BOOM. It’s Carnival year round over at Notting Hill’s Boom Burger. The Jamaican burger joint under the Westway overpass on Portobello Road is a youthful hangout and takeout hotspot. A visit to Boom Burger is recommended if you want a chill and inexpensive experience, unique food, and a brief escape from the English culture.

There are some serious vibes over at Boom Burger. Picnic tables out front are filled with young kids loitering, smoking joints, and digging in to some intense burgers. Reggae music is blasting, entertaining the street. Inside, you will find casual tables and decor proudly sporting the colors of red, green, yellow. The dining is informal. You order at the register and grab a seat while the open kitchen tirelessly flips burger after burger.

It was actually mesmerizing to watch how on point the staff was at quickly preparing and packaging dozens of to-go orders while simultaneously filling the burger baskets for the waiting diners. It was hot, loud, and sweaty, but that didn’t stop the Boom Burger staff. They were chill. 

After a short wait, we were handed our signature Boom Burgers–cheeseburgers with their own bacon jam–and baskets of fries and (my favorite) fried plantains. The fried plantains satisfy your savory side dish needs and sweet post-meal dessert cravings all in one bite. They are an absolute must at Boom Burger.
It won’t be the best burger experience you’ll ever have, but it will be something different. Do not bring parents that may be hard of hearing or expect to be able to have an in-depth conversation with dinner mates across the table. But do bring your hungover buddy that needs a greasy fix. A quick and easy guilty pleasure is waiting for you both over at Boom Burger. 

Boom Burger
272 Portobello Road
London W10 5TY