BBQ Boss, Fareham | Takeaway Review

There is something about a takeaway or restaurant patty which has not quite made it to the shelves of a supermarket yet.

The desire to devour an authentic takeaway burger therefore led your Dish Detective away from the aisles and straight online.

Browsing which restaurants operating a takeaway service could satisfy the cravings, I was reminded of the fairly new Fareham venue BBQ Boss, which had been on the ‘to-eat’ list for some time.

Within an eat-in venue in Waterlooville alongside the takeaway premises in Fareham, the business also looks set to branch out into Southampton.

The menu promises a ‘smokehouse sensation’ and offers burgers, hot dogs and tantalising dirty fries, as well as a selection of desserts and sides.

Although orders can be made through Just Eat, my dining companion and I opt to go through the eatery’s own website which has a convenient ordering platform.

Despite being tempted towards meatier options, my eye is drawn to the variety of vegan dishes available to order.

With the spirit of Veganuary influencing my decision, I plump for the Clean Dog: a vegan hot dog loaded with ketchup, mustard and crispy onions (£8).

My hungry friend is too enticed by the meaty burgers on display and opts for the Porky Boss, which comes topped with pulled pork (£7).

Going all out, we choose to share BBQ mac‘n’cheese loaded fries (£5) and continue the theme with a portion of mac ‘n’ cheese bites (£4).

The website informs us and our rumbling stomachs that the fare will arrive in an hour, and our doorbell rings almost bang on 60 minutes later.

Desperate to dig into the feast, we plate up our meals and your ever-hungry Dish Detective immediately thinks we may not have ordered enough food for our large appetites.

Despite takeaway food never quite looking as good as the images on any restaurant’s website, we decide not to judge a book by its cover and dig in.

The vegan hot dog is flavoursome, and it is one of the nicer plant-based frankfurters the reviewer has tried.

Apart from adding an extra splash of ketchup to meet my own tastes, I enjoy the hot dog and dip into the side dishes to pad out the meal.

Being newbies to the eatery, we weren’t sure if one loaded fries portion would serve two people: in future, I would definitely opt for one each.

However, the BBQ mac ‘n’ cheese combo is delicious and tastes much better than it looks.

The piece de resistance of the meal is immediately obvious as we taste the crunchy mac ‘n’ cheese bites with their creamy filling.

I could have eaten 50 of the tiny treats, and my dining partner is just as enamoured with the dish.

Alongside this, they demolished the Porky Boss burger which was promptly labelled ‘tasty enough, but nothing special’.

My fussy companion asked for ketchup and mayonnaise to be left off their choice, and their requests were delivered as asked for – with a little bonus of some BBQ sauce, which was a nice touch.

Although comfortably full from the pleasant food, we definitely could have done with an extra side dish or two.

Our BBQ Boss experience was certainly worthwhile, with our cravings for takeaway fare satisfied for now, but the hunt for the perfect burger continues.

BBQ Boss, West Street, Fareham (01329) 28144.