For decades Chapel St has been the place to see and be seen. These days its little brother, Greville St, seems to be the go-to place for all things boutique and chic; same goes for eateries like St Edmonds. Like a lot of great Melbourne venues, St Edmonds feels like a place made for Locals Only, even though it’s popularity has far surpassed the Pug walking Prahran natives. You’ll find that the venue has the soul of a garage, but they’ve got good food and coffee at the heart. We know they’ve been going strong since 2011, but we finally made our way down to try their Wagyu burger that came with a brioche bun, a Wagyu pattie, pickle, bacon, tomato relish, tasty cheese and lettuce.

“Not one to encourage overly processed patties with anything more than salt and pepper for seasoning, but the thick layer of crust on this patty had same seriously delicious flavour to it from what appeared to be garlic, oregano and speckles of chilli that gave it a bit of a kick. Add to this, a super crispy and salty piece of bacon, creamy melted cheese and a sweet chutney had all the contrasting flavours marrying together really well. All this sandwiched between a glistening brioche bun while throwing a few chips underneath to absorb any of the dripping juices meant I was left very content.”

“I’ve eaten breakfast here before and was turned on by their bacon. This was why I was excited to come back for a burger. It was pretty solid. The pattie had a nice charr and the bacon tasted like it’d been cooked over a camp fire. What let the burger down for me was the chutney: there was way too much chutney. I’d rather have not enough sauce and add my own then to have a burger have a lot of its meaty flavours drowned in sweet preserved vegetables. It had so much going for it but there was no need to go so fancy.”

‘Le Bon Ton’ derives its name from a common toast heard in the local roadside bars, oyster houses, crab shacks and BBQ joints of the Louisiana countryside. Inside the former Glasshouse Hotel you’ll find plenty of exposed brick, ornate ceilings adorned with chandeliers and some very heavy timber tables. As you’d expect from a Southern cocktail menu it features traditional ingredients like sweat tea, peaches, fresh mint and a range of Absinthe. The kitchen, headed up by two American brothers gets serious with dishes and cooking techniques drawn from multiple regions of the American South like oysters, pit smoked meats, crab cakes, fried chicken, burgers and pies for dessert. We ordered the Grilled Wagyu Cheeseburger that came with a 150g Wagyu patty, crispy bacon, lettuce, tomato, onion, ketchup and mayo.

“The crispy piece of bacon popping out the glistening bun like a turtles head was the first thing that caught my eye. Then and there I could already tell it was going to be great. The beef patty, although nicely charred, was super soft and crumbly and paired really well with the creamy cheese. The bun had been lightly toasted on one side, giving it enough of a barrier to not be completely dissolved by the juices. The only crunchy texture came from the bacon and lettuce, and to top it all off my favourite sauce combo of ketchup and mayo made for a memorable burger.”

“It’s one of those burgers that keeps you coming back for more. Simple in flavour and presentation this burger ticked all my boxes. The beautifully delicate patty was sweet and smokey that was perfectly balanced by condiments. The sweet bun held the right amount of moisture from the patty and sauce and was easy to handle. To top things off the fries were awesome! On a side note the menu was full of some southern gems like brisket and American style pies. Definitely going back!”

“What a burger! Just like all the exceptional burgers I’ve had before this, the patty was the highlight. It was fatty, soft and salty. Their smokey (a touch spicy) sauce was divine. A delightful brioche bun topped off one of my new favourites in town.”

BBB is a rough and rustic burger joint, done in typical eclectic Brunswick style. It has a chilled out vibe with an anything goes fit out; all sorts of doors hanging on the walls and you’ll be hard pressed to find a matching table and chair set. Claiming to do things a little differently and positioning themselves as a bit of an anti-establishment take-away joint, they place a huge importance on sourcing local ingredients and believe in big servings that don’t break the bank. This of course, is all served in a casual and friendly way that aims to puts a smile on your face. On a cool Sunday evening we decided to order The Big Buzz burger that came on a home made sourdough bun with a 150gram beef patty (menu says it’s a double but ours came out with a single patty for some reason), tasty cheese, bacon, eggs, beetroot, lettuce and tomato.

