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.”

Located towards the northern end of the Glenferrie Rd shopping strip, Humburger recently opened with a contemporary, modern interior fit out featuring exposed white bricks, cow hide stools, neon lights and mirrors. With ample dining options including inside, outside and courtyard seating, it’s an ideal place to grab a bite to eat regardless of time or weather. With 5 different beef burgers, a chicken and a vegetarian on offer, there’s a burger to suit everyones taste. We went with the ‘New York’ burger with 2 beef patties, bacon, cheddar cheese, Emmental cheese, pickles, mayo and tomato sauce. You can wash it all down with either something alcoholic or a milk shake, and if you’re still not full by the end, the humballs are delicious for dessert.

“I’m surprised this didn’t fall over by the time it reached us, as it was delicately placed together with everything neatly piled high. What looked like something that would turn into an incredible mess, actually squashed down into something manageable, with plenty of juice squirting all over my strategically placed fries. The beef was a lot more tender than I expected and with 2 patties there was plenty of beefy flavour, with subtle hints of pickle and salty bacon coming through. The bun held up well for a while but had almost disappeared by the end.”

“Humburger feels a little more like more of a bar than a burger joint. Walking up to the counter the friendly staff look like hipster bartenders that will mix you a good drink, but surprisingly they are only interested in your burger order. The pattie was beautifully cooked and just crumbled in my mouth. The sweet bun was fresh and a delight to bite into. The other highlight was the exquisite bacon and the super runny cheese that reminded of the kind you’d get on a pizza. The burger was a little hard to manage but the payload is good, so persevere with the juice going down your hands and enjoy yourself.”

“This was a delicious start to 2014 for me. The first bite was initially soft and fluffy, but by the time I bit all the way in, I was chewing fresh crunchy pickles. The patties were cooked just a little bit pink and felt like the mince had been ground with a fine mincer – they were tightly bound, but it still worked for them. A nice sweeteness lingered during the meal; I can only imagine that the majority came from thee sauce and grilled onions. This is a very simple burger that’s really worth while. Best option in the area for sure.”

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.”

Laurie Dee’s recently reopened within the $30 million ‘Urban Diner’ development at Pacific Epping (previously Epping Plaza) providing a restaurant and entertainment precinct that caters to the demands of all the families moving into the new surrounding estates. As you’d expect, everything is brand spanking new and th evenue resembles a cross between an American diner and a fast food outlet. We ordered at the counter, grabbed a booth and eagerly awaited the Double Laurie Dee Burger with Angus beef that’s minced daily and then smashed, grilled onions, cheddar cheese, special D’Sauce, tomato, lettuce, pickles and tomato relish.

“Oh God this looked the goods and was exactly what I needed as I was completely starving (having taken the long way to get to Epping). With giant, crusty chunks of beef hanging off and ample amounts of cheese, I could not wait for my first bite. The beef was perfectly salted and crumbly with creamy cheese filling in every crevice. The pickle added a nice sour bite, but possibly the only thing I’d change is the tomato relish to a ketchup – apart from that I couldn’t fault it. The smash method of cooking a patty (starting with a fresh ball of mince and then smashing into smithereens with a spatula on the hot plate) has not caught on in Australia but I’m glad these guys have done it, and done it so well.”

“This was a very cheesy and greasy experience. Packed with meat/juice goodness, relish and melted cheese, each bite is consistently the same in taste and texture. The Special “D” sauce combined well with the relish. There wasn’t a lot of green stuff to make it boring, but enough to add some underlying fresh tones to cut through the sauce. The chips come seasoned with herbs and really tasted great – good enough not to share.”

“What really got me excited was when I saw other diners’ burgers. I was filled with massive food envy as I waited for my meal. As it arrived at our table all the signs of a smashburger were apparent: a smashed pattie. It was terribly soft and greasy, and by “terribly” I mean “awesomely”. I was too busy trying to keep a good grip on it all to try ingredients individually but the main flavours were soft, salty beefiness and then the creamy punch of the melted cheese. The only thing I would change would be their special sauce to something more traditional. Save your airfare money, maybe pack an over night bag (we are talking Epping here) and make your way down to Laurie D’s for a little piece of the USA in and around your mouth.”

Pickle n’ Roast Healthy Food Outlet is a relative newcomer to Camberwell junction. They offer a limited menu of sandwiches, burgers, soups and coffee that are all available to dine in, take-away or local delivery. Pickle n’ Roast is setup much like most other cafés and won’t stand out in your mind as being on trend or hipster. Instead they focus on making memorable meals with good produce. With five burgers on the menu, including a vegetarian option, we went with the Cheese Burger Meal with chips, which for some reason is the only burger available in a meal, that comprised of a Pickle n’ Roast beef pattie, cheese, ketchup, mayo and a bun covered in melted mozzarella cheese.

“Luckily we were in no rush and weren’t particularly starving when we first walked in, as this burger took forever to arrive, and considering we were the only people there and the staff to patron ratio was 1:1, the long wait was puzzling to say the least. Having not taken much notice of the menu, I was a little surprised to discover both sides of the bun covered in greasy melted cheese, completely consuming the small beef patty covered in more cheese. The patty was thin, possibly store bought and possibly frozen before hitting the heat as it really lacked any flavour or colouring. It really reminded me of something I potentially would’ve made myself while bored and hungry on school holidays in about year 9.”

“A simple, but yet filling burger. For some reason the top bun was hollow but this was definitely a good idea because I can’t imagine how filling it would’ve been with all the extra dough. The tasty cheese and the mayo combined well to cover and moisten the thin beef pattie. The melted mozzarella on the bun was a good move and something I’ve never encountered before however, it did make the whole meal very greasy.”

“What an oddity. I’ve never in my life seen this before. Whenever a waiter brings me a knife and fork at a Burger Adventure I always laugh to myself at how they’re wasting their time. But after I grabbed the oily, mozzarella covered bun I kind of get why they were there. Whether or not it was by design, all that oil was balanced out by a rather lean pattie. There was also a lot of herbs that came through like rosemary and oregano. Some of you may know that I love mayo in burger, but it’s only really doing its job if you’ve got tomato to help it out. There wasn’t any here so I had to add more ketchup which did help the burger a bit. Great: it wasn’t. But it sure was memorable.”

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.”

After being inspired by a recent trip to the U.S where Fat Bob found himself surrounded by many of the loves of his life – more specifically burgers, beer and vintage signs – Fat Bob returned to Melbourne and set about creating his own man cave. Along with the help of his friend Michael, Fat Bob’s Bar & Grill was born. Located down a lane-way, squeezed between 2 warehouses in Moorabbin’s industrial area, you are instantly teleported to another era and continent, with a seriously impressive collection of vintage signs of all shapes and sizes gracing the walls. You’d be convinced you’re in the States hanging at a local Hot Rod restoration garage that conveniently sells burgers and over 20 different beers. We grabbed a booth and eagerly awaited the Jackie O that came with a 180g of grass fed beef pattie cooked to medium, tomato, Spanish onion, Fontina cheese, cos lettuce, mustard, tomato sauce and Fat Bob’s special sauce.

“Loved the presentation in the al-foil wrapping that serves so many purposes: retaining heat, trapping in ingredients and juices and keeping my hands clean. The first thing that really stood out for me was the perfectly melted cheese slowly cascading over the beef pattie… and then I took my first bite. The creaminess of the cheese interacting with one of the most perfectly seasoned beef patties I’ve had in a while is about as good as it gets. The next standout in this burger, which only became apparent towards the end, was the sweet bun that remained completely intact while up against some serious juiciness. Im really glad someone has taken on the daunting challenge of bringing great food and service to the industrial, suburban parts of Melbourne that are so often neglected, and judging by how busy it was it’s been well received.”

“Initially when walking into Fat Bob’s I thought this place might be trying too hard to be an American diner with all the American paraphernalia and neon lights – this could’ve been a case of “all swing, no ding”. I wasn’t a big fan of lining-up to order– for me there is something about being served that makes me feel I’m being properly catered to and if you are going to have an American diner I’d assume you would go in that direction. When you finally place your order at the counter and sit down you really start to take the place in and notice things. For example the great calibre of American signage on the wall and even some local Melbourne stuff (I’ll leave it to you to list). The staff are really friendly, pretty quick to service and always seem to have a smile on their dial– something that people forget to do these days. I say ‘always’ because I’ve been there three times already and three times my mind was blown. The bun and the pattie were amazing with the right amount of condiments, sauces and flavour. The chips were good (maybe not worth $3), but good either way.”

“This is really up there with the best of them. Not because of any one thing in particular, but more for that warm feeling of awesomeness and sparks that fly that got us into this little thing we call an Adventure. Its a relatively simple burger, but you can tell that there’s been thought put into it. Most important of all was the pattie which was delightfully meaty, well-rounded and salty without making you reach for your 7-Up. This is a bang-on awesome burger with just enough of everything there to make you think about ordering another one, or when to schedule your next visit.”