I’d been itching to try Rhode Island since it opened its doors towards the end of last year. With the restaurant’s first birthday celebrations imminent, it seemed like a good time to venture out to Cherry Hinton and find out if the glowing reviews I’d had from friends were justified (and indeed, if the burgers were quite as huge as I’d heard).
Escaping the chill on a gloomy winter Wednesday, my dining partner and I instantly fell in love with Rhode Island’s quirky, cosy charm. Eateries in Cambridge seem to be becoming increasingly identikit in their interiors, but this place feels genuinely unique – not least because of the incredible hand-drawn comic strips which adorn the walls (owner Aksara is a fan).
Admiring the vintage-inspired design touches and sinking into our booth, we perused the drinks list, bypassing the impressive selection of craft ales and milkshakes in favour of a root beer and a cream soda, which felt fitting for the retro diner style setting.
To start, we opted for the Some Like It Hot fries to share: a mouthwateringly good pile of crispy skinny fries slathered in punchy fresh salsa, jalapeños, home-made guacamole, sour cream, dried chilli flakes and lots of melty cheese. Unbelievably tasty and a steal at just £5.50 for a huge portion.
On the recommendation of the owner, and because I have zero self-control, I couldn’t resist the Dirty Cow burger for my main course. A brioche bun (from local faves the Dovecote Bakery) with a melt-in-the-mouth beef pattie, topped with a towering mass of pulled pork, treacle-cured bacon, pickles, a fried egg and a stack of deep fried onion strings, this gloriously messy burger behemoth was hands-down the best I’ve had at a restaurant in Cambridge, and just one of a sizeable selection of options.
‘Hands down the best burger in Cambridge’
My dining partner, somewhat more reserved in her choice, selected the Sliders: a trio of dinky mini brioches filled with pulled pork, pulled chicken and home-made slaw respectively, and served up with house pickles and bbq mayo, she deemed them ‘insanely good’ in between eager mouthfuls.
Fighting our food comas and powering on through to dessert, I chose a peach cobbler, which arrived with a creamy scoop of vanilla ice cream. With a hint of cinnamon and ginger and perfectly crumbly topping, Rhode Island’s take on this all-American classic pud was homely and delicious. On the other side of the table, my companion was tucking into an Oreo ice cream sundae, which came served in a cute retro jar and brimming over with cream, chocolate sauce and chunks of Oreo – another indisputable winner (and one which kids will go absolutely nuts for).
Sinking into our booth; happy, full and raving about the brilliant standard of the food, my dining partner and I had started planning our next visit to Rhode Island before we’d even left. There’s a lot to love about the restaurant, from the hip décor to the attentive service and great menu, and it gets extra brownie points for using a crop of fantastic local suppliers like Bacchanalia, Hot Numbers and Mill Road Butchers.
Rhode Island is easy to recommend, so it was genuinely sad that it wasn’t buzzing with customers, on our visit at least, like it deserves to be. It may have a slightly awkward location (for city centre dwellers at least), but it’s such a gem it’s 100% worth the trip – highly recommended.
