110 Battersea Rise
Battersea
London
SW11 1EJ
Tel: 020 7228 0349
I’ve passed Hawkins Forge on London’s south circular a hundred times and not entered. It’s a shame I didn’t discover this little gem earlier as it really is worth going in. The concept is straightforward, they sell good food at good prices and there is always some sort of offer on. Two for one burger on Tuesdays, Tappy Mondays where all pulled beers are a £1 cheaper, Crafty Cocktails are cheaper early evening and all evening on Sundays.
So I rocked up with E an energetic pal of mine who had cycled tens of miles to get there from her work place somewhere in Surrey (don’t worry I’m not that sadistic she was on her way home anyway)! First good thing to discover was that they had a very quaffable Malbec behind the bar. Things were looking up.
The menu is printed on a placemat so it took a little time to work out what was what. It’s burgers (you can order custom jobs or stick with a tried and trusted combo), Mexican street food, chicken and ribs. I’m sure you’ve got the idea.
A bunch of starters to share was the way to go. So in no particular order we enjoyed some spicy beef empanadas, seared chicken quesadillas (tricky to eat with your fingers)! That kept us busy as we chatted about E’s cycling. She seems to know no limits and thinks nothing of peddling everywhere with a laptop strapped to here back. Quite astonishing really.
The decor is very cool and on trend with large wooden tables, mismatched old-school chairs and the look is completed with low lighting (at least in the evening). Music is there as well. It’s buzzy and young. The weekend brings a wider crowd with their families who crave the legendary roast on offer.
The mains were of the giant burger variety. A ruby Jean’s Tribute (me neither), which was compiled of a beef patty, smoked bacon, Emmental, grilled flat mushrooms and onion rings – phew. And a French Dip Burger included beef patty, Emmental, seared sirloin and onions with beef dripping sauce. These are not normal burgers they rate above that in taste and quantity. Even E who by all accounts had the dietary requirements of the average horse could not finish hers. The sides were on reflection as unnecessary as an umbrella on a sunny day. And of course to compound our problem we ordered chips as well.
This is a place to relax, catch up with friends and family do a spot of work (they have free Wi-Fi) and generally chill out. It is also a place to consider what you order carefully. All the food we had was good (I haven’t even talked about the rather good fudge and ice cream we had afterwards) but very filling. So go and fill your boots just make sure your boots are big and if you are cycling make sure your way home is mostly down hill.
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