Pop Burger – 14 E 58th St, Midtown East, New York, NY, USA

Located in one of the most iconic locations in New York City, opposite the Apple flagship store, FAO Shwartz toy store and adjacent the Plaza hotel and Central Park, Pop Burger offers up 6,000 square feet of designer eating and drinking space split over 3 levels. On the ground level you’ll find the takeout counter and casual seating. Go one level up and there’s the lounge with table service. Then on the 3rd floor is another bar with a pool table. So all-in-all they are catering to practically everyone from holidaying families to the hungry/thirsty after work crowd. They’ve even got the capability to throw up-market large scale events with their very own full-time Event Director. Owner and famed New York restauranteur Roy Liebenthal talks about where the POP burger concept came from saying, “Warhol is my favorite artist. What I liked about him was, he was all about commercial consumption and the ordinary object. It wasn’t only for the intellectual financial elites. That’s what I find exciting about Pop Burger, is creating a product that everybody across cultures—depending on where their finances are – everybody likes Pop Burger.” So I ventured upstairs to the Lounge to see if I would love it as much as he does. I ordered the Pop Burgers that came with lettuce, tomato and American cheese, all on mini brioche buns with a side of onion rings.

“On a very rainy, wet and miserable day, Pop Burger came to the rescue. To escape the rain and to chill out for a while we decided to head past the Andy Warhol lined downstairs restaurant and venture upstairs to lounge about on one of their large couches. The only thing better than one burger is three burgers. Even though they were mini, they still packed a huge amount of flavour. The beef, being so small, was cooked a little more than I like and was a little charred, but the brioche style bun held it all together perfectly. I’d love to see these guys add a regular sized burger to their menu, as I think, with a bit of tender love throughout the cooking process, it could be simply amazing. The wait staff were also extremely friendly, constantly refilling my coke. And as many of you know, I’m a simple man and free refills are one of my favourite things in the world.”

“I was instantly impressed when I walked in and noticed the portions and presentation of the fellow diners meals. The room was full, but being such a tough brave man I was happy to venture outside and face the elements of a Melbourne winter – the view is pretty spectacular aswell. As I was still drunk after only getting home a few hours earlier I eagerly awaited the burger… and once it arrived, I thought had a real challenge on my hands. The crispy cheese and grilled tomatoes all looked a bit complicated for me to navigate. However, much to my surprise when I squished everything together it created an awesome “mush” of gooey goodness that blended perfectly. The beef was a great size and the other ingredients didn’t take away from the main flavours. The service was very friendly and cute, and little extras like 3 sauces to choose from gave it that edge that turned a good experience great.”

“All I can remember is the juice of the pattie going down my hands and dripping onto the plate. This burger is so juicy! The pattie’s flavour was well-balanced (no dominating flavours, besides meat) and cooked evenly on both sides, with the perfect shade of pink in the middle. Be warned this pattie is not only juicy, but thick too. The bun was the second standout – sweet and soft. The caramelised onion jam was really nicely prepared and the double cheese of parmesan and gruyere was perfection. The 3 dips that came with the burger gave me a great choice of what flavour combos to add to each bite – loved it. No chips on this one, but the onion rings were great. I would recommend ending this meal with a Cold Drip Coffee, you’ll need it after this meal.”

“A burger with a concept… finally! Inspired by Umami (The”5th Taste”), this burger is quite unique to Melbourne. The gents have raved on enough about it all but I must emphasise how juicy and tasty this is. It only makes me regret not visiting Umami Burger whilst on my travels around the USA. What really made this for me though was the three dipping sauces: a kind of wasabi mayo, then a paprika-style mayo and a spicy tomato sauce. Each one worked deliciously with the burger (and onion rings), meaning they’ll have you coming back over and over again just try all of the possible combinations. Some serious awesomeness right here. Get on it. ”

The Counter – 7919 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, USA

1) Grab a clipboard. 2) Pick up a pencil. 3) Try and keep from drooling. This is the process you go through when you first sit down at The Counter. This “build your own burger” franchise prides itself on providing its guests with over 312, 120 possible burger combinations, using only the freshest and finest quality ingredients for you to personalise your own gourmet burger. With this kind of formula, friendly staff and ice cold beers, they’ll have you coming back week after week day after day.
If the idea of creating you’re own burger just seems like too much pressure and avoids you asking, “I wonder what pineapple, hardboiled egg and mustard taste like..?” then look a little further down the menu and grab yourself one of their tried and tested Signature Burgers. I decided to go for the Counter Burger that included a Hamburger bun, 1/3 pound beef pattie, Provolone cheese, crispy onion rings, lettuce blend, sautéed mushrooms and tomato, all finished with a side of sun-dried tomato vinaigrette. These guys also have a wicked fries menu including a “Fifty-Fifty” where you can get a mix of both regular fries and sweet potato fries! (Breaking News: Aussie Burger Fans! Don’t have time to get to the States? Check out their closer to home, Sydney location).

