In Short
Old Macdonald is a great sports bar, restaurant, American diner and beer garden all in one. The menu includes many American treats, with the burgers definitely being the stars of the menu! We have tested these for you and can say: super tasty, juicy and perfectly seasoned. We think the ambience of this American Diner in Hamburg is great and especially in the summer you can spend a wonderful evening outside.
American Diner Flair in Hamburg
The Old MacDonald in Hamburg’s Eimsbüttel district describes itself as a restaurant, American diner and sports bar all in one. We think it is actually the perfect blend of all these designations. When you sit there, you no longer have the feeling of being in Hamburg. The furnishings and decor, but also the selection on the menu make you feel like you are sitting in a diner in the USA.
But sports fans will also get their money’s worth here. At Old MacDonald, many different sports are broadcast live and, on special occasions, are also shown on a big screen. The ambiance of the restaurant is super authentic. In general, the interior is quite dark, with tables, benches and chairs in a dark wood look. From the inside you can look into the cozy beer garden, which is open in the summer.
We arrived on time for the opening at 12:00 at the restaurant, which was still quite empty. So we had free choice of seats. After a few minutes, however, a large group of about 20 people arrived who had made reservations beforehand. When the waiter brought us the lunch menus, he told us directly that the large group had probably already pre-ordered their burgers and it could take a little longer with our order. In general, the sports bar is quite large and can cater to a lot of large and small groups with delicious food, especially when the beer garden is open.
Back to our Table
After a quick look at the drinks on the menu, we decided on:
- Homemade iced tea with black tea and mint (4.90 €)
- Glass of water 0.4l (2.50 €)
After about 10 minutes, the drinks arrived at the table. The iced tea was quite large and we noticed the somewhat unusual straw. Instead of an environmentally harmful plastic straw or the paper version, we got a noodle in the shape of a straw. Throughout our stay, the noodle did not get waterlogged and worked wonderfully as a straw. The iced tea itself was a little too sweet for our taste and unfortunately tasted a little artificial.
Fresh Burgers with Organic Meat
The wait was actually quite long as already announced by the waiter. After about 20 minutes our orders came to the table. Even though the Old MacDonald team offers some sports bar treats like sandwiches, baked potatoes, wings and salads, we opted for two burgers that noon.
- Cheeseburger with juicy cheddar, tomatoes and organic beef, served with Caesar salad and fries (small: 8.90 € + 1 € for the Caesar salad)
- Cheeseburger with juicy cheddar, onions, tomatoes and organic beef, served with coleslaw and fries (regular: 10.90 €)
We took advantage of the lunch special, which actually works out to about 3-5 € per dish at Old Macdonald. The burger prices already include fries and coleslaw. If you would rather like a small Caesar salad instead of Coleslaw, you have to pay 1 € more. Onions and tomatoes can be ordered free of charge on the burger.
You want to discover more delicious burgers in Hamburg? We tested Dulf’s Burger for you!
Both burgers and fries were served very hot. The presentation of the dishes was definitely in keeping with the overall ambiance. The burgers were served on a small round wooden plate. Along with the fries and other side dishes, it came on a wooden platter. The burgers were accompanied by homemade ketchup and vegan mayo. I have to say, I am actually not a ketchup fan at all, but this sauce was really great! Very tomato-y and less sweet than regular ketchup.
What about the Taste?
Taste-wise, the burgers were great! You can absolutely taste the quality of the meat and the freshness of the other ingredients. You can taste the bread a lot, but that is the style of the burger in our opinion. Despite the “much” bread, the burger is not dry at all. On the contrary, both burgers were juicy and really perfectly seasoned. None of the ingredients were too much or too overbearing. The fries and salad were also great. Only the presentation of the coleslaw could be grumbled about a bit: the small amount in the bowl, which was too big for it, did not look appealing at all. The coleslaw also did not stand out in terms of taste.
Finishing up
Even though the large table of 20 people was already gone, paying unfortunately took a little longer. In addition, we had asked for a hospitality receipt, but that did not seem possible. Due to a technical defect, we then unfortunately did not get a receipt at all. A little annoying, but not at all decisive for us.
All in all, we had a super lunch with delicious, juicy burgers and great ambience. Especially if you like that special pub-like, American diner/sports bar flair, Old Macdonald is definitely worth a visit. Especially in the summer, you can spend a great evening here with nice people and good service.
Overall Rating
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