Bristol's roving smash-burger van

Smashed flat. Stacked tall. Gone by two.

Patty Wagon does one thing properly: proper beef, smashed hard on a hot griddle, seven pitches a week, all over Bristol. Follow the map. Join the queue. Bring napkins.

See the board Find the van
Seven pitches a week ▸ see the map
Brenda, the Patty Wagon van, parked up with the hatch open
Brenda ▸ seven metres of ex-fishmonger's van, now Bristol's hardest-working griddle

The week

Where's the van?

Pick a day and the van shows you the way. Hours are hatch-open to sold-out, whichever comes first; usually sold out.

  1. The van parked up with the hatch shut Monday The Yard, St Philips Hatch shut Prep day. We're in the lockup chopping onions and arguing about sauce.
  2. The waterside at Temple Quay, masts and lit buildings Tuesday Temple Quay 11:30–14:30 By the bridge, facing the water. The office crowd knows to come early.
  3. People sitting out on the grass at College Green Wednesday College Green 11:30–14:30 On the cathedral side. Seagulls are bold here; guard your fries.
  4. Colourful terraces above the harbour near Finzels Reach Thursday Finzels Reach 11:30–14:30 By the ferry landing. Card only on Thursdays, don't ask why.
  5. String lights over the evening crowd at Wapping Wharf Friday Wapping Wharf 17:00–21:00 Evening service, under the cranes. Bring a coat; the burgers are hot, the wind isn't.
  6. A trader serving from a trailer in the Saturday sunshine Saturday Harbourside Market 10:00–16:00 The big one. Two griddles, the whole board, a queue we're quietly proud of.
  7. Picnic benches and a hazy view from the top of the Downs Sunday The Downs 12:00–17:00 Top of the hill by the water tower. Dogs get a free pickle. That's the rule.

The scene

Bring your people.
We'll feed the lot.

The burgers are half the point. The other half is a queue full of strangers about to become table neighbours: markets, festivals, Friday nights on the wharf, long Sundays on the grass.

A sunny festival field with people eating at tables under the trees
Festival season ▸ the van goes where the fields are
A burger van glowing in low evening sun at a street market
Golden hour, last orders going on
Friends laughing over lunch at a trestle table
Trestle-table diplomacy in progress
Bunting strung over a busy food festival at dusk
Bunting up, sun down, queue growing

Book the wagon

Your do. Our griddle.

Weddings, birthdays, wrap parties, anywhere with three and a half metres of clearance. We pull up, the hatch goes up, and burgers come out until everyone's fed.

  • The full board, or a short menu of your three favourites
  • Two crew and the griddle running for as long as it takes
  • Up to 150 covers from the van, more with notice
  • Compostable everything; we take our rubbish home
  • Within fifty miles of Bristol; further if you're persuasive

From £14 a head · 40-cover minimum · date held with a deposit

Ask about a date
A cheeseburger and a steel cup of fries on a serving board
The short menu, dressed for a wedding