Stax Diner

Sundae Girl 

From the time of its opening 4 years ago, Stax diner has been one of the best known names in the halal burger scene. Tucked in a cosy corner of Kingly Court, just off the very trendy Carnaby Street, Stax’s has the perfect central London location. Named after the Memphis based record label, the restaurant’s interior pays homage to everyone from James Brown to Johnny Cash to Led Zeppelin, boasting a carefully selected soul / blues soundtrack to your meal as well as a quirky retro decor, complete with a drum kit hanging from the ceiling!! The restaurant is a relatively small space and pretty cramped, so there is often a long wait during busy periods.

The menu is not only the predictable array of burgers and sides but includes a couple of unusual dishes from the Deep South. One of these is their signature chicken and waffles dish with maple syrup. This combination may leave you perplexed but it works!! A light airy waffle topped with a

Generous portion of crispy yet succulent chicken, drizzled with maple syrup is a winning combination of contrasting textures and flavours. 

Burger wise, the size of the burger was slightly disappointing for the price. However, the burger was cooked to perfection, with a slightly pink centre.

Stax utilises 28 day aged organic beef, although it’s difficult to taste the distinct flavour of the meat, as the toppings steal the show. The ‘Blues Brother’ burger, filled with caramelised onions, Stilton, and maple glazed beef bacon is a delicious combination of sweet and salty flavours. Similarly the ‘Bring Home the Bacon’ burger with your choice of cheese and maple beef bacon is also an excellent choice.

Whereas so many of the halal burger joints use turkey bacon in their burgers, Stax provides beef bacon which they cure and spice themselves, which is a real treat for the halal burger connoisseur. 

In terms of sides, the rustic looking Cajun spiced fries were a decent alternative to the standard. Next up were the chicken wings. The buffalo wings were the right level of spice and tanginess with a cooling blue cheese sauce alongside.

The honey chipotle wings were slightly sweet, slightly spicey, and slightly smokey, but nothing very distinctive and the weaker of the two flavours. 

Overall, great food, convenient location, Stax needs to be on every burger lover’s radar! 

Price - ££

Food -8/10

Ambience - 6/10

Service - 7/10

Halal status - all meat is halal, however alcohol is served.

Stax Diner, 1st Floor, Kingly Court, Kingly Street, London W1B 5PW