Dr Morse – 274 Johnston St, Abbotsford, Victoria, Australia

“Just a ripping, well executed burger with all the important elements spot on. The beef patty was on the thicker side with a great amount of char and flavour burnt onto each side, yet the inside remaining pink and juicy. The cheese completely enveloped the patty with parts hitting the hot plate and leaving a delicious crust, which, combined with the sharpness of the mustard really married together well. Texture wise it was perfect, with a little crunch coming from the lettuce under the soft brioche bun.”

“It was a good looking burger. It was simple, small and didn’t try too hard. It did end up letting me down just a smidge though. For $13 I really expected some chips on the side. The beef was quality but could’ve done with a pinch more salt. The lettuce and tomato did nothing for it. They mainly just created more slide then necessary. The burger has real potential, especially if it were to be simplified even more. Just beef, cheese, mustard and pickles, and it would be great!”

Located right next to the iconic South Melbourne Market, Big Huey’s Diner has been pumping out burgers since opening in January 2014. The diner is the name sake of celebrity chef and fellow burger lover Iain Hewitson. Here at Burger Adventure we have been big advocates of Huey’s burgers dating back to his days at Barney Allen’s. The venue has a proper diner feel with booths, record duke box and Americana memorabilia. There’s a clear view of the magic occurring in the kitchen so you’ll be salivating in no time as the smells of beef and caramelised onion waft over to your table. We ordered The Big Huey: it came with two beef patties, Dijon mustard, housemade beetroot relish, crisp lettuce, sautéed red onion, grilled cheese, bacon and Judith’s tomato chutney all on Turkish bread roll.

“I had been eagerly awaiting visiting here for a couple of reasons, firstly, I’ve always been a big fan of Huey’s burger at Barney Allens and secondly I was expecting his take on the classic American diner. What was ultimately presented to us was about the exact opposite of what I was expecting. After initial disbelief I got around to cutting it in half in order to make it manageable. The Turkish bun was of the softer greasier variety and surprisingly held up fairly well, overall it was a very sweet burger coming from the beetroot, caramelised onions and tomato chutney that ended up superseding any of the traditional burger ingredients. Respect must be given to Huey for working the kitchen the busy Sunday afternoon we attended, and not simply putting his name on the door and resting on his laurels.”

“I believe Huey is out to challenge today’s double pattie burger with his modern day take. Having tried his burger in the Barney Allen days this burger is a departure from traditional. Maybe I’m just not ready to try new interpretations of what I consider as a real burger? I found the Turkish bread spongy and sloppy, the pattie wasn’t as tasty as I hoped it to be and what bunched my shorts the most was stacking the two patties side-by-side like a 6ft sub sandwich and not as God intended. Sorry guys, but it should be called a sandwich.”

“The burger was odd. I cant even be sure that I can call this a burger. More of a sub. I guess thats why this is an Adventure. I cut it in half, as did the others, to get two small sandwiches. Rather than an American diner inspired burger, it was like you were running late for a bbq and the host asked you to do one thing: bring some hamburger buns. Pity the bakeries are all closed and the supermarket has run out. Then the guy stacking the shelf suggests these turkish bread things. You panic because you’re late and just go with them. The desserts all looks pretty good, but because the burger was so sweet, I felt like I’d already had it. However memorable, it was just an OK burger/sub experience for me.”

Some of the finest chefs and restauranteurs call Melbourne’s CBD home. Their restaurants are usually choc-full, booked out and most of the time break the bank. Panned Pizza is not one of these type of venues. Unless of course it’s a Saturday night and the party bus has pulled up around the corner. But, Panned Pizza isn’t trying to be anything fancy. They’re mission is to feed the hungry drunk people that stumble in the early hours of the morning with some American-style comfort food. We were enticed by the fact that these guys serve up the Minneapolis icon that is the Juicy Lucy – a burger that comes with a patty stuffed with cheese. This is the first of its kind we’ve ever encountered in Melbourne so we were excited to say the least. So there we sat: four dudes in a brightly lit Pizza parlour waiting on some Juicy Lucys. They came out on a brioche bun with a massive 220g wagyu beef patty filled with double Monterey Jack cheese in the centre, crispy lettuce, ripe tomato slices, caramelised onions, tomato sauce, American mustard and mayo.

