Once you look past all the footballers’ wives and the Gold Coast-like shine of Bay St, you might notice some worthwhile spots to kick back with a bite and brews. The former Rose Hotel is no stranger to a make over, but this one looks like it might stay around a while. Mates, Steed Sherriff (ex The Royal Saxon) and Ashley Cranston (ex Little Creatures Dining Hall), have fitted this Port Melbourne establishment with an outfit for almost any occasion. Rose Diner out front (entrance off Bay St) takes a few diner dishes and adds a more modern twist. What took our fancy though was the offerings that Little Rose lists on their menu. Open for breakfast and lunch Little Rose dishes out a selection of hit-the-spot dishes like Jaffles, waffles and milkshakes. Casually sitting down in the Sunday sun we ordered the Southside Burger that came with a Black Angus pattie, smoked bacon, cheddar, tomato, and an onion ring all on a toasted brioche bun.

“After entering Rose Diner and asking about Little Rose, we were graciously escorted through the back door and past a row of kegs to find ourselves in Little Rose. Although I think we entered the wrong way, it really added to the mystique. Arriving in one of the red little baskets that automaticly make you think, “these guys aren’t f***ing around” I bit into a really great, sweet buttery bun holding a charred beef pattie – soft, pink and juicy on the inside. The fresh tomato and crunchy pickles work really well with single onion ring and smoked bacon. I have to say I am fairly impressed with this unassuming place.”

“First fun fact: food that is served in a red plastic basket tastes better. Second fun fact: food that features an onion ring tastes better. Therefore the combo of these two factors made for a really enjoyable burger experience. There was a nice bit of crunch coming from the perfectly charred beef as well as the fresh tomato and pickle slices. Although stacked high with a really soft and fluffy bun, everything ended up squishing down into an easily managable and tasty bite.”

“What really stands out for me besides the great tasting burger is the environment in which it was served. It really made me feel like I was at my local café (where everyone one knows the way you like your coffee) looking at the world go by. The burger itself was great, with a great buttery bun, juicy pattie and some great tasting supportive condiments. The pickle was crisp, fresh and tasted tremendous when combined with the mayo dressing. Big props for the crispy onion ring and chips that had been beautifully cooked.”

“I’ve got a confession to make. What really drove me to take B,D and G to Little Rose was the waffles. If you’re opening up an eatery and want to get my attention, add burgers + waffles to your menu. The burger was unveiled in magnificent fashion, gliding out in a red basket – pretty as a picture. It was salty and sweet; mainly from a nice balance between the tomato and single onion ring. A really nice move on not going overkill by not adding too many. The beef had a slight charr to it but was soft as marshmallows on the inside. My only suggestion might have been the addition of little spice? Whether in the burger or some jalapeno poppers on the side – but thats just me being picky. I really, really rate this burger. And for 11 bucks this thing is incredible.”

When the owners of Miss Libertine realised they were growing up and the hangovers and drunken nightclub patrons were getting a bit tiresome, they decided to completely renovate the heritage listed, 1853 bluestone building and convert it into a gastro pub. Appointing Shayne McCallum as head chef to oversee the menu, they’ve created traditional Australian pub classics as well as some more adventurous dishes like rabbit pie and tuna tartare. We of course went for the burger with Sher Wagyu beef, bacon, cheese, Yarra Valley egg, a soft brioche-like bun and hand cut chips.

“I was really surprised with this place. After being informed by the waitress that this is “the best burger your going to try”, I have to say I was a little sceptical. When it arrived at the table gleaming with its sweet soft glazed bun, I knew they had put something special together! Two perfectly cooked and seasoned patties separated by some great bacon. Juicy and full of flavour, the crunchy tangy pickles added a nice bite. The oozing egg and melted cheese also gave the burger a nice creamy texture. I’m usually not a massive fan of handcut cuts but these were pretty good.”

“Everyone loves a good surprise, especially when you’re least expecting it. So the moment I saw that it had double patties (not mentioned on the menu), I was extremely elated. The bun was super soft with a nice shiny glaze (best compared to the sweet Chinese Bread Top rolls) and it really helped enhance the perfectly seasoned, juicy beef and creaminess of the cheese and egg. This burger is great, but it’s the extra details like the crispy slices of tangy pickle and the spice from some ground pepper that really made this burger stand out.”

“These double Wagyu patties were delicious! The cheese oozing out of the burger, combined with the fresh egg really got my juices going. The bacon in between the two patties was a good move as it broke-up each bite with its salty goodness. I really liked the super soft bun with its sweet glaze. The hand cut chips were great! Fluffy on the inside and nicely cooked on the out!”

“Walking up to the old Miss Libertine, I really wasnt expecting a whole lot. Walking in however, changed that for me. I suddenly forgot about all the late night discos I’d attended. I was standing in a place that looks like it had a bunch of money poured into it. Fancy as hell, almost like a Newmarket or Halfmoon kind of joint. However, I am suspicious of most burgers that use Wagyu beef these days. Purely because some places claim they use the expensive stuff just so they can lighten your wallet. But as soon as it landed in front of me I forgot all about my suspicions and went straight into Playboy photographer mode. This burger made good use of the “Three S’s”: soft, salty and sexy. The double patties with bacon sandwiched in between were genius! Every other bite I received an express delivery of beautiful charr. The egg was good but I really dont think it needed it. With the double cheese it was more than enough creaminess. I mean, it did end up falling apart. But I didnt care. I just wanted this burger to keep going and going. Stellar start to 2013!”

“It all starts here.”

Brought to you by Daragh Kan and Myles Munro, their mission statement goes something like “Mr Burger sells burgers. From a truck in Melbourne.” – pretty much self explanatory. Since attending the South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas, earlier this year, the guys saw an opportunity to bring the Food Truck revolution to the whole of Melbourne. They’ve setup a semi-permanent location at 93 Therry St, opposite the Queen Victoria Market, but your best best is to check their daily updates on facebook or twitter to find out exactly where you can get a mouthful in our beautiful city. Like their motto, they’ve kept the menu simple; with 2 burgers on offer and fries as an option for a side. We went for their signature Mr Burger which consists of local beef, American cheese, lettuce, onion, pickle, mustard, mayonnaise and tomato sauce.

“The older I get, the more I seem to be appreciating the simpler things in life. For example, the moment melted cheese hits the hot plate and solidifies, leaving a crispy ring of burnt cheese around a pattie is one of the greatest tastes ever and provides me with immense pleasure. So I was off to a good start, and apart from having to remove the thick spine of the lettuce leaves, it only got better. The bun did its job and the 3 sauces along with the cheese ensured every bite was packed full of flavour and kept the beef extremely juicy. The only way i could think of improving this burger would be by making it a double, but this is me just being greedy.”

“That’s right Melbourne it’s another food truck. And just like Melbourne’s beloved Beat Box Truck this truck is banging out burgers that will give any “place with a front door” a run for their money. Made with heaps of attitude and love for two buns and a piece of meat these gents have researched what it takes to make an epic burger. Packed with heaps of sweet juice and flavour I instantly fell in love with the beef pattie. The oozing American cheese blended with the mayo and mustard was a real killer combo. For a street burger this thing held it’s own and never became a mess, but you wouldn’t know that if you saw our boy D trying to eat this. Chips were good, but could have done without the herb seasoning.”

“Such a terrific example of an all-star American burger. The boys have done a seriously good job in bringing all they learnt from the U.S and packed it between two buns. You’ll know it as soon it’s in your hands, but this burger is so soft and invites you to smash it it as quickly as you can. All of the condiments played a stellar role in supporting the juicily pink beef pattie and it was hard to find any chinks in the burger’s armour. The great thing is that they cater for real burger fans – because sometimes you want a burger to be fresher, on the lighter side (I could’ve eaten two of these), and there are other times you want walk away with a serious meat fix. That’s why it was good to see they’ve got a Mr Meat Burger that has added bacon and all the tasty things that’ll have me back there in no time. Hats off to the lads again and with more and more Melbournians singing their praise I’m sure it won’t be long until they’re changing their name to Sir Burger.”

It feels like every other week Melbourne is blessed with another addition to the “We Should Totally Try That Place Out” list. But, sometimes you hear about a place that makes you forget the 23 other joints you wanted to eat at and gets you through the door that night. With skills in the kitchen that have previously seen the likes of Cumulus & Co, Stoke House and NYC’s Spotted Pig it’s safe to say you’ll be getting a decent feed. At the helm are North Carolinan chef Casey Wall and Kiwi Manu Potoi and they’re tantalising menu stems from everything they wanted to eat on their days off – good ol’ fashion high quality comfort food. Their Wednesday night fried-chicken dinners mean for $60 you get a whole organic Glenloth chicken that takes three days to prepare: one day it soaks in salted brine, the next in an aromatic brine, with citrus and herbs. Then it’s covered in a buttermilk batter and fried golden. This very same chicken is used in their Fried Chicken Sandwich (take note: it’s a sandwich, not a burger children). Skim read their menu and you’ll salivate at the thought of a Pressed Rib Sandwich, a Lamb Sausage Dog and, of course, the Double Smash Pattie Burger that comes with twin smashed beef patties, classic Kraft cheese, special sauce all on a seeded bun.

“I was seriously starving this night and thought to myself, ‘I could easily eat two burgers tonight’. I kept these thoughts to myself as I’m easily persuaded by peer pressure and will rarely back down from a challenge. Luckily I didn’t voice my tummy rumblings as this was an immensely rich burger and, with my side of onion rings I was left completely full. The super soft bun was coated in butter, which is seriously delicious and only enhanced the super creamy, perfectly melted Kraft slices of cheese that melted their way through every grain of the two beef patties. There was a skerrick of greenery that added the slightest crisp crunch to an overall soft and extremely juicy burger experience. An incredible, good value and worthy of taking an American friend to experience.”

“I can’t recall ever smashing a smash burger Down Under. So it was nice to get a taste of that classic the U.S pattie style in our own backyard – and it really worked. The only thing I didn’t like about the burger was the bun – I found it too buttery and sweet for my liking. The texture was very soft throughout, creamy and with the freshness of lingering spring onion?/dill? embedded amongst the Kraft and special sauce it really took the burger to another level. At first glance it may look like a light burger, but by the end of the meal you will be full. Chips were good too.”

“There aren’t many burgers out there that can sweep me off my feet and then ride away into the sunset with me. But holy cow, this was like my honeymoon all over again. This burger has EVERYTHING going for it. I’m talking about flavour, uniqueness and then ofcourse the price. For 10 dollars this is amazing. I want to be on this burger again and again and again. It was beautifully creamy, salty and oh so soft. Every bite was another step in to burger heaven. I can’t fault this burger at all. So balanced and delicious, it’s a breath of fresh air in the burger world. Did I mention I liked this burger?”

Lorne is an idyllic seaside town approximately 2 hours west of Melbourne and is a popular tourist destination along the world famous Great Ocean Rd. Throughout summer it plays host to the nearby Falls Music Festival and the Pier to Pub ocean swimming race. In 2008, Brett Graham and Robert Lowther, previously owners of Pizza Pizza, opened The Bottle of Milk to offer their take on the classic beachside burger and chips. The burgers are made from 100% premium quality beef and served within an organic La Madre bun baked fresh daily from nearby Geelong. The condiments are made either in-house or sourced locally from Martians Cafe. We grabbed a picnic table outside and ordered ourselves the Nelly that came with prime beef, tasty cheese, bacon, avocado, lettuce, tomato, onion, house mayo and relish.

“I have to say when this burger first came out I thought I was in for another lazy seaside attempt at trying to make something impressive. The bun somewhat surprised me – what at first I thought was going to be a turkish bread-esk bun turned out to be a great, soft and fresh sourdough. The pattie was juicy and well cooked, but I thought could do with a little more seasoning. A generous amount of bacon added some needed saltiness, all accompanied by tasty cheese and fresh tomato, lettuce and onion. But what stood out was the fresh, perfectly ripe avocado that gave this burger a fantastic creaminess which helped take it to the next level. ”

“I knew after about 3 minutes into this burger we were onto something pretty special, because not one of us had said a single word to anyone. This coming from a group that take talking shit to a whole new level, myself included, this was something new. The first thing I noticed was how fresh all the ingredients were; the bun was super soft but robust enough to keep it all together, the big pile of bacon atop the beef added a great level of saltiness that worked really well with the subtle, creamy, and I think most underated addition to any burger, the humble avocado. With not too many other options available in the area, being extremely fresh and great value for money I can understand why people kept recommending this burger – I couldnt think of anything better after a day of surfing.”

“With a great tasting pattie on a sourdough bun this burger delivered a real homemade rustic feel. The bacon wasn’t anything special, but did its job. Like with every burger we have, it’s the small things in a burger that can really make it pop and the avocado really took it to a different place. The tasty cheese was your run-of-the-mill stuff and the relish was a nice alternative to ketchup. Chips were good and crunchy and had a sprinkling of dried herbs that I could have done without, but overall still good.”

“Utter shock overwhelmed me as I bit in. Every single item here was fresh and my god did they make for a great burger. The beef was bold and in your face making me imagine how good the double burger option could’ve been. The bun suited the burger quite well, but it did totally disintegrate by the end of it. Probably due to the intense creamy love created by the avocado, mayo and cheese – a combo that made my day. I walked away from Bottle of Milk thinking that with the amount of tourists they get through Lorne, this place doesn’t need to be this good. It doesn’t even need to be this cheap. But that’s what makes this place so god-damn special.”

When we first got wind of Ribs & Burgers we of course did a little Google search to see what they’re all about. What we uncovered is the location of their 3 venues: Neutral Bay and Star City Casino in Sydney and, one closer to home in Northcote Plaza. Surrounded by your shopping centre regulars like a post office, supermarket and takeaways, this smart, well-established restaurant seems oddly out of place. With a crazy passion for all things meat this new eatery is dressed head to toe in its Butcher’s Best. All staff wear blue and white aprons, pickles and sauces sit upon the shelves and an open kitchen all give patrons the idea that Burgers & Ribs are all about serving up some quality chow. So when they say 100% pure beef patties they mean it: no binding agents, no salt, no flavours, just beef. Obviously specialising in burgers and ribs they also offer other selections like chicken breast and salads (but why would you bother with those?). After a few minutes trying to work out which burger to order, the chef recommended the Wagyu burger that came on a kaiser-like bun with a 225g Wagyu beef pattie topped with sliced tomato, Spanish onion, pickles, onion rings, 1000 Island and BBQ sauce.

“This burger for me went over the top and unnecessarily doubled up on nearly everything: 2 types of sauces that clashed, 2 types of onion and double the amount of bread. The beef was cooked to an ideal medium with a healthy crust of char providing plenty of flavour when tasted on its own. However, it was completely lost amongst the sweetness of the BBQ and 1,000 Island-ish sauces, the crispyness of the lettuce, onion rings and spanish onions. The bun was huge and left me feeling completely stuffed by the end of it and left me desperately needing a nap. Should I visit again I would like to try one of their more simple and traditional burgers on offer.”

“The fondest memory I have of this burger is of that awesome thick, char grilled pattie. It really set a great tone for what the rest of the burger was going to taste like. In fact, the pattie tasted like it had been grilled on the same part of the grill that the ribs were cooked on. Although you got alot of the smokey grill flavour, the 1000 Island sauce added a great freshness to it all. I do believe there was a little too much Kaiser bun here and not enough off that awesome meat. The onion rings and chips were good, and had a great amount of crunch in each bite.”

“I really thought I would love this animal. I watched as I saw other burgers and ribs coming out and they looked irresistible. But, with my first bite all I could taste was disappointment. That traditional charcoal grill flavour crust was the best part of the pattie. But, there was just so much going on. I almost think if there were a softer bun and a lot less ingredients (take out the tomato, lettuce, onion and even the onion rings) it would’ve been a great burger. Seriously, just simplify this bad boy and you’d be on a winner. I’d be back, but purely to dabble in other meaty goodness.”