Formerly owned by Essendon FC captain and current coach James Hird, Red Mullet is a great alternative if your wanting to sit down and enjoy your classic fish’n'chip meal with a glass of red. As expected Red Mullet offers a large range of seafood, but they even go as far as tackling the less traditional fish’n'chip shop meals like paella and a variety of curries. You’ll also be able to purchase pre-marinated fish that those wanabe Masterchef’s can take home and cook for themselves. When it comes to hamburgers there are a bunch to choose from, with two fish, a veggie and of course the classic Lot Burger. We went in with an appetite and chose the Lot Burger consisting of a beef pattie, egg, cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato and onion.

“I’ve got to say this is a really appealing burger to look at – all stacked neatly with just enough of a view of each ingredient poking out. For me, the standout for this burger though was the bun. It was really dense, tasty and kept everything together. The beef was a good size and had been cooked well. And, with the egg, bacon and cheese on top, it could do no wrong.”

“I’ve got this belief in life that when you go to a specialty seafood restaurant/Fish’ n’ Chippery, and request a burger, your chances of a good burger are automatically reduced to 50/50. So how was this experience (or adventure)? Well, I would say pleasant. The pattie was nothing special, but was cooked well and did taste OK. The bun reminded me of memory foam. I say that because you would find your finger indentation staying there once pressed into the bun, no bounce back at all! I found that the burger did need some sauce, but overall it was a good filling meal and the chips were ok too. Next time I would try the calamari.”

“This burger was neither here nor there. I really didn’t think much of it. The bun was nice and so were most of the condiments. But really it was a forgettable meal. For a burger packed with a whole lot of ingredients it really was “meh”. But at the same time, it didn’t exactly kick me in the nuts. ”

The Tramway Hotel has been on our radar for some time now – even before The Age named it as one of their favourite burgers Victoria has to offer for 2012. But as some of you may know, we don’t always see eye to eye on what The Age considers almighty hamburger greatness. So off to a cosy corner of North Fitzroy we went. The Tramway offers pretty much everything you’d want from your local pub: friendly staff, comfy interior, good choice of beers and an eclectic (but not over the top) dining menu. Perusing the menu you’ll notice a decent portion is taken up by their “Fresh Burger Bar” consisting of 6 different “burger” options catering to both vegetarians and humans. We decided upon their signature Tramway Burger that sits on a Le Madre Bakery Ciabatta burger bun with a Char-grilled ground beef pattie topped with bacon, Swiss cheese, BBQ sauce, tomato relish, aioli, Spanish onion, tomato, and cos lettuce. Our burger also came with chunky hand cut chips with rosemary and bay salt, cooked in cholesterol free cottonseed oil.

“I’m not really sure how to describe the difference between a juicy burger and a wet burger. But, all I know is this burger was wet. The beef pattie confused the hell out of me – it was seasoned well with herbs, was well cooked through but had no char on it at all and for some reason the cheese didn’t stick to the pattie, instead latching on to the piece of bacon. The bun was great and did its job of containing all the moisture of the burger right through to the end. The home style chips were really good and the venue has a pretty chilled atmosphere.”

“This has been a long time coming for me. There has been a lot of buzz about this burger amongst friends, family and of course, our audience. Now it was my turn to finally decide. It had a generous, thick, great single herb tasting beef pattie, and the Swiss cheese melted nicely combining well with the aioli. Even though I’m not an avid fan of aioli in burgers, I do have to say this aioli was light, non-greasy and had a delicateness about it. Although the bun was tasty, I didn’t think it suited a burger… more of a breakfast roll. The chips were beautifully fluffy on the inside and had a rustic crunch on the out.”

“At first I thought, “Oh here we go, its the fancy bun hour”. Usually when I get into that frame of mind it’s when people try a little too hard with their hamburger and stray from the fact that the meat should be the hero. Saying that though, even with so many ingredients in there, this burger still remained ridiculously balanced. With every mouthful it was hard to determine where the bun started and pattie ended. But maybe a little too balanced – like I said, the meat should still be the standout hero. For 16 bucks with gourmet chips, it wasn’t bad. I think this rather herbie burger is way over hyped though, but I can see how it floats some people’s boats. What I mean is, imagine if Grill’d opened a pub: this would be their signature burger.”

Make your way down Lygon St, way past anyone trying to throw spaghetti down your throat (no guarantees though, there are plenty of kooks around this neck of the woods), and you’ll find yourself in an eclectic pocket of Brunswick East. Now, you’d never really consider that end of town to be a culinary paradise, but with all the new-age retro-chic kids running free around these parts, there are more and more worthwhile eateries popping up. B.east is the latest venue to open its doors to “said kids” with open arms, offering a multitude of burgers, beers and bands to leave the locals more than satisfied. Run by the same guys who brought you the Section 8 Container Bar, B.east is aiming to stand out by excelling in the art of burgers. What they want to do says venue manager Guy Daley, is “to make simple, awesome burgers in-house…” and “to do one thing but do it really well”. Thats why you’ll notice that the most part of the menu is taken up by their in-house made burgers (even though the pork shoulder sandwich sounds unbelievable). Whether you order a burger or an icecream sundae, you’ll most likely be hiding from Melbourne’s bitch-ass weather and sitting in a low-lit open space, with street art adorning the walls and plenty of chilli sauces only an arms length away to fry your face off. In keeping with the Burger Adventure spirit we strolled up to the bar and ordered a Sexy B.east Burger that came on brioche bun with 2 beef patties (brisket, rump & chuck mix made on site), oozing double cheese, onion, lettuce, tomato and a jalapeno spiced mayonnaise. We coupled this with a serve of B.east Triple Cooked Chips with chilli sauce and cheese for and added $9.

“This burger came out looking all neat and pretty, however, the fun really started when I attempted my first bite and it all turned into a giant, juicy and delicious mess. The beef wasn’t seasoned too much but it still had a lot of those beefy flavours working for it. Due to the coarseness of the mince, it all sort of crumbled into bite size chunks adding to the mess. I couldn’t really taste any overpowering spice in the jalapeno mayo, possibly because there was so much cheese to drown it out. There must of been some secret laneway/warehouse/fixie/instagram/sitting in a park/drinking cider party happening that the locals were at that night, because this place was pretty much empty.”

“A great double pattie burger experience! The name “Sexy B.east” really suits this burger down to a T. The burger contained high-quality meat – cooked perfectly and full of awesome beefy juices. I was happy to see that they didn’t hold back on the cheese, because to say there was a generous amount is an understatement. With all the hot sauces around I figured this burger might give a bit of a kick, but the jalapeno mayo is pretty mild, fit enough for the biggest of spice wimps. We combined the burger with chilli chips swimming in cheese – ohhh yeah that was a good choice.”

“There’s been a bit of chit-chat around town lately about a sudden epidemic of burger joints opening up left right and centre. Its pretty easy to say its all a trend and its just the cool thing to do… But if it IS just the cool thing to do, then B.east might as well have the Fonz as their Head Chef. These guys delivered such an unexpectedly awesome burger, it left me a little embarrassed for doubting these rookies in the first place. It’s not often that you can get a regular burger right, let alone a double pattie burger. Usually most of them are overkill on flavour or size, but this was on the money. The patties were left simple and beefy and let the rest of the ingredients bring the salt, creaminess and spice to the table. Ready for some controversy? If you asked me now where I’d go for a burger and beer on that side of town, you’d see me driving right past Hux and straight into the jaws of the B.east. ”

Jazz City Diner – 238 Crown St, Surry Hills,
New South Wales, Australia

Jazz City Diner is conveniently located on a hill (so you can walk off everything you consume) and is the perfect getaway from the nearby madness that is Oxford St. The small 24 seat diner draws inspiration from the typical 1930′s American diner, with everything from neon signage, art deco influences and some all-star, friendly service. Chef/Owner Dan McGuirt has put together a menu that is destined for success; inciting your tastebuds to riot with the very mention of dishes like Chicken & Waffles, Kansas City Style BBQ Pork Ribs, Banana Cream Pie with Caramel Drizzle and of course, there are the 9 burger options to choose from. We felt it was most appropriate to keep it nice and simple, ordering the Cheeseburger that comes with a traditional sesame seed burger bun, a square beef pattie, onion, tomato, mayo, pickle relish and lettuce. This accompanied by a stack of sweet potato Fries (inc. in the cost) and a peanut butter milkshake, and you’re in business.

“A very humble cheeseburger with old fashioned roots. We got a chance to ask Dan why the burgers had square patties and he told us he grew up eating Wendy’s and White Castle burgers and he wanted to bring that nostalgia from back home to Sydney for all of his customers to experience. Mission achieved Dan – and, with a far better quality than you would ever get from Wendy’s or White Castle. Sitting under Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis and other Jazz posters that hang on the walls, you can’t help but feel at one with that certain romance the diner delivers through its service and meals. The pattie was a nice, flat, square ol’ style pattie with all the flavour you would expect from a diner burger (in other words no fancy-shmancy exotic spices or herbs). The mayo, red onion, pickle and cheese were all good. The sweet potato fries – although not my thing – were good and I do recommend them.”

