Carlisle Street is on the up and up. At one time all it had going for it was one or two cafes and a really decent watering hole. Now, even Grill’d have set up shop in Balaclava. But, you can’t call Ziggy’s Eatery a late bloomer. This mom and pop store has been there for many years before the boom. These days though, they’ve had a refurb, made some noise on social media and have expanded from their wraps, sandwiches and salads, and are quite proud of their burger list. There’s a burger for everyone in there ranging from the extreme high protein, double Recovery burger to a pork belly or a vege option. It’s a little store that gets quite busy, so if you’re lucky enough to not live too far away and don’t feel like stepping out the house, simply order online and get it delivered. I decided to go in store and check out their simple Cheeseburger. It came out on a brioche bun with a a 150g beef patty, home made smoked cheese sauce, bacon, tomato & Spanish onion.

History says, open a restaurant, then become famous for your ‘special’ sauce. The boys at Changz are flipping the script and have got themselves a wicked chilli game going. You might have seen them stocked at your local café, or even one of your favourite burger joints. After winning spice-fiends over since 2014, they decided to create their own Americana inspired canteen in a quite pocket of Elsternwick. Their chilli sauce comes in a few varieties but there’s plenty more to choose from on their menu. Start off with some Pork Scratchings or Fried Chicken, then grab yourself a burger and fries and start testing all the sauce combos. We went for their classic Cheeseburger that came with a beef patty, a milk bun, American Cheese, creamy/tangy mayo and pickles.

You don’t really just stumble on a place like St Burgs. Apart from a laundromat, it’s one of the only inhabited businesses at the bottom of an apartment block in what feels like the middle of nowhere. This little pocket situated along the Maribyrnong River has spectacular city views and will some day be booming with life. But right now it has that Docklands vibe that isn’t quite right. This hasn’t stopped the burger loving guys behind St Burgs. It’s a family affair, with a bunch of brothers getting together to create a no-nonsense burger joint. Their menu consists of only a handful of burgers to match your appetite or eating disfunction: choose from a beef burger, fried chicken burger or a mushroom burger. They even do some wings if you need more than fries as a side. There’s not a whole lot of room inside but there’s a lot more space to go Al Fresco and embrace the beef sweats. We ordered the Double D that came on a milk bun with two Australian grass fed beef patties, double American cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato, gherkin relish, “durger mayo” & smokey sauce.

Frozen yoghurt and burgers aren’t generally something you’d ever link. But with these two being some of the biggest food trends to hit Melbourne over the last couple of years, it isn’t a surprise that there’s now a place you can get them at the same place. YOMG (Yo My Goodness) started out in 2013 as a funky little fro-yo joint in Mordialloc. Knowing they were onto a good thing, with the place packed with sugar crazed Tweens and anxious First-Daters they’ve now spread to six locations, even as far as Cairns. But their fro-yo store in Glen Waverley has a difference: it’s a burger joint too. There’s a lot on offer with eleven burgers on the menu that go from your standard cheeseburger to the vego-friendly potato cake burger. Enjoy your fries five different ways from classic to smothered in pulled pork or opt in for a shake done old school or fancy-like. It’s hard to get a seat in there most nights but I patiently stalked three tables simultaneously waiting for a chance to eat my burger in a civilised manner. Of course, when my buzzer started to vibrate I went up and grabbed the Yo My with Cheese that came on a glazed sesame seed bun with a Grass Fed Angus patty, cheese, lettuce, tomato, ketchup and secret sauce.

In the evening, under the mixed light of street lights and setting sun, the Union Rd strip of shops looks more like a small country town than a suburb just 11kms out of Melbourne. It’s on the more affluent side but that doesn’t mean locals shouldn’t indulge in the humble hamburger. BurgerBurger was created in early 2015 by husband and wife duo Leena and Nesh Rakhra and strives for burger perfection. They source all produce locally and offer a handful of burgers all named after the neighbourhood: the Cam-baa-baa-well is filled with lamb and grilled haloumi whilst the Chicky Canterbury has the ever popular Buttermilk Chicken and Sriracha combo. For those that can’t stand gluten, they look out for you too with Gluten Free buns at an extra $2. After speaking to the very friendly Nesh about what’s been popular I took a seat in their modern little shop and waited for my Belmore Bacon burger that comes on a brioche bun with a 150g Wagyu, Smokey Bacon, Cheddar Cheese, Cos Lettuce, Pickles, Tomato, Grilled Onