The tradition: This delicacy of Glasgow’s post-pub scene is often served in the wee hours of the morn from “some pretty dodgy vans” along Sauciehall (pronounced sawkee-hall) Street, explains The Bristol co-owner Davy Love. “We wanted to serve really traditional Scottish food, so this is our take on the burger.”
The brown sauce: A variation on the U.K.’s favourite sweet-and-sour sauce is made in-house at The Bristol, and the restaurant will soon have bottles to take home. “We want to give HP a run for its money,” Love says.
The bap: Until The Bristol starts baking its own buns, Love gets these super soft Scottish rolls custom-made by Cobb’s.
The sausage: The one-inch-thick square patty is a mix of pork and beef. Love says it’s “heavily bread-crumbed and spiced with coriander and quite a few other spices that you wouldn’t equate with Scottish food.”
The bacon: A secret Toronto bacon source provides The Bristol with its smoked little piggy. Every Skooby Snack gets two thick slices.
The black pudding: Made with pig’s blood, oatmeal, and pork fat, this is more sausage than what one might call “pudding.” Love wanted to make his own but says, “blood coagulates in 30 minutes, so you have to be close to the source.” Since he can’t be, his secret bacon supplier makes it for him.
The scone: A house-made potato scone—or a “tattie,” as it’s called in Scotland—rests above the bottom bun. “I think it’s there for extra filling,” says Love. We found that the savoury pancake is also adept at catching stray meat and egg drippings.
The rest (yes, there’s more): There’s smoked-applewood cheddar from Scotland, a sunny-side-up egg, a smattering of lettuce, a slice of tomato, and onions (fried, of course). “Overall, the Skooby Snack is not good for you,” Love says with a laugh. “Between the grease, the egg, the bacon, the blood, the breadcrumbs, and the pork and beef, it’s got everything in it—all the animals!”
1087 Queen St. W.