“I’m sceptical of almost everything “Aussie-Americana” these days, so Jazz City Diner was no different. This was probably due to all the average meals we’ve had at a few other so-called American Diners claiming to be the bees knees. But, I’d heard decent stuff so I really had to make up my own mind. Hearing a friendly American accent from the kitchen was a pretty good sign of authenticity. But then, I bit in to my Cheeseburger and duuuuude this was the real deal. The flavours were so humble and subtle. Dan’s square signature pattie had just the right amount of fat in it leaving an awesome amount of greasiness to echo around my mouth with every bite. This was a real heartwarming experience with nice personal touches here and there, like the simple addition of pepper on the tomatoes – gorgeous. Well done Dan and crew, Jazz City Diner has it going on.”

Stepping through Bess’ front doors is like being teleported straight into the heart of Paris. With a classic black and white chequerboard floor, cane seats and, mood lighting that’d make Julia Gillard look like Miranda Kerr, it’ll take a friendly “Hello” to bring you back to Melbourne. Owners Katie Krauss-Mitchell and Brendon Mitchell (formerly of Prahran Gastropub Hotel Max), have breathed new life into this Victorian without killing any of its century old romance. Their French/Belgian/European inspired menu draws from the pages of their own experience living and traveling abroad, offering dishes such as duck breast, spaghetti marinara, suckling pig and jamon croquettes. We of course ordered the Bess burger that came included a brioche bun, a 100% Cape Grim beef pattie, cheese, gherkin, iceberg lettuce, bacon & a side of fries.

“I like this place, I like this burger – I honestly can’t fault it one bit. The burger came out perfectly presented with the fries served in an unpretentious brown paper bag. There was a nice chunky piece of beef, cooked perfectly containing a tonne of juice and flavour. It had a really sharp slice of cheese over the top (which overpowered the ham but who cares), and a nice slice of pickle underneath it resulting in plenty of taste until the last bite. Bess is a really nice restaurant with really nice, well informed wait staff and, has a delightful ambience. This is why I was surprised at how quiet it was – but it is footy season and I guess there was a game on down the road at the MCG. If I ever asked out a girl from north of the river (and she agreed to be seen in public with me), I would definitely take her here.”

“The Cape Grim beef pattie stole the show in my book. It was beautifully cooked, with a very delicate texture and a nice hint of smokiness. The menu states the burger comes with bacon, but for some reason we received our burgers with thin ham slices. The ham was OK, but I really would like to have experienced the saltiness of the bacon in the burger. I think it would have worked, but to be honest I really didn’t miss it. The gherkins delivered that fresh crunchiness to the burger that I so love. And, I don’t often say this, but I really liked the prep the kitchen did with the Iceberg Lettuce – taking something that is bland and cutting it delicately and mixing it in with the mayo, proving that Iceberg lettuce can be good in a burger (especially when fresh). Fries were good, loved the extra touch they add in serving it in a branded paper bag.”

“This burger came out looking sexy. So sexy in fact that I had it unhooked, unzipped and with its skirt on the floor. By “skirt” I mean the cute paper bag that the chips came housed in. Nice effect, but those babies needed to be free to absorb all of my (burger’s) juices. Now when I say that this thick Tasmanian pattie was cooked to perfection, I really want to stress that word: perfection. Two of my favourite things in the world are pink: one is the centre of a gloriously cooked pattie, the other is my favourite kind of midnight snack. The bun was sweet, tended to tear apart a bit, but still did a good job of keeping everything together. Something else that made me smile was the integration of the shredded lettuce and shredded gherkin. You didn’t know where one began and the other ended, forming like Voltron to become one ingredient. My only “wtf” was the use of a basic ham instead of the anticipated bacon. Did they run out of bacon? Do they not serve bacon on Sundays? Who knows? All I know is that if the Bess Burger was this enjoyable without it, then with it… Wow!”

In 1972 a Greek immigrant known as Uncle Steve, arrived in Melbourne. Several years later, with his wife Poly at his side, he opened up his first fish’n'chip shop on Fitzroy St, St Kilda. Fast forward a few decades and Uncle Steve and his disciples have landed in the buzzing multi-cultural strip that has slowly evolved in Glen Waverley. Hook, Line & Sinker, we assume is in stark contrast to the original shop, with a modern take on the take away experience featuring exposed brick, plasma TVs, communal and al-fresco tables, beer on tap and healthier options on offer, as well as your stand fish’n'chip shop grub. We opted for the burger with the lot featuring beef, lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese, bacon & egg.

