Lily Wallen gets smashed at the Nordic burger joint
Doug’s Hamburgers has arrived in Manchester on the crest of the same wave that has brought a number of smash burger establishments washing through the city centre - but this one’s from Norway.
Oil, herrings, and £10 pints tend to come to mind before smash burgers when you think about Nordic exports. One burger at a time, Doug’s bucks the trend of what something coming from that icey, pricey part of the world can cost.
Having recently opened its doors in Circle Square, a piece of Manchester’s most prime real estate off the Oxford Road Corridor, Doug’s joins the likes of Amber’s and Detroit Slims in cultivating a student-facing hospitality ecosystem where its fair prices will no doubt be put to good use.
And if there’s anything that students might enjoy more than an affordable, meaty meal, it’s got to be a strong alcoholic drink. And you don’t get much stronger than a Martini. If ever there was a perfect alchemy for student satisfaction, Doug’s might just have found it.

From all-American signage to diner style tiling there’s nothing much Nordic about Doug’s. Add to that a reggae playlist and you’ve got yourself an international establishment. Burgers without borders.
The place has a relaxed atmosphere but also, crucially, the speedy and efficient dynamism that you’d expect of any good burger joint. Choose, order and eat is the MO. And being five minutes walk to the Academy and the university lecture halls, there’s somewhere with Ford factory levels of efficiency where students can quickly jump on the conveyor belt to happiness.
The interior is Five Guys-adjacent but thankfully the menu is largely free of the tyranny of choice; the ‘build-a-burger’ style isn’t really available, instead you have three types of beef burger, the choice of chicken instead and a veggie option.

After staring at the above-counter menu for all of 30 seconds I landed on my choice. The Classic (£6) - an Oklahoma style single patty of dry aged beef blend served in a steamed bun, with pickles, secret sauce, ketchup, mustard and cheese - but make it a ‘Happier Meal’ (+£9.95 for fries and a martini, beer or wine) and give me seasoned fries with a Martini to wash it down.
Although this time I opted for an alcoholic beverage - how could you pass up the chance to enjoy the cocktail choice of Patsy Stone with the food of Homer Simpson - I was pleased to see there was a syrup-based soft drinks fountain of the old tradition. I’m a big believer that all forms of Coca-Cola are not made equal and the most superior of them all is mixed in a fountain, slurped out of a paper cup and straw, and enjoyed with a salty meal to balance it out.

In true smash burger fashion, The Classic arrived wrapped in a silver blanket which unveiled a shiny and rich orange brioche bun, a sure fire sign of some sweet to balance out the salty. After all, a good burger is about balance. Spilling out the sides was an amalgamation of American cheese and ground beef patty with onion pressed into it - true to the Oklahoma style.
Almost soft enough not to chew, true smash burger lovers know that indistinguishable components, melted into one another, is what sets these foil-wrapped specialities apart from their thicker peers.
Indistinguishable except for the mustard and secret sauce, of course, which enhanced each bite with a zesty kick and elevated The Classic to that level of rich indulgence that you associate with a smash burger. I suppose it’s not really important what the secret to Doug’s sauce is as long as it does its job - and that it does.
Then how do you improve on crispy, well-seasoned french fries? Add rosemary salt to them, a fragrant and vaguely earthy addition to what is already a classic.

There may well be many more smash burger places on the horizon for Manchester, and there would probably still be an eager audience for them. But in the meantime, Doug’s has chosen its moment well, and its location even moreso.
Doug’s Hamburgers, 1 Circle Square, 3 Symphony park, Manchester, M1 7FS

The Scores
All scored reviews are unannounced, impartial, and ALWAYS paid for by Confidentials.com and completely independent of any commercial relationship. They are a first-person account of one visit by one, knowledgeable restaurant reviewer and don't represent the company as a whole.
If you want to see the receipt as proof this magazine paid for the meal then a copy will be available upon request. Or maybe ask the restaurant.
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Food
The Classic hamburger 8, Fries 8.5, Martini 8
- Service
- Ambience