Foodie Review: Hawkins Forge, Battersea Rise

A few weekends ago, a friend of ours came to visit our new flat and, being a rather horrid and rainy day, we thought we'd visit a cosy pub for a bite to eat. In the search for something new, we made our way to Hawkins Forge in Battersea Rise to sample their Korean BBQ and burger delights.

Located just a short walk from Clapham Junction station is Hawkins Forge - a homely pub where rustic decor meets Mad Men interiors. Kitted out with neon signs, board games and a ping pong table, it makes for a rather comfy and awesome place to spend an otherwise rainy Saturday evening. Hawkins Forge not only serves a whole array of craft beers and ales (for you drinkers) but it's also known for it's fried chicken, Korean BBQ and burger dishes. Here's a little look...

It was pretty hard to choose what to eat with such an impressive menu. Jack opted for the Korean BBQ Glazed Beef Tacos - two tacos in soft tortillas with salad, medium cooked beef in a Korean style sauce and a side of onion rings. I managed to sneak a little of it myself and the beef was delicious and I think if we visited again this may be my next dish of choice. Myself and Joe, on the other hand, went for a burger dish. I chose the Poutine burger - a beef patty, fries (inside the burger), cheese curd and gravy served with an option of sweet potato or french fries. I absolutely love poutine and so to have it in a burger was pretty awesome. 

The patty itself was a little overdone for my taste as I tend to prefer my meat a little on the rare side and I'm also unsure as to whether they're made in house. However, overall the burger was really enjoyable and very tasty. Being famous for it's Korean treats, I thought I best try the Korean Spiced Prawn Skewers which were delicious. Served with super-spicy kimchi slaw, the prawns were meaty and tender although a little on the small side and, again, I'm pretty sure they were from frozen. Nether-the-less, I was very pleased with my choice of meal and it all tasted great. I'd also strongly recommend the fries which went down a treat.

Despite being full to the brim, we all decided desserts were a good idea. Whilst Jack went for the whisky and chocolate ice-cream, Joe and I went for the Cookie Peanut Butter Tower - three chocolate chip cookies served with chocolate sauce, Jude's Whisky ice-cream and sandwiched together with thick peanut butter. It was delicious! The cookies themselves were pretty solid and so it was a bit of an eating with your hands kinda job but the mix of the bitter whisky, sweet cream and salty peanut butter made for an excellent and beautifully presented dessert.

Overall, I'm so pleased we visited Hawkins Forge. The service could not have been more wonderful and combined with the food/drink and fine company, it made for a rather lovely Saturday evening. I'd love to visit again to sample their Sunday Roast and to be tempted by their 2-4-1 Burger Tuesdays. A main, side and drink will set you back around £18-25 a head (depending on your choice of drinks) and I'd definitely recommend a visit. 

Have you ever visited Hawkins Forge? Do you have a favourite local pub? As always, I love reading your comments so please do leave lots of lovely messages below. 

That's it for another foodie review, until next time...