Row 1:
abc. 211208W-‘CanberraTimes’-GreaseMonkey.burgers
d & 2d. 220512Th-GoodFood-Karen’sDiner
Row 2:
a. 220525W-‘AFR’-burger
bc. 210830M-Melbourne’HeraldSun’ – Saluministi, Stacks, burgers&salami.
Row 3:
a. 211214Tu-‘CanberraTimes’-GreaseMonkey.
b. 220429F-Melbourne’HeraldSun’-Croydon-MrT.burger.shop.
cd & 4ef. 220216W-Melbourne’Age’-Karen’s-burger.joint.
Row 4:
abc. 220522-MissPerezKitchen&Bar-burger (SA).
d. 220530M-Melbourne’HeraldSun’-burgers
Grease Monkey to open new Woden store in Westfield Bradley Street with free burgers. Amy Martin December 8 2021
Expect more of the same delicious American-style food at Grease Monkey’s new store. Picture: @Botanistcreative
The wait is over for Southside Greasy’s fans – the Canberra burger store is opening in Woden on Sunday as part of the Westfield Bradley Street dining precinct.
While Grease Monkey has had a food truck on Hindmarsh Drive in Woden for the past couple of years, this is the first time it will have a permanent store in the area.
Grease Monkey director Nick Tuckwell said the southside had been really supportive of the pop-up "The Pitts" and it was time to give them a permanent dose of the Grease.
Inside the new Grease Monkey store in Woden. Picture: Zachary Griffith
"Our food truck has been set-up at The Pitts for the past two years and the Woden community has got right behind us, so it’s great we can now open the doors on a permanent shop," he said.
"The past couple of years has been really challenging for the Canberra food scene, and we want to thank everyone that has supported us. We’re really proud we’ve been able to continue our plans to expand and open more Greasy’s in the ACT."
The new store is not without its surprises, with some shiny new tech making it easier for the kitchen to get your food to you hot and greasy. There are also a few extra creature comforts for customers come in to eat and drink.
Inside the new Grease Monkey store in Woden. Picture: Zachary Griffith
All your favourites will be on the Woden menu including Greasy’s burgers, Detroit pizza and Greasy fried chicken. A strong beverage offering will be available with cocktails and Grease Monkey’s signature independent and craft brews on tap.
And if that isn’t enough, Greasy Monkey is giving away 500 free Greasy burgers from 11am on Sunday.
The Pitts will remain open for a few more days before moving to a new location at Kingston in the new year.
www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7542629/grease-monkey-to-o…
Who ordered the beef? New restaurant promises ‘great food, terrible service’. Carolyn Webb February 16, 2022. 45 comments
Customers are in for an ordeal when they dine at a new Melbourne restaurant, with staff being trained to insult, ridicule and ignore them.
“Great Food, Terrible Service” is the motto of Karen’s Diner, a 1950s-US-style burger joint that will open in the famous Lygon Street restaurant strip next month.
Rude food: Supervisor Josh Arkey serves customers at the Sydney branch of Karen’s Diner. CREDIT:RENEE NOWYTARGER
In a flip on hospitality norms, this is a place where staff are rude and the customer is most certainly not always right.
A sign in the window of the restaurant’s Sydney branch says, Karen’s Diner: Sit down and shut up.
And the website for Karen’s Diner describes it as “a place where you can complain until the cows come home because we literally don’t care”.
But customers are welcome to return the vitriol.
Josh Arkey with customers including Sally Quinn (right) at Karen’s Diner in Sydney.CREDIT:RENEE NOWYTARGER
The “Karen” in Karen’s Diner refers to the slang for an obnoxious and entitled middle-aged customer who asks to speak to the manager about a trivial issue.
People named Karen are invited to come – and complain – and get a free drink with proof of identity.
Sally Quinn, who recently had lunch at the Sydney diner with four friends and relatives, said a waiter screamed at them to sign in and threw their menus on the table. The waiter also walked off halfway through taking their orders, tipped over Ms Quinn’s handbag, mocked her daughter’s hair, swore and made rude gestures when diners asked a question.
