When you think of the UK’s best restaurants, you’re probably picturing Michelin star eateries and pretty plates of food… not takeaway burgers sold in a car park.
But you might want to think again, as a little spot by the sea has just been revealed as one of the ‘best of the best’ in the country.
Frankie’s At The Beach is a takeaway spot, located in Broomhill Car Park at Camber Sands in East Sussex, which sells burgers, hot dogs, and more.
As part of the Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards 2024, it was named the number one spot in the UK for a quick bite, beating out competition from popular London pizza joints and iconic fish and chip shops.
‘Sometimes the best meals are the ones you least expect. That’s where these winners come in: no frills, all flavour, and best enjoyed on the go,’ Tripadvisor said of the best of the best quick bite finalists.
They add that the awards ‘celebrate the highest level of excellence in travel’ and they are given to those who ‘receive a high volume of above-and-beyond’ reviews and opinions on the Tripadvisor site over a 12-month period.
Out of eight million restaurant listings on the site, fewer than 1% achieve the milestone, making it a really big accomplishment.
So what is it about Frankie’s that people love so much?
The kiosk, set up by Frankie Fernando, has 771 five star reviews on Tripadvisor, with people branding the food ‘exceptional’, ‘divine’, ‘amazing’, and ‘a real delight’.
One recent visitor, Hslt2605, wrote: ‘Not your average burger shack. The reviews don’t lie! We had a chicken and beef burger and they were both delicious! The extra crispy blowtorched cheese was a real delight.
‘Really friendly service and exceptional food — a wonderful meal from such an unassuming car park burger van! Would definitely come back if we’re ever in the area again.’
Similarly, a reviewer known only as Gary P claimed he’d been ‘blown away’ by the food, which was ‘freshly cooked and finished off to perfection’.
He continued to say: ‘Probably the best burger I have ever had — priced at the right level and worth the wait while it was being cooked.’
Calfyn A thought the burgers were a ‘little gourmet’, saying it wasn’t ‘your normal vendor’ and praised the service and ‘great price’.
Sam Atkins added: ‘Absolutely amazing!! I have just demolished the most delicious burger I’ve ever eaten in my life!! I swear! What a lovely place!! Will definitely be coming back.’
The reviews carry on like this, with the hotdogs and bacon rolls also being hyped up by customers, but the star of the show seems to be the venison burger on the menu, priced at £10.50.
Regular beef burgers cost £7.50, with bacon cheeseburgers a little more expensive at £9.50. There are also footlong Frankfurters and Bratwurst hot dogs from £9, fries, bacon rolls, and a number of drinks.
Those with a sweet tooth can also nab giant cookies from the Cookie Company, and there are regular specials so you can always try something new.
And given the seaside location, it’s fair to say the views you can enjoy while tucking into your order are pretty darn great, so it’s not really hard to see why Frankie’s is such a hit.
As well as the kiosk at the beach, Frankie’s also has a burger van location at Rye Rugby Club, which also receives plenty of praise.
Speaking about the accolade with Rye News, Frankie, who is originally from South London, claimed his secret to success was ‘quality produce’, saying he uses ‘local ingredients’ and has a ‘good menu’ offering ‘lots of choice’.
He added: ‘A favourite with many customers is our locally supplied venison burgers and sausages, really popular, freshly made to order on a griddle and served in a soft brioche bun. Also, our 6oz gourmet Stilton and bacon burger always gets rave reviews, we use thick Danish bacon and blow torch the cheese so it’s oozing out of the bun, the theatrics always go down well with our customers.’
And if you’re considering a visit to Frankie’s at the Beach, you’ll be in for a treat as Camber Sands was also recently said to be ‘more relaxing than the Algarve’.
This is because it’s apparently one of the less crowded beaches in Europe, according to Wizz Air, who analysed over 50 countries and top beaches.
The airline estimated how much space each beach offers per person by measuring the beach, dividing its area by the size of a beach towel, and then dividing that by the average number of daily visitors.
Camber Sands, an ‘expansive, near-five-mile beach’ has space for 61.1 beach towels per person, offering visitors ‘plenty of room to stretch out, take sandy strolls and play watersports’.
As such, Camber Sands beats the likes of Nissi Beach in Cyprus, and Playa d’en Bossa in Ibiza, with Wizz Air declaring it to be ‘more relaxing than the Algarve’.
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