Legend has it that in the mid-1980s, an American gentleman settled in the UK. Known as “Hank” amongst his newfound friends, his American cuisine soon made the rounds of the country, and our protagonist opened an all-American bar and grill in his new homeland. What started out as a UK based franchise in 1985 expanded to 15 or so bars around the world from London to Bangkok, Beirut to Ibiza.
It’s 1995, and Hank’s comes to Malta and finds a new home in St. George’s Bay at the Corinthia Hotel. Back in the day, one of the first staples on the menu was the BBQ Chicken Burger, and that’s what we are here for today! We want to see if this burger is as Legendary as the name implies. Hank’s have been honing this burger for 22 years, so we’re not going to settle for anything but the best chicken on the planet. Luckily we’re in no hurry, and patrons get 3 hours of free parking at the Corinthia complex, so anyone can enjoy their food at a leisurely pace.
Amidst the Americana memorabilia and street signs (they bear the names of the men who built this place) we find Chef Eric who’s been fulfilling the hungry dreams of tens of thousands of patrons for the past 6 years. Today he’s single-handedly running the kitchen, and he’s set to impress with his grilling skills.
At the heart of the Burger, we get two pieces of chicken fillet breasts. They are marinated in Cajun spice, paprika and garlic. There is no fancy batter, so we get to enjoy the chicken meat au naturel. On top go two pieces of back bacon. We love back bacon as it includes both the loin from the pork back and some belly in the same cut. It’s much leaner than the streaky variety and meatier! The BBQ sauce is made in-house and adds a very smoky flavoursome taste to the whole burger. Melted Emmental cheese provides a slightly nutty flavour and holds all the meat elements well-stacked together. Caramelised onions, lettuce, tomatoes and sliced onions make up the vegetable part of the burger. The expertly toasted sesame bun is made locally for Hank’s, with Mustard mayo spread on top. We also get coleslaw on the side.
We love to have options when it comes to sides, and Hank’s have a selection of French fries and jacket potatoes. The jacket potatoes with melted Emmental Leicester cheese are a must if you love the more mushy potato style as we do, but for those who adore classic fries, Hank’s are crispy and perfectly salted as they come.
There’s a lot of right things to like with the BBQ chicken burger. This culinary creation is packed with flavours, and there’s no wonder why patrons have been flocking to try it out for the past 22 years. If you want to keep your caloric count down, this is definitely the next burger to try out.
On the other hand, if you’re like us and don’t mind an extra calorie here and there, then it’s a Cardinal Sin to go to Hank’s and not try out the Warm Fudge Brownie! This sweet delicacy is made from classic brownies with a delicate crust and moist, velvety centre. It’s topped with pecan nuts and thick vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and yummy marshmallows. In our opinion, this tops Hank’s dessert menu and is in a sweet league of its own. For those who prefer ice cream, Hank has his own speciality Sundae, with three flavoured scoops of ice cream, brownie chunks, cherries, chocolate sauce and whipped cream.
Hank should be proud of how the Maltese are running his original concept and making a good impression in burger land. #MALTAburgers would love to see Hank come up with a new Legendary burger to challenge our taste buds.