However, Ms Quinn spoke up when her daughter was served a chicken burger, instead of the beef burger she ordered.
The instructions for diners. In fact, patrons are encouraged to fire back at their servers.CREDIT:RENEE NOWYTARGER
A waiter refused to take the dish back, so Ms Quinn told staff to “fix the order, or we’re not paying”, and asked if they wanted a tip.
“Overall, it was super fun. We had a good laugh,” she said, although there was “a lot of nervous laughter” around the restaurant.
Ms Quinn said she wasn’t offended because she knew what she was in for – her friend’s daughter had watched a TikTok video featuring the Sydney diner. “I’d hate to walk in there blind, like a tourist, not knowing what it was about, just thinking it was a cool ’50s-style burger joint.”
The first Karen’s Diner opened in World Square shopping centre in Sydney’s George Street in October 2021, and another will open in Brisbane in April.
Play video The diner where rude service is expected. Customers post examples of Karen’s Diner staff in action on social media.
The chain’s owner, Viral Ventures (a name created before the pandemic referring to “going viral” on the internet), plans to open 10 more in the next year in Australia and the US, including in New York and Los Angeles.
The Carlton site opens on March 16, in the former Trotters bistro that closed a year ago.
Karen’s Diner is the latest listing for the City of Melbourne’s $2.6 million shopfront activation program.
The council matches prospective tenants with landlords that are willing to offer vacant properties in the CBD, Docklands and Carlton for short-term leases with no rent or low rent, and the council helps with fitout.
Aden Levin, a Viral Ventures director, said the program was a key factor in choosing the Lygon Street spot.
Karen’s Diner in World Square, George Street, Sydney.CREDIT:RENEE NOWYTARGER
He said the emphasis at Karen’s would be on “tongue-in-cheek, light-hearted jovial banter”, with staff presenting guests with pathetically small birthday cakes, hosting contests for worst-dressed customer and chastising people who whinge about too many pickles in their burger.
Mr Levin said the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic meant a lot of people wanted to go out and engage in different, novel activities.
“It’s a space where you can say anything, really. Be yourself and enjoy a casual and fun dining experience,” he said. “I hope people leave the place feeling like, ‘That was really fun, I want to come back and bring some friends to experience it’.”
www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/who-ordered-the-beef-…
Burgers with a side of sass: Karen’s Diner to open second Sydney location. BIANCA HROVAT May 12 2022
Supervisor Josh Arkey serves customers at Sydney’s original Karen’s Diner. Photo: Renee Nowytarger
It seems Sydneysiders like their burgers with a side of sass.
Karen’s Diner has discovered that treating customers mean does, indeed, keep them keen. The waitlist to dine at World Square’s rudest restaurant has become so long that owner, Adam Levin, decided to open a second venue at the Top Ryde Shopping Centre on May 27.
"We would say we’re really excited to see you, but we’d be lying," a spokesperson for Karen’s Diner says.
Carb-loading at Karen’s Diner is available for meat-eaters and vegans alike. Photo: Supplied
"We’re all about telling you the cold hard truth about yourself."
Far from upholding the tenets of the hospitality industry, the service staff at this concept restaurant have been instructed to engage in no-holds-barred banter with their customers.
From throwing out insults, to cursing poor tips and covering customers’ faces with paper bags, the waiters do everything they can to "unleash their inner Karen". Diners who dare to complain are met with the manager, otherwise known as the ultimate Karen.
Video The diner where rude service is expected Customers post examples of Karen’s Diner staff in action on social media.
"It is certainly a unique concept but one which people seem to love," Levine says.
"We are seeing the diners become booked up weeks in advance".
The concept has its origins in a widespread internet meme which references middle-class caucasian women who exhibit entitled behaviour towards staff in the service industry. But the diner doesn’t take itself too seriously: Anyone named Karen who is brave enough to enter the restaurant is treated to a free drink.
While some may see the interactive dining experience as child-friendly, the restaurant warns: "It’s no Disneyland". Families with children are not recommended to attend the diner after 6pm.
The diner describes its food as "kick-ass" and "cholesterol heavy", with a menu that boasts American-style burgers such as Karen’s got real beef, which features slow-cooked barbecue beef brisket, bacon, coleslaw, caramelised onion and honey-glazed barbecue sauce.
Drinks are big here, with a wide variety of thickshakes, floats, cocktails and shooters with colourful names such as, ‘I’ve been waiting 10 minutes for some service’ (a Kahlua and Baileys concoction) and ‘The music is too loud’ (a combination of peach schnapps, Baileys and grenadine).
The new diner will join franchises in Brisbane, Melbourne and the United Kingdom, with several locations set to open in the United States and Canada.
Karen’s Diner, Top Ryde Shopping Centre, corner Devlin Street and Blaxland Road, Ryde, bemorekaren.com
www.goodfood.com.au/eat-out/burgers-with-a-side-of-sass-k…
Better than renting: Steakhouse king to build property empire. Larry Schlesinger May 25, 2022
Australia’s steakhouse king Bradley Michael has set his sights on building a large property portfolio as a counter to exorbitant rental demands as his Seagrass Boutique Hospitality Group embarks on a huge rollout of new restaurants in Australia and overseas.
Seagrass, whose portfolio of brands includes The Meat & Wine Co, 6 Head, Hunter & Barrell (H&B), Ribs & Burgers, Italian Street Kitchen (ISK) as well as the master franchise rights to the Five Guys burger chain, opened seven new restaurants between Fe
Australia’s steakhouse king Bradley Michael has set his sights on building a large property portfolio as a counter to exorbitant rental demands as his Seagrass Boutique Hospitality Group embarks on a huge rollout of new restaurants in Australia and overseas. Seagrass, whose portfolio of brands includes The Meat&Wine Co, 6 Head, Hunter& Barrell&Ribs&Burgers, Italian Street Kitchen (ISK) as well as the master franchise rights to the Five Guys burger chain, opened seven new restaurants between February 2021 and January.
Big growth plans: Bradley Michael at Seagrass new Five Guys restaurant on George Street, Sydney.
"While everyone else has been sleeping and hiding, we have been looking for opportunities to grow," Mr Michael told Australian Financial Review.
"Good operators have survived [the pandemic] and there are great opportunities to grow."
This year it plans to open three new Five Guys venues, including one in the heritage-listed Spiden House at 383 George Street in the Sydney CBD and another in Melbourne’s Southbank, as well as ISKs in Parramatta and Perth and an H&B restaurant in Parramatta.
A 6 Head steakhouse will open at Perth’s Elizabeth Quay next year, while Mr Michael said there were plans to bring the Five Guys brand to Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.
In the upmarket inner London suburb of Mayfair, Seagrass recently opened Jeru, a Middle Eastern-themed restaurant, while a The Meat&Wine Co steakhouse will open in the same suburb in August.
In Dubai, Seagrass opened its third Hunter&Barrel restaurant last month.
While much of this growth will come through partnerships with landlords, Mr Michael said Seagrass, which is backed by Sydney-based Crescent Capital Partners,
was also looking to buy properties in Australia where they could install their own brands.
"We’re looking at areas outside the major metro regions, where we can either find land [to build], or [existing] properties that are a good fit with our brands," Mr Michael said.
"If we can write back the rentals and see a return on investment, we’ll consider buying the property."
He added that Seagrass was looking to bring on board a new partner to co-invest in property acquisitions.
Seagrass has already piloted this expansion approach,
acquiring a waterfront property in Baulkam Hills next door to the Hillsong Church
campus where it has opened The Meat&Wine Co and Ribs&Burgers restaurants, and also brought in ice-cream chain Messina Gelato.
Filling up again
Mr Michael said Seagrass was happy to walk away from leasing deals if asking rents were too high.
"We’re a long-term player looking to occupy sites for 10 years. If rents are high at the start, then they will end up being exorbitant."
Since the start of the pandemic, Mr Michael said rents had come back in certain areas around Sydney, but in local shopping centres and strip malls where demand was high, landlords were trying to get 50 per cent higher rents.
"We put in a rental offer of $120,000 a year for a site in Sydney, but the landlord got offers between $200,000 and $300,000."
At an operational level, Mr Michael said his restaurants were filling up again despite rising meat and other food and delivery costs translating into higher menu prices.
Mr Michael said people were willing to pay up to $10 more for a steak than they were pre-pandemic.
"People are spending huge amounts on good meat and good wine. They’re looking for value and quality. If they find those, they don’t mind paying whatever price," he said.
"It’s been a strange ride. We are finding people have the money and will spend it on good-quality food."
The biggest issue, he said, was finding front-of-house staff, a challenge Seagrass is trying to tackle with generous incentives such as 50 per cent staff discounts at its restaurants.
The group employs about 2100 staff – both full time and casual – a pool of workers that will need to grow as it opens new venues.
Mr Michael said a shortage of staff made it harder to open some of its restaurants seven days a week.
"We’re on a massive recruitment drive," he said.
www.afr.com/link/follow-20180101-p56uv6
www.afr.com/street-talk/crescent-capital-cooks-up-medium-…
www.afr.com/property/commercial/better-than-renting-steak…
Burgers, salami, food packs Kara Monssen August 30, 2021
EASEYS BURGERS
A burger made with potato cake, fried dim sim and onion rings has been named the state’s best, beating these other wild creations for the title.
Collingwood burger joint Easeys has taken the crown of Victoria’s Best Burger in the Litt Burger of Origin Competition.
The Motz Madness creation jams fried onions, a potato cake and dim sim between two buns.
Easeys took to social media to share its excitement over the win.
“We have had such an astounding amount of support this week since winning the LITT Burger of Origin competition,”
“It’s been awesome having so many happy and excited faces come into all of the venues and ordering delivery packs — genuinely uplifting.”
Easey’s beat South Yarra’s Hello Sam, Rosebud’s ItsaBurger and Brunswick West’s Rude Boy Burger to the post.
The national winner hasn’t been crowned, with chief judge and pro-eater Cal Stubbs yet to sample all state finalists due to border restrictions.
Stubbs, Australia’s top competitive eater (and the world’s 9th), short-listed Easey’s wild creation.
A quality protein, fresh salads and a sturdy bun are what Stubbs looks for in a good burger.
Easey’s winning burger.
ROYAL STACKS BURGERS
The past two years haven’t stacked up well for this Melbourne burger chain.
Royal Stacks’ once-thriving CBD store, which fed footy crowds and workers, has suffered a 70 per cent drop in takings and is surviving off takeaway orders.
Owner Dani Zeini’s Chadstone shop has closed for every lockdown, and when it could open, a ban on food court seating meant only takeaway trade was viable.
Royal Stacks owner Dani Zeini is taking his burger chain on-tour across Melbourne. Picture: Rebecca Michael
Each lockdown has been a mental and physical blow for Zeini and his team, which he’s built up across three stores in Brunswick, Chadstone and the city over almost six years
“It takes the wind out of your sails. The energy and enthusiasm dissipates after every lockdown,” Zeini said.
“In the CBD it’s been really tough. So many of us relied on the crowds from the footy, theatre, Comedy Festival and office workers to get by.”
During lockdown, Royal Stacks is “pivoting” to bring monthly pop-ups and its US-style burgers to the suburbs.
So far it has collaborated with Templestowe’s Miss Kneady Eatery and Avondale Heights’ State Line cafe and soon, Good Times Milk Bar in Bentleigh.
Royal Stacks’ Collins St store has been struggling during the pandemic. Picture: Rebecca Michael
The pop-ups have helped Zeini keep his 30-strong team employed.
But there’s some positive news on the horizon.
Royal Stacks hopes to open its Moorabbin store when restrictions lift, and Zeini is not ruling out more suburban stores soon.
Royal Stacks pop-ups are held monthly during Victoria’s lockdown.
SALAMI PARTY & FOOD PACKS
CBD restaurateur Peter Mastro isn’t letting the pandemic foil his plans again.
The Saluministi co-owner and his business partner, Frank Bressi, had their ultimate Italian Sunday lunch event cancelled just days before Melbourne’s first lockdown.
Saluministi has kept both its Flinders Lane and Docklands stores open for takeaway, sold retail products in grocers and avoided the obvious hospo “pivot” of selling at-home meal kits – until now.
Saluministi and Postmistress Eatery have launched a Father’s Day Feast pack for four, including antipasto, pizzas, dessert, wine and Saluministi merchandise for $200.
Delivery within 20km of Melbourne; order before 5pm on Thursday, September 2.
Saluministi’s Peter Mastro and Frank Bressi on Flinders Lane.
ROCHFORD WINERY HOME PACKS
Landing a top chef gig in wine country has always been a dream for Ryan Frost.
From October, the 27-year-old will take over as executive chef at Yarra Valley winery Rochford Wines, overseeing both on-site restaurants Isabella’s and Il Vigneto.
“It was something I wanted but I didn’t think it’d happen so soon,” Frost said.
Leading two winery restaurants through a pandemic was always going to be a test for Frost.
But that hasn’t stopped his drive to mix things up in the kitchen.
“People will have changed a lot during lockdown and we need to put our focus on comfort and food that wants to get people out of the house,” he said.
Frost has been busy curating Rochford’s at-home packs, which have garnered a strong appetite from locals and city-siders alike, after being delivered across most of metropolitan Melbourne.
“Rochford has always gone big, we hold big events like A Day on the Green, we didn’t want to put a limit on how far we deliver,” Frost said.
Frost will replace former executive chef Raki Andriana on October 1.
Saluministi’s Father’s Day packs.
www.heraldsun.com.au/lifestyle/food/royal-stacks-tours-me…
* Can someone afford $200? Probably Dandrews and his henchmen. Not too many others right now I’d say.
* Here comes diabetes.
* that’s all right. There’s medication for that these days.
* "A burger made with potato cake, fried dim sim and onion rings has been named the state’s best", also called a sure way to sudden cardiac arrest.
* Pablo Escoburger and Leonard’s are best burgers by a country mile
* Yep, if Covid doesn’t get you the fatty burgers will.
* Dan said I can’t go out
* We have so much great talent here in Victoria, so many chefs with vision and people willing to back them. The only person unwilling to support them is the Premier. Pathetic!
* USA-style burgers? I thought all burgers were USA style.
Canberra’s Grease Monkey crowned Deliveroo’s most ordered dish in the country. Amy Martin December 14 2021
Grease Monkeys Greasy Burger has been named as the number one top most ordered dish in Australia. Picture: Supplied
Canberrans know where to get a good burger – and now the rest of the country does, too.
Grease Monkey’s Greasy Burger has taken out the top spot in Deliveroo’s annual top trending report, helping Canberra steal the crown from last year’s winner, Sydney.
The win comes just a few days after the Canberra favourite opened its new Woden store.
The meal delivery report details the most ordered dishes in the country.
"We’re ecstatic to have taken out the number one spot on Deliveroo’s list of top trending dishes for 2021," Grease Monkey’s Nick Tuckwell says.
Grease Monkey’s Nick Tuckwell at the Lonsdale Street restaurant. Picture: Jamila Toderas
"The past few years have been tough for local restaurants like us and we’ve relied on the support of Deliveroo to help us do what we do best – feed the hungry people of Canberra, and its visitors, with our mouth-watering dishes."
A deeper dive into the trends revealed some things never change; Aussies love burgers.
More than one third (36 per cent) of the top 30 dishes ordered via Deliveroo were burgers, a pattern that has repeated itself for the past two years (2019 and 2020). Other cuisines topping the list of choice include Mexican, pizza and fried chicken.
While Grease Monkey was the only ACT restaurant to make the top 30 list, Zambrero – which began in Canberra in 2005 – made the top 10 for its burritos under a national category.
"Grease Monkey is a cult classic, so we’re really pleased that they’ve won the top spot this year, crowning Canberra as the foodie capital in the land down under," Deliveroo commercial director Jodi Ingham said.
