Cormoran Strike arrives in Hereford on Monday 6th March with time to spare for an “early lunch”. As he walks from The Garrick multi-story car park, he spots the Beefy Boys restaurant, serving luxurious burgers, “which he chose out of an angry self-sabotaging impulse”. (Chapter 101)
Strike sits outside to vape, leaves a voicemail for Danny de Leon and reads through Jim Todd’s poker book Know When to Hold ‘Em: Win Big Every Time.
He orders and eats a Dirty Boy Burger, “a huge cheeseburger, complete with bacon and fried onions” after which he feels sufficiently prepared to text Robin Ellacott and apologise for his earlier bad mood.
Robin doesn’t answer, so he uses the bathroom and leaves for the Golden Fleece.
Beefy Boys was founded by four friends with a shared love of barbecued meats, who on the back of winning an award at a British BBQ festival opened their flagship restaurant in the newly renovated market area of Hereford in 2015. After the Covid lockdowns were lifted they expanded into the site next door vacated by the Frankie & Bennies chain.
In 2016 they came first place in the Signature Burger category at the World’s Best Burger in Alabama, USA, and were finalists in 2017, the year Strike visits.
@badly_wired visited the Hereford restaurant in September 2025 and can confirm the (mini) Dirty Boy burger is the best she has or probably will ever eat.
On the 8th September 2025, the Beefy Boys Twitter/X account posted about it being “mad” to be featured in The Hallmarked Man to which JK Rowling replied “What can I say? You make good burgers”.
Find their website here: https://thebeefyboys.com/about-us/
Find the Beefy Boys on the map below:
