Blink and you might miss it. But, what you won’t miss in this small shop is their big range of burgers on offer. With enough bench space for 7-8 people and its very friendly service, they’ll make you want to eat in rather that take away. There’s a big emphasis on sourcing local produce and freshness, every burger is made to order with a real “Ma and Pa” feel; the hardest thing is picking what burger to go for. We went for the “Star Spangled Banner” burger with a 150g char grilled organic beef pattie, double tasty cheese, pickle, lettuce, tomato sauce, American mustard and 1000 island mayo.

“I’m always a little dubious when a venue claims to be “Australia’s Greatest Burger”. Even moreso when it’s newly opened and there isn’t a single other customer in site. This burger definitely wasn’t breaking any rules, with your stock standard ingredients all in small portions, leaving only subtle hints of flavour that combined to create a very non-memorable burger. The bun was rather doughy and the beef had been cooked right through, the only saving grace was the combination of three sauces.”

“This was a nice and easy to manage burger. The pattie was a perfect thickness with the right amount of juice and beautifully covered by a healthy amount of double cheese. I always like having options of altering my burger, unfortunately it wasn’t on how my meat should be cooked, but what bun I would like to go with: multigrain or a white bun, I went for the white bun. Pickles were good and not too much lettuce. Chips were ok.”

“There were no immediate signs of terrificness when I saw the burger. But the first bite in and a whole lot of charred flavour took over. That’s about where things started and ended. Every bite that followed was rather polite and safe. The most positive thing the burger had going for it was the sauce combo: never had a I thought of mixing mustard, ketchup and thousand island. it took the edge of the mustard and gave a nice sweet zing. I get that the area is filled with international students, and a sign saying “Australia’s greatest hamburger” is probably going to spark their interest. But c’mon guy, give us a break.”

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.”

“This burger from the outside looked like any other regular burger, and when I ate each ingredient individually nothing stood out. The bacon alone was actually quite horrible – very rubbery and over cooked – however once you take a big bite out of this burger it is absolutely amazing! Everything just worked perfectly together and I can’t explain why, it just does. The chefs who obviously know what they are doing have made it look simple and easy. This was definitely unexpected from a venue filled to the brim with people with tattoos, beards, black rimmed glasses and most conversations starting with “what colour is your fixie?”. Saying all that, I would love to visit again the next time I venture to the other side of the river.”

“There’s something about re-inventing a classic that has a certain romance about it for me. Like taking a Victorian pub with its barn/church like interior and making it hospitable and comfortable to the hipsters (general public), of the Northern Suburbs and letting the beer run, run and run. Add on top an adopted American style cuisine with buffalo wings, chilli dogs and most importantly the Smoked Cheese & Bacon Burger and you have a hit. The burger itself was great: the pattie had a certain rustic element to it, the traditional bun was just that, traditional. The bacon was a bit tough to eat, but still good. The 1000 Island sauce was ok, but I still felt it needed that saltiness that a ketchup or mustard could only provide. The burger was hard to manage with all that sauce on it, but enjoyable nevertheless. Chips were a big standout, fluffy on the inside and super crunchy on the outside with great seasoning.”

“When I saw this my taste buds lept. When a burger comes out in basket you know someone that knows a thing or two about diner culture has had some input with this. I went to pick up the burger and it was piping hot. Whether because it had just been steamed or from resting on its hot bed of wicked chips, I dont know. Either way, when I got stuck into it I was instantly greeted by some delicious beefy flavours that left a nice coating of fat dancing around my mouth. The bacon was ok, but a little too tough and at one point even interrupted my meal. The smokey cheese was splendid and together with the 1000 Island sauce excelled at filling me with delight. I finished it all off by sitting back, munched on my pickle and casually punched a hipster in his bearded face.”

“This was a seriously creamy and filling burger. So much so that I have to admit I left a few chips on the plate; a rare occurrence. The creaminess came down to the amazing melted gruyere and the secret sauce that closely resembled a 1,000 Island dressing. It worked well with the crispy, thick cut bacon and the tightly packed beef pattie. If this venue was in a different location I would frequent it more often. However, I consider this part of the city the arsehole of Melbourne and I’m embarassed that it even exists. I hope that along with the new Vue De Monde it can start the much needed rejuvenation.”

“Imagine Buckingham Palace, then fill it with pictures and statues that you would find in some eccentric dandy’s art collection. But they’re all stored in his basement because even he said, “No, even these are too tacky for me”. Then throw in a bar and a kitchen. That is The Bottom End and I LOVED IT. It just takes the piss out of everything and it’s the kind of place you would never expect to find any conservative accountant/lawyer/dental hygienist on a Friday night drinking beer and smashing a burger. So it already qualifies as my favourite place on earth at this point. The burger: the pattie was of average thickness but was juicy. The pickle did taste a bit old and smelt weird. The brioche bun was huge – lots and lots of brioche to fill up on. Greens were nicely prepared and the chips were good. But what really stole the show was the complimentary Mac n’ Cheese balls that came with the burger. That alone is worth a revisit.”

“We rocked up on a Sunday to find out that Mac n’ Cheese balls came complimentary with your meal. Bit of a bonus? No burger-fans, its a frkn HUGE Bonus! Cheese, Bacon and Macaroni have never reminded me more of crack cocaine. Soon after snorting the entrée our burgers were set before us. They were stacked high and were dripping wet with sauce and juices. At my first bite my brain and tastebuds were quick to acknowledge the bacon; there was lots of it and it was outstanding. The beef was pink, soft and held together well. It didn’t need to have too much seasoning on it as all of the other party guests between the buns had enough presence to make up for it. I hardly noticed the cheese, tomato or lettuce. But I couldn’t help but notice the pickles that once tasted on their own, tasted as if they’d been pickled inside a sardine can. There was something fishy going on there (drum roll + cymbal). Crazy food coma after this one so prepare yourselves. Overall, this place is mental and serves awesomeness on “blue or white plates with napkins”.”

The Meat & Wine Co. – Freshwater Pl, 3 Queenbridge St, Southbank,
Victoria, Australia

Boasting 14 restaurants around the world and located near the foot of Melbourne’s tallest building (Eureka Tower), Meat & Wine Co promises big things. This multi-level, contemporary take on a steak-house attracts many families and couples looking to satisfy their inner carnivore. Our burger came on a seeded bun, with a 200g Angus beef pattie, baby cos lettuce, tomato, Spanish onion, Bbq and 1000 Island sauces, and a helping of chips and onion rings.

“I can confidently say I was expecting more from a place with such a reputation. I found that it really lacked any unique flavours that would make me order seconds. It just seemed a little too “production line”. I was most unimpressed with the bun. It looked like a precut supermarket special. Although with some prompting, they will cook your pattie to your desired temperature. We asked for medium-rare.”

“This burger reminded me of something you might find at an Applebees or Bubba Gump in the States. The beef was dry, the bun was dry and I couldn’t taste either of the two sauces. If I go again I’ll have it with cheese. The onion rings were great though. I’d say its the type of place bogans go to for a fancy night in the city.”

“By looking at the glazed ribs served on the table next to us I was expecting something a little bit better than what we got. The sauce in the burger reminded me of what you would often get in a Whopper. The bun was nothing special, the pattie was dry and unevenly cooked. Overall lets just say I preferred the chips.”

“You won’t leave Meat & Wine Co hungry. Maybe a little disappointed with your Classic Burger, but not hungry. For a small price, they do have a large selection of sauces that you can add to your burger, including Vodka & Blue Cheese, which we ordered on the side. I say go crazy: add sauce, add cheese, the works… because this burger needs all the help it can get.”