Long gone are the days when Burger Hub was the only place for one to get good burgers in Lahore. Ever since Burger Hub came into town, a number of burger joints opened up.  While there are many new burger joints, some of the older ones include Howdy and Outpost BYOB. We decided to head off to Outpost BYOB for a friend’s birthday treat. Ever since our last visit to the place, which was around a year and a half ago, this place has changed significantly. Here’s what we thought of the place!

The menu:

The best thing about the place is that you can literally build your own burger (BYOB). On each table are waiting sheets of paper with 7 steps. Each step takes you one step closer to the creation of your burger, just the way you want it to be. At least that's what the claim is. 

I decided to go for a single patty grilled chicken burger with lettuce, tomatoes, jalapenos, caramelized onions and a combination of garlic mayo and honey mustard with potato wedges. 

The food took around 35 minutes to arrive which was justified given the fact that  Iwas in a group of 9. However, the orders, which were supposed to be completely error free since everything was literally written on a sheet of paper by each individual, were messed up leaving 2 people at the table without food for another 10 minutes. 

The burgers:

The chicken burger had a very salty patty. The spices and salt in the patty overpowered the taste of everything else in the burger. The honey mustard, which should have had a strong flavour, could only be tasted towards the ends of the burger where the patty wasn't present. The lettuce had been missed out. 

The beef burgers were slightly chewy but were milder in flavour than the chicken burgers hence the sauces complimented them better. 

The sides:

The potato wedges were a disappointment since I was expecting them to be something like you get at Nandos. However, they were baked to perfection but had a bit too much seasoning on them. The fries were perfect, though and compliment the burgers perfectly. The onion rings were a disaster; semi-cooked onions in a thick batter that in no way complimented the onions. 

The service:

The service at Outpost BYOB has managed to deteriorate significantly. The staff, when asked to cut the burger in half refuse to do so and simply bring the customers a knife to cut the burger with. Since the burgers can be huge, cutting them with the help of an ordinary knife gets difficult and messy. The staff also seems to be in a hurry to remove the plates from the table. At one point, a member of staff went on to remove a plate from in front of a friend who was still eating his fries. Similarly, for people who are slow eaters like me, the battle to keep your plate safe from the waiters at this restaurant can get fierce.

The ambiance:

Perhaps the only good thing left about this place is the ambiance. The lighting compliments the outdoor seating area perfectly. The coal 'angeethis' that are brought to each table on request make the chilly Lahore winter nights bearable. The road to the parking lot, however, needs to be improved. 

The overall experience:

Average food, and bad service never make a good combination. The restaurant needs to focus on improving some of the fundamental flaws in their food while at the same time, the management needs to train its staff properly. Do we recommend Outpost BYOB? If it's a nice cold evening and you only want to go somewhere for its ambiance, this is the place to go to.