“If you’re after your typical Fish’n’Chip shop style burger with a bigger and better patty, this burger is for you. Instead of being wrapped inside a brown paper bag, it was presented tall with a skewer through the middle. However aside from that, everything else was fairly stock-standard. The thick beef patty was cooked well and as with most things, if it’s covered in egg and bacon, it’s going to taste pretty good. Nothing unexpected and will definitely leave you full but with a slightly heftier price tag than similar options in the area.”

“This is Brunswick’s way of doing Grill’d; well, that’s the way I see it. The difference being, Burger Buzz does it in a way Sydney Road locals could be proud to eat in and feel they’re supporting a local hero. The burger itself was basic and ticked all the boxes in my book. This burger felt like a fish & chip burger that was done right with delicious bacon, a thick patty and a well made sourdough bun. Overall I thought the burger was tasty and juicy, but it wouldn’t be a burger I’d travel more than a suburb for. Chips were good and with a free Mountain Goat beer on offer for every burger bought its a damn good deal.”

“There was such a mash of flavours it was hard to know where the bacon started and beetroot ended. It was big and juicy, a touch salty but there was no real character. It’d be hard to pick out of a blind taste test, not that it was awful, but even McDonald’s has a signature flavour or two. The best thing this place has going for it is its meal deals. A free beer with your burger is always going to keep the place full of fashionable flannel.”

For us here at The Burger Adventure, the year 2013 was filled to the brim with a tonne of tantalising new burger joints. So before we could dive into sorting out our top 10 for the year, we needed to revisit the 2012′s most awesome burgers for a little quality control. While there were some surprises, both good and bad, for the greater good and for the burger loving public, it had to be done.

“It felt like we copped a burger from the end of the production line as it was more like ‘sauce with a side of burger’: absolutely drowning in sauce and soggy.”

“This time round the burger was presented a tad taller with a little less greenery.”

“From food truck to multiple locations around Melbourne, we knew these guys would go a long way. Very similar burger as before with the exception of a whole lot more mayo being added to the mix. ”

“A new bun, a pickled onion on top and fries come separately now. Plus, they spell their ‘Diner Burger’ with only one R now.”

“Stacked a little higher these days with a sweeter brioche bun (that completely dissolved by the end). Still real good value though.”

“This burger hasn’t changed one bit, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“It’s got the exact same ingredients and flavours, however the burger has increased in size and is actually a challenge to finish.”

“This would have to be one of the most difficult burgers to get right every time, yet they always manage to. There’s also now chips instead of onion rings as the side.”

“Even as the years roll by the Raph Burger is still consistently awesome. It’s got that signature creamy flavour that keeps Melbourne coming back for more.”

“As big, as ugly, as messy and as delicious as we remember: exactly as it should be.”

Up until a few years ago the Lounge was synonymous as one of Melbourne’s main university hangouts. With a 10min walk from RMIT University, pool table, pub grub and a balcony right over Swanston Street it’s easy to understand how the conditions were right for students to graze. Earlier this year Lounge received a much needed refurbishment and established Gloria Swanston’s Kitchen with a menu possessing some of the most mouth watering American style comfort food going around in Melbourne. As part of the relaunch of Gloria Swanston’s kitchen and as an aid to bring in new clientele they now offer one of it’s marquee meals, the Kick Ass burger, every Tuesday for $8 (normally $16). After hiking up the stairs, picking one of the few well lit corners to sit in, we ordered the Kick Ass beef burger that came with 200grams of ground beef, lettuce, tomato, pickles, onions, bacon, double cheese served and with crinkle cut fries.

“One of my favourite parts of travelling is treating myself to a Bacon Deluxe from Hungry Jacks at the airport – regardless of the time. So, when I bit into this burger it brought up wonderful connotations from many previous holidays. Unlike the Bacon Deluxe they use a single, large, course and beefy patty that has a nice layer of char on the outside and a fairly pink and crumbly in the centre. Then there’s plenty of creaminess from the double cheese, saltiness of the bacon, tang from the sauce between the sweet bun, resulting in every bite being packed full of flavour.”

“Thinking back from my days of university when I saw we were going up to the Lounge, I was expecting a hipster hell – instead I found a very casual, relaxed environment with minimal hipsters in sight. The beef pattie had some smoky flavoured undertones that combined well with the creaminess of the the double cheese and mayo. With the great addition of some of the saltiest bacon I have had in a while the burger went up a level in my book. The brioche bun was of decent quality and didn’t disappoint, neither did the crinkle cut fries. I’ll definitely be back.”

