief . The loaded fries could have been tweaked a bit in our opinion, we missed the wasabi and the fries were lukewarm.
No worries Simon, you’re still #1 of Amsterdam!
Irv: 8,1
Diablo: 7,9
Slimmefik: 7,9
Also check out our other burger reviews .
