With the slogan “The most authentic diner this side of the Brooklyn Bridge,” I knew Lucky 7 in Notting Hill was going to fill a huge void for me. The void being the empty part of my stomach that has longed for an amazing cheeseburger since I moved to London. 

Cheeseburgers and fries are as American as it can get. They’re what turned McDonald’s into a multi-BILLION dollar brand and the United States into the most obese country in the world. If you google what is the most American food, you get pictures of cheeseburgers and then some pretty incredible variations that include cheesy patties sandwiched between donuts or breasts of fried chicken. #Merica! 

Ahh, the cheeseburger. The perfect late-night snack, hangover cure, picnic must-have, crowd-pleaser. Cheeseburgers for everyone all the time! And then I moved to England. Where the meat is not fatty and full of flavor and the patties are too thick and dry. Where there is a mild cheddar barely melted on top instead of a salty, gooey slice of American cheese. Where the bun is just blah and the only thing you can say to comfort yourself is “it’s much healthier here.” Now, English people may not get this obsession, and love their own burgers, which is fine. To each their own. But for me, being brought up in America, I need each bite to be an explosion of flavor in my mouth.

So with every hangover in London, I found myself depressed that I hadn’t yet  found my cheeseburger cure. That was until I found Lucky 7! An American-themed diner that would join my list of places to combat homesickness, located on Westbourne Park Road in West London. The place is set up like a true diner with large booths, soda pop decor, and peg letter menu boards. They have everything you could want at a diner! Chili cheese fries, milkshakes, burgers, even pancakes! And everything tastes AMAZING! My only complaint is the pickle. I still have yet to find a good, salty pickle in London. Every time I get a pickle alongside my meal, it’s always sweet. But I’m asking for too much, I know.  Its just that there’s always something that reminds you you’re not in America with these themed places. But that’s okay! I had found my cheeseburger!!! 

I’m a little too excited right now, I know, but it’s almost lunchtime and this burger picture is making me giddy. Please, if you are an expat missing America, or from another country and want to understand what Americans make a fuss over, go check out Lucky 7. You won’t regret it. (Until you have to run twice as long at the gym the next day.) Enjoy!

Lucky 7
127 Westbourne Park Road
London W2 5QL