“As someone who has watched an unhealthy amount of American food shows, I had inevitably heard of the Jucy/Juicy Lucy burger. After we asked what cheese was in the burger, the utter confusion from behind the counter made me wonder if we were the first sober people to actually order this burger in Melbourne. It didn’t look anything like its American counterpart, be it covered in grilled onions, lettuce and tomato and, it was a good couple of bites until I reached the cheesy centre. As you’d expect, the beef was cooked right through to melt the cheese so it was left a little dry. However, the triple combo of ketchup, mayo and mustard helped mask the bland beef flavour.”

“I think for a place that predominantly specialises in pizza they make a better pizza, but hell you have to appreciate their effort at a Juicy Lucy. There was a good amount of cheese in and around the double pattie. The pattie was a tad bit dry and the bun held it’s integrity withstanding oozy cheese and mayo. The mustard really cut through the burger considering the amount of grease it had in it and the chips were substantial. I’d advise maybe skipping a meal before going.”

“Walking in I had no idea what to expect. The staff had no idea either to be honest. The burger wasn’t bad. But it was all a gimmick. I don’t think it would’ve made a difference whether or not the cheese was inside or on top of the patty because it kind of just sat there unappealing-like (instead of oozing out like the prophecies had predicted). Things I noticed most were the the onions as a highlight and, that the beef was pretty tightly packed (to hold the cheese in imagine). It wasn’t an all together great first Juicy Lucy experience but I’m sure after a box of wine and a night out it’d be super.”

As the gentrification of the inner northern suburbs of Melbourne rapidly expands, it was only a matter of time before people saw value and opportunity in Preston. Located only 9kms north of Melbourne with a large Macedonian and Asian population, 3 locals noticed a lack of a decent burger so decided to roll up their sleeves and fill a niche. With a sleek interior, consisting of plenty of concrete, bricks and dark green tiles, we grabbed a stool at one of the tables and considered our burger options. With everything sourced locally and all sauces and pickles made in house, it all sounded appealing but we settled on the burger named after their owner. ‘The Chew” came with a 190g Wagyu patty, cos lettuce, tomato, pickle, mustard, aioli and cheddar cheese between a brioche bun.

“What a pleasant surprise to be served a burger on a white plate, as opposed to a plank of wood that’s so prevalent at the moment. The slightly larger than standard patty was absolutely ideal; cooked to a perfect medium, pink and juicy in the middle, but not dripping wet, managing to trap in all the flavour. The crisp bite from the lettuce, tomato and pickle complimented it well without distracting me and the creaminess of the cheese and aioli rounded out the great flavours. Surprisingly my favourite part was the bun, that appeared to just be a standard sesame seed bun, turned out to be a perfectly toasted brioche bun with plenty of substance to remain intact right until the end. On a side note, be prepared to yell, as this place filled up it got really loud with all the voices and noises bouncing off all the hard surfaces.”

“With limited seating available, but great customer service and very catchy tunes to shake your head to while you wait for your burger, this little Northern suburbs shop has shot to notoriety in less than three months since opening. The menu basically consists of just burgers and making a decision is hard (I recommend flipping a coin to decide). The patty was beautifully pink in the middle covered with melted cheddar cheese and complemented by my favourite combo of crunchy pickle and mustard. The bun was your typical sweet brioche bun with no surprises and chips were good too.”

“This was a very decent burger. It basically sets the standard of how burgers should be made. It was hard to fault really. Everything was balanced and there was plenty of sweetness and saltiness. The only thing I’d say is that there wasn’t any particular ownable factor to the burger. But maybe it didn’t need one. It is was a classic, done well. I really liked it. Shame it’s not closer to home.”

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 you’ve got an idea and the passion to drive said idea, chances are you’ll do alright. Patty & Bun is the story of Joe Grossman: a young Englishman who’s great at what he loves doing. After a trip to the States and experiencing the awesomeness that Shake Shack delivered, he saw potential back home amid the street/dude-food boom and began on his own adventure to out-do the yanks at their own game. Much research and many recipe experiments later, Grossman began to pop-up with his burgers at different bars and locales around London. His followers started to grow and grow and so when it came to open his first permanent establishment there’s no surprise that there are queues out the door. I patiently waited my name to be called, took a seat and then ordered what many call London’s best burger: the ARI GOLD Cheeseburger. It came with a grass fed 35 day aged Aberdeen Angus beef pattie, cheese, lettuce, pickled onions, ketchup, smoked P&B mustard mayo in between a glazed brioche bun.

“It was 20 minute wait. But, it was also a hot London day, so sitting on the bench outside (purpose built for waiting) I soaked the weather up. The burger came fully clothed in wax paper and as my boy D always boasts, “Good things come in wax packages”. I unwrapped the little guy with some eagerness and to be truthful I wasn’t ready for what I was about to see. It’s like I was 13 and my Christmas gift had been mistakenly swapped for a stack of Playboys. I wanted to take this burger upstairs to my room and make it mine. It was so darn sexy and so darn cheesey. The smokiness, saltiness and softness of the patty and bun combo made me glad I was sitting down as my legs would’ve probably given way. I didn’t taste too much of the pickles but the red onions were sweet enough for me not too notice. It’s hard to imagine but my Ari Gold experience left me cursing more than the character it’s named after – so f****en good.”

Occupying a small corner shop in a sleepy pocket of Caulfield, Tuck Shop Take Away blends in seamlessly with it’s surroundings and could very easily go unnoticed. However, the line of people out the door is hard to miss. The husband and wife duo, with a resumé between them that includes Fat Duck, Attica and Vue Du Monde, may explain the queues and hype as they offer their version of the local shop of yesteryear. Once inside, everything should look familiar as they’ve decked it out full of retro and nostalgic items and, the familiarity continues on the menu full of burgers, jaffles, shakes and sweets. We waited patiently and ordered a Minor burger that comes with a 100% beef pattie, served pink on the inside, lettuce, tomato, American cheese, onion, pickles and Tuck Shop sauce.

“All the signs of a good burger were there before even seeing one; a big line of people who aren’t grumpy is always a good indication. The anticipation escalated quickly when I saw the guy moulding the beef patties fresh right before our eyes and the confirmation came the moment I unwrapped my burger and took my first bite. Everything was in perfect proportion, resulting in a delicious bite each and every time. The beef had a great amount of flavour and juice trapped inside, with the saltiness combining well with the cheese and salad. The bun wasn’t as sweet as your typical brioche bun, which I prefer, however still soft but dense enough to remain intact until the end. We ordered way too many chips and ashamed that I hadn’t done any exercise that day, unfortunately left some behind.”

“When I think Tuck Shop I’m always taken back to the days of school where Four’n Twenty pies, chico rolls and sausage rolls dominated kids greasy hands on the playground. The concept of a burger in the school tuckshop was just big filling buns with a flat, under seasoned, over cooked square pattie topped off with Rosella sauce and Kraft cheese squares. This burger is still very humble in its presentation and ingredients with nothing lavish, but made with so much care and precision that every element in there serves a great purpose. I loved pausing between bites, grabbing a hand full of the most saltiest fries and throwing them down my gob. That balance of tang and salt in my mouth was take-away heaven indeed.”

“Over the years I have eaten my fair share of burgers and this first bite has been one of the best. A cheersquad full of softness, juiciness and tangy mustard cartwheeled up to my tastebuds and introduced themselves. As much as I enjoyed those first couple of chews I was hoping that there’d be more boldness to the experience; more lingering flavours rather than fleeting. Being so light and so tasty this makes this a great choice for a lunchtime burger.”