Deliveroo top trending report’s top 10
Greasy Burger – Grease Monkey, Canberra
Tommy the Chook – Boss Burger Co, Geelong
Hugo Chicken Schnitzel Sandwich – South Dowling, Sandwiches Sydney
Mary’s Burger – Mary’s, Sydney
Legit Special Fried Rice – Oriental Teahouse, Melbourne
Single Stack – Royal Stacks, Melbourne
Burrito – Guzman Y Gomez (GYG), National
Build Your Own Pasta – The Italian Bowl, Sydney
Burrito – Zambrero, National
Dannylicious – Danny’s Burgers, Melbourne
MORE FOOD NEWS:
Grease Monkey opens new Woden store
Suny Cereal Bar brings nostalgia to Fyshwick
Goodbye Kokomo’s: A first look inside Wilma ahead of its opening
Canberra winery cleans up at awards
www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7550761/canberra-favourite…
Croydon Main Street: Mr T’s Burgers and Fried Chicken to close on May 1. Kiel Egging April 29, 2022 Maroondah Leader. 5 comments
Burger lovers in the outer east have been dealt a blow, with a cult business set to shut its doors.
Dean Travers, owner of Mr T’s Burgers and Fried Chicken, is closing his store after two and half tough years. File picture.
Outer east fast food lovers have been dealt a blow with a popular Croydon burger joint to shut its doors after only two-and-a-half years of trading.
Dean Travers, owner of Mr T’s Burgers and Fried Chicken, will close his store for good on Sunday, May 1, with the view of opening a new store closer to the city in the future.
Mr Travers had developed a cult following since opening on Hewish Rd in late 2019, and was voted by Leader readers as Maroondah’s favourite burger store in a poll last year.
He said the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic and declining dine-in numbers had led him to his decision to sell up.
“Since January there’s been a huge downturn in business, and not many people dining in,” Mr Travers said.
“Takings have been down about 30 per cent week on week, things haven’t picked up, and every time we think we’re going to catch back up, they don’t work out.
“Being a solo operator is a bit hard, and the people coming in were probably better suited to take over my store and had a bit of backing behind them.”
The Famished Wolf, a burger chain with three stores in Melbourne’s southeast, will take over Mr T’s space and open its fourth store in the near future.
Mr Travers said he was sad to be leaving Croydon, saying his sales had boomed ever since his closing down announcement.
“If I had been busy as what I’d been last weekend regularly, it would have been easier to stay,” he said.
“The aftermath of Covid has not helped and I don’t think its going to get better anytime soon. “Hospitality is always the first to suffer because people cut back on going out.”
Mr Travers said he was hoping to open a new store potentially in Abbotsford or Elsternwick, as he felt “people living in apartments are likely to dine out a bit more”.
He urged locals to regularly shop at independent eateries to ensure they continued to thrive.
“It’s all about supporting your local businesses, but being consistent with it, otherwise bigger businesses will come in and buy it up,” he said.
“It doesn’t matter what it is, a coffee place, a burger shop or a pizza place – get out and support them.”
www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/outer-east/croydon-main-stree…
Where to find Australia’s best burgers Anthony Huckstep May 14,2020
Few food fads have had the impact of the burger in the last decade.
It’s not as if we didn’t have them in abundance down under, but a swell, lead by the sweet-bun smashed patty American iteration proliferated the market and altered the accepted standards of burgers from cafes to pubs and restaurants too.
There are too many great burgers to list here, but you can’t go wrong wrapping your laughing gear around these handheld gems.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Adelaide: Nordburger. If you want to know the best burgers in Adelaide, ask the chefs and the hands down response is Nordburger. Sure, you may need a defibrillator when taking on the Royale, but there are plenty of good drinks on hand to help wash it down. Nordburger’s Royale is served on a soft bun with two patties, two slices of cheese, caramelised onions, pickles, mustard, ketchup, Nord sauce. Pull up a pew and pull on the feedbag, you won’t regret it.
Regional: Miss Perez. Great burgers aren’t limited to the capital cities and Miss Perez in Stirling has a bagful of banging burgers that are worth travelling for. Sure you could be tempted by the tacos and hot wings, but the signature Perez will please all your burger-loving tastebuds. With 200g of local grass fed beef combined with Mercian cheese, onion jam, lettuce, truffle mayo and a slap of Perez secret sauce. Yes please.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Perth. Short Order Burger Co. This former pop up that made a name for itself pushing out burgers from a shipping container has landed bricks and mortar and the burgers are better than ever before. A glistening soft brioche bun, a juicy beef patty and smoked mozzarella, American cheese and mustard and tomato sauce. This is the slider of burgers and you’ll be hard pressed to stop at one.
Regional Ocean and Paddock, Albany It’s known as one of the best fish ‘n chippers in Australia but Ocean and Paddock has also got one of the best regional burgers too. This is an old school Aussie burger, where a seeded savoury bun houses local beef pattie, tomato, lettuce onion and tommy sauce. Add a bag full of twice cooked chips and a milkshake and you’ll be back reminiscing your youth as you slip into a food coma.
QUEENSLAND
Brisbane. Ben’s Burgers. The heartbeat of the Brisbane burger scene, Ben’s Burgers are the go to burger of the cities chefs and burger officialdoms looking for simple burgers that take as much influence from the sweet American and Australia’s savoury spin. The go-to slam dunks a sweet, soft bun boasting a thick patty, American cheese, pickles, lettuce, tomato, onion, ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise. It’s a three pointer! Regional
Betty’s Burgers, Noosa. They’re all over Australia and for good reason. But the Noosa store just a hop, skip and jump from the sea making it ideal to fill your belly while dipping your toes in the deep blue. The biggest issue will be deciding which burger to choice, but the Betty deluxe with Angus beef, pickles, lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese and Betty’s secret sauce is one of the best Aussie style burgers down under.
NEW SOUTH WALES
Sydney. Mary’s. There is no doubt that Mary’s changed the debate on burgers. When this dark Newtown dive bar first opened they put rock n roll into burger like never before. It’s become such a hit, they now have a takeaway store in the CBD for those that can’t swallow a solo by Slayer and a burger at the same time. The Mary’s soft, sweet bun housing a patty boasting three cuts of beef, butter lettuce, tomato, cheese and Mary’s special sauce is a godsend – just make sure you add trash can bacon to take your burger to the next level.
A Mary’s cheese burger and fries.
Regional. Gracie Burger, Orange. It may be known for stunning wine and perfect produce but the regional town of Orange also boasts one of New South Wales best burgers. The BBQ bacon and cheese burger is a crowd favourite, but the classic cheese where pickles, lettuce, onion, tomato, American cheese and Gracie’s special sauce combine with 100% local beef pattie on an unseeded bun is the one that will please.
VICTORIA
Melbourne 8bit. This bustling burger joint is a tribute to the pixels of the arcade games of our past, but the burgers are anything but a faint memory of our past. Chef Shayne MaCallum turned his hand to burgers a few years ago and he’s brought is nuanced touch to deliver burgers with attention to detail, but big on flavour. The After Burner, for instance is a hot rod ride of beef, tomato, red onion, lettuce, cheese, chilli sauce, jalapeños, mustard and chipotle mayo.
Regional. Hot Chicken Project, Geelong Aaron Turner is one of our most celebrated chefs. His restaurant Igni has won almost every accolade, but the clever chef has a deep love for fried chicken and burgers too, and his store Hot Chicken Project has the best burger in Australia – according to some. Seeded bun, iceberg lettuce, cheese, special sauce and the fandango of fried chicken makes for one hell of a mouthful.
See more: The freak burgers worth travelling for
www.escape.com.au/destinations/australia/where-to-find-au…
BRITISH celebrity chef HESTON BLUMENTHAL has celebrated his 56th birthday with a modest meal in Melbourne.
The Fat Duck restaurateur joined friends at Grill’d Flinders Lane on Friday, with the venue closed for the occasion.
Blumenthal’s group feasted on a range of meat- and plant-based burgers, including the Heston “Fable” mushroom- based patty burger that the Michelin star chef created last year for the burger chain.
Among his friends were Grill’d managers JOSHUA POWELL and ROYDON HURST.
Network 10 and Endemol Shine Australia confirmed on Sunday that Blumenthal had filmed for MasterChef Australia and he’d be seen later this season.