“On paper I should not have liked this burger. It had a flour covered bun and the thin beef patty was burnt to a crisp however, I kind of enjoyed it. Although it was a thin piece of beef that had spent too long on the plate, it had a really nice charred flavour to it and didn’t go too rubbery. The other ingredients were exactly stock standard what you would expect but, for what you pay, its not bad value. An interesting layout and venue, and hey, I think a bar in every fish’n'chip shop is the way to go.”

“This place was a bit confusing. It felt and looked like a Fish’n’Chip shop, but had a pub-like menu to it. Throw in the fact that they had Carlton Draught on tap and I was going to give this place a fantastic rating, purely that it was something different. As always whenever I get too ahead of my self, Jah throws you a life lesson. In this instance it was the burger. The pattie didn’t have much seasoning, the bacon was OK, I couldn’t taste the onion in it and the whole thing needed sauce. When you narrow down it basically comes down to two factors that really make a burger: a burger will usually either be sweet or salty, sometimes it can be both. Unfortunately this burger played Switzerland and just annoyed the shit out of me. It was a shame because I really wanted to like it. The chips were average.”

“It was one of those nights where you step outside and swear; damn it was cold. So to my delight, with an excellent spot under the split-system blowing warm air, the footy playing right in front of us and a burger on its way, it was almost a perfect start to the night. The burger was placed before us and yes, I was a little excited – I mean it looked the business. But biting in left me unsatisfied, like some sort of wooden legged street worker named Darlene who’s just doing it to pay for acting lessons. The cheese wasn’t melted, the pattie was just a bit of salt and charr and the onions weren’t juicy like I had hoped they’d be. Yes, there was the odd bite or two I where experienced squirts of flavour and joy, but overall it didn’t take me anywhere near climax.”

Located on a suburban street that looks like it’s stuck in the 70’s, Burger Boss is one of the few modern shops that is injecting some new life into the area. Having only recently opened their doors, Burger Boss is a place where for $4.40 (YES only $4.40!), you can get a Cheese Burger with all the necessary trimmings. They also pump out 6 types of burgers along with a BLT and a Sloppy Joe. With limited seating for eating-in, this place is more of a “call-in and pick up your order” joint. But, for those slightly less motivated individuals who really don’t want to battle the elements for picking up dinner, you’ll be glad to hear that Burger Boss also does home deliveries. The staff are laid back, friendly and every burger is made to order, allowing your mind to wonder and dream of beef, bacon and burger goodness whilst you wait. We went for the Big Boss that came on a simple hamburger bun with one 100% beef pattie, bacon, egg, cheddar cheese, grilled onions, lettuce, fresh tomato, pickles, American mustard and tomato sauce.

“I love egg on a burger, I love mustard on a burger and, I’ve grown to love pickle on my burger. However, I dont think I’ve had all 3 on a burger before, and the reason why is: it doesn’t work. The egg adds a really creamy and soft texture which, is in stark contrast to the sharp bite of the pickle and mustard that all combined make for a strange taste. The beef was chopped, packed really fine and was cooked a little too long making it quite tough and chewy. On a really positive note, they served up possibly the best onion rings I’ve ever had and I would possibly consider coming back just for them.”

“This burger could of been a contender, I mean it! When the thing you specialise in is primarily burgers, you should have that knock-out factor. The burger had everything I love in burgers – pickles, mustard, bacon, onion and, oddly enough it was a forgettable burger. The pattie was OK, with an alright amount of seasoning, but probably lacked some vital fat flavours to really give it any edge. The bun was the most disappointing part to it; it tasted and felt ordinary (like a supermarket bun) leaving me shattered. This burger really has potential, and I only suspect maybe because it’s still early days the lovely gents at Burger Boss will nail this burger in the time to come. The fries were good and with the extra Boss Sauce for dipping, got even better.”

“In a nutshell, the burger reeked of blandness. It brought many promises to the table but really didn’t deliver any of them. It’s sad for me to say, but the most dominant taste was carbon. The bacon was slightly over done and the bun was left on the grill for too long. They have this stuff called Boss Sauce (I paid extra for it to dip into my chips), and in my opinion it should come standard in their signature, “Boss Burger”. It would at least give them a point of difference and create an iconic flavour for their shop (refer to Grill’d Herb Mayonnaise and all the maniacs in love with it if you doubt me). I did thieve an onion ring or two from D and yes, they were damn good. Because they’ve only recently opened we should cut them some slack, but at least from now the only way is up baby.”