Honey Badger Saloon

Overview

With a name like the Honey Badger Saloon, Featherston Street's newest bar is bound to turn heads. It looks innocuous enough from the outside, but step in and you'll see straight away that they don't just talk a big game.

It's hard to describe, in a few words, the exact vibe the Saloon is going for. Edgy slogans adorn the walls with colourful language — and we're not talking about the fact they're in neon lights. The entire fit-out is a cacophony of shapes and colours. And, of course, a model honey badger stands guard in a glass case by the entrance, reassuring visitors that yes, they've come to the right place.

The honey badger might not care, but you certainly should, if the food on offer is anything to go by.

We dug straight into their menu, made up primarily of their signature Gorilla Burgers, which are split evenly into meat and vegetarian offerings. Grabbing a selection from across the range, we found that they were excellent overall, delivering a consistent standard of quality and character.

The Winged Monkey burger ($16) deserves a special mention — just reading its description on the menu is enough to get you salivating. It features a hefty pickle-brined chicken patty, blue cheese and pepperoncini slaw, pepper jack cheese and buffalo dip, all in a delicious, soft and spongy milk bun. The chicken had the perfect level of crunch with just the right amount of seasoning, with all the fillings working very well for an outstanding burger.

Other burgers sampled on the night include the Saloon's flagship vegetarian burger, the Albert ($19), which features a Beyond Meat patty; the Kiwi Kong ($16) with beef, beetroot relish and fried egg; and the OG ($12), a real classic packing only the essentials — beef, pickles, tomato, onion, cheese and burger sauce.

The sides are exceptional too. We opted for the haloumi fries ($16), and although a bit pricey for what you get, these fat, stretchy and flavoursome fingers of cheese were widely enjoyed by the group.

Definitely one of the quirkier eateries to pop up on Featherston Street in recent times, Honey Badger Saloon is certainly an interesting place, but the quality of the food and the vibes on offer cannot be doubted.