“In true LA style, I parked my electric scooter on the curb, removed my helmet and gave my hair an awesome Fabio flick. After almost knocking into an interracial gay couple walking a lactose intolerant Labradoodle, I made my way inside, then immediately asked to sit outside – God bless LA weather. There wasn’t much point building and reviewing my own burger (although I would’ve made a cracker) as everyone has their own taste and style. So I tackled their Signature Counter Burger; excited at the thought of my first experience of Porvolone and Vinaigrette together. After ordering from my cute, waitress/actress/dancer I only had to wait for about 3 minutes before my order of “Fifty-Fifty” fries came out. Just when I began to think “Wow that was quick!”, my burger was being presented before me. When things seem to be too good to be true, they usually are. You want to feel like they’re taking some time in the kitchen, singing as they cook and talking about how much they love their job. In contrast, it was a bit like, “Hey you wana burger? Here’s one. Let us know when you want to pay.” But maybe I’m just old fashioned? Even though it came our super-quick, it also came out looking super-awesome. I couldn’t wait to get the photoshoot over and done with and sink my teeth into those crunchy looking onion rings. I took a few bites and nothing really jumped out at me. The Italian cheese had a bit of a bite to it, but you only really tasted it if you ate it without any meat. The beef was ok: lightly seasoned, a little bit pink, but too perfectly shaped and not juicy enough for my liking. It wasn’t until after I poured on the sun-dried tomato vinaigrette that the burger took a turn for the positive. The mix of heavy flavours from the Provolone, mushrooms and beef were now getting a contrasting and delicious tang that you rarely taste in a burger. For some reason I ate rather quickly, but still managed to feel pretty good afterwards. Then the sleepiness from the Provolone crept up on me forcing me to stay put, and to order another beer. A fun place to take your friends and try all of your different creations, but as for the Signature Counter Burger, its only real highlight was the sweet sun-dried tomato vinaigrette.”

The Local Taphouse – 184 Carlisle Street, St Kilda East,
Victoria, Australia

For years some of us at The Burger Adventure have enjoyed the relaxed, friendly and unpretentious environment that The Local has to offer. Since it first opened in 2001 it has undergone some really big changes (for the best) and is now offering some really good food choices (Bar and Restaurant Menus), comfy restaurant seating, more couches for the bar and a great rooftop area to sit and enjoy the balmy nights to come this summer. We went for the 3 Beer Beef Burger (Bar Menu) it had Shlenkerla Rauchbier (smoke beer) marinated beef, cheese with beer battered onion rings, Trumer Pils Aioli and beer battered fries. A good feed and a good time to share with some close friends..

“The idea to put these onion rings in the burger was genius. I just wish there was more of them on the plate aswell. Everything squished down into a juicy mess of aweseomenes. The only thing I would change is the bun; I just hate flour all over it.”

“Loved every bite of it. What I still remember was that char-grilled flavour the pattie had. In addition to a good, thick, well-seasoned pattie all the ingredients held their own. There was a ample amount of cheese, rocket and tomato. The onion rings were great and not too oily, and the chips, well…. they are beer battered and are awesome. To enjoy this burger even more try it with the Budvar Pilsener to wash down all that beefy goodness.”

“This was honestly pretty special. All of the ingredients were of the finest quality. In fact, looking at the photo again is making my mouth water. I can only describe it as elegantly creamy, like the flavours were all whispering secrets to my taste-buds. Don’t forget to grab a beer either mate!”

Squires Loft Steakhouse – 1 Queens Rd, Melbourne,
Victoria, Australia

Formerly known as The Grill Room, the Squires Loft Steakhouses are synonmyous with excellent quality produce and mouth watering meats. Looking around the place it seemed like a bit of boys club; not too many women around apart from the service. However, the diners ranged from mates sharing some steaks over a pint, businessmen relaxing after a busy day and there was even a long table filled with jockeys talking track. We ordered the chargrilled Wagyu Burger, served on a toasted bun with bacon, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion and honey mayo. You also get to choose from a range of complimentary side sauces which normally cost you $4.50. Along with the burger there were onion-rings and chips. Those looking for a light meal, beware, the portions are large and quite hefty, even for the hungriest of carnivores.

“Such a clash of big flavours made me feel sick by the end of it. Individually the ingredients were great: the beef, gooey cheese, 2 pieces of thick bacon and Honey Mayo, but combined they were overpowering. Chips were slightly overcooked and they didn’t have enough salt. The onion-rings were great.”

“A burger that was ok but nothing too special. What made it better for me was the side of mustard that was really the hero throughout. With a drink you end up paying a lot.. but you do get a lot, including ok chips, average onion-rings and a complimentary side sauce (stay away from the blue cheese sauce! way too strong.) Would I go again? Probably not for a burger.”

“I was expecting a more refined product from these guys. Most of the elements on their own were tasty, but together, they started a flavour riot that was out of control. Props on the Honey Mayo and beef.. but a big thumbs down on the lettuce (way too basic, the kind you’d find in a 7-11 sandwich).”

Manhattan’s – Plaza Alta Vista, Junco de la Vega #411, Monterrey,
Nuevo Leon, Mexico

Some years ago whilst studying in Mexico, this was where I would order some quesedillas and ice tea, defeated after a long night/day out. Frequented mainly by University students from the UDEM, Manhattan’s is like TGI’s with a neon twist. I tackled the Rockefeller BBQ Burger, which came with a Subway-like “parmesan on top” bun, onion rings, bacon, BBQ sauce, Cheddar and Monterey Jack, and a side of jalapenos, all accompanied by thick-cut steak fries.

“My first thought was, “What is this on top of the bun!” Supposedly it was cheese. The first few bites were average and the beef wasn’t standing out from the ingredients the way I was hoping it would. All I could really taste was just BBQ sauce and a bit of crunch. The bacon and onion rings added a subtle saltiness, and as for the chips, I would have preferred shoestring fries. Then I decided to add the jalapenos! It was incredible. These spicy little bastards ran riot, and took what at first seemed an average burger, and turned it into something special.
I don’t know how, but they ended up cutting all of the flavours apart. I could finally taste the beef, (which wasn’t profoundly excellent), but it still somehow took a step up! My first “a la Mexico” burger, and it was pretty damn good.”

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.”