“To say I was mildly excited to see all that cheese melting was an understatement. I bit in and immediately had a Samuel L Jackson moment: this was a tasty burger. It was charred on the outside and soft on the in. There was plenty of salt on the pattie but it was balanced out brilliantly by the cheese and creamy sweetness of the ketchup mayo mix. My favourite thing with this burger was that it embraced tradition and didn’t fall into a gourmet trap. This is fast-food done slow, done awesome.”

When the burger wave hit Barcelona, it hit pretty hard. In a large way, one Australian is at fault. In 2006, Brad Ainsworth, a Brisbane-born, Rockpool-trained chef opened Wushu: Wok restaurant and Noodle Bar. It was so successful that people couldn’t even get a table. This is normally a good thing for a venue, but in order to appease the crowds Ainsworth decided to move his Thai restaurant to a bigger venue. During the move and whilst trying to sell the former Wushu shop, Ainsworth decided that he didn’t want space to go to waste, so he opened up a temporary burger joint with hope to attract new buyers. Sure enough, in no time at all there were queues forming around the block. The bastard love-child, Bacoa, was such a hit that he closed down the new Wushu and opened up Kiosko, sister venue to Bacoa, where burgers reigned supreme. Little Bacoa as it is now called (to differentiate it from their 2nd venue Bacoa Universitat) is located right next to the Santa Caterina Market, so produce is always super fresh. Their menu consists of different hamburger options from a traditional option to a Japanese burger that uses a teriyaki sauce. I went for their signature Bacoa burger that came with two 150g beef patties, bacon, Manchego cheese, caramelized onions, tomato, lettuce and special house sauce.

“Initially I thought of heading to the sister venue Kiosko. But, my homie in Barca steered me away saying, “That’s where the tourists go. Bocoa is for real locals.” In other words, long live the original king. I sat down at the large communal table elbow to elbow with burger loving Catalans and was presented with quite a monster of a burger. It looked super sexy but probably about 5 bites in it all started to fall apart. The all-ingredient packed bites I did manage to get in were highlighted by the tightly packed, fat-coated beef pattie and the salty Manchego. The bacon, caramelised onions, tomato and lettuce all blended with another, which in this case was quite a good thing – they let the heroes lead the way. I got a nice zing from the pickles every now and then but they weren’t overwhelming in the slightest. If you’re going here for lunch I would be wary of the epic sleepiness this brings on… or should I say “siesta-ness”.”

When you’ve been out all night and drank one too many Moritzs, the last thing you’re going to want is many tiny Spanish plates. Thanks to the festive Catalan and tourists-alike, a late night burger joint is always going to flourish. Pim Pam (English translation: “Pim Pam”) has been overwhelmed with customers ever since opening their doors in 2006. In fact, their parent restaurant, Pim Pam Plats, who were known for serving deli style eats as well as their trademark hamburger, had to create a dedicated burger restaurant to cope with the demand. Calling themselves the benchmark of Barcelona, the guys pride themselves on their version of slow-cooked fast food, calling it Fast Good, using only the freshest ingredients from local markets. They offer a range of burger options that either come with a beef and pork, veal, chicken or veggie pattie. I decided to try their Pim Pam Completa burger that came on a traditional burger bun with a 150g beef and pork pattie (you can upgrade to 200g if the mood should strike you), lettuce, tomato, onion, gherkin, cheese, egg, bacon and special sauce.

“I was gladly led here by my brother from another mother because I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have found it on my own. After a bit of a walk through the narrow Barcelona streets and stepping into the cramped little shop I was ready to engulf a big, bad hamburger. Every bite reminded me of Mother Z’s hamburger patties: rather course, rissoley mince and with chopped onion and parsley throughout. The pork and beef combo didn’t really do it for me, but I knew it’d be fattier and more flavoursome than the veal patties that these guys offer (supposedly this is very common in Spain.) It was a bit of an ordeal to get the whole thing down as it had plenty of slide; I’m pretty sure the litre of sauce I saw the guy behind the counter applying was the culprit. I did enjoy it but it wasn’t amazing. If I’m ever back I think I’d like to try the other burgers here. There’s one with three cheeses on it that sounds like a perfect way to kick-start a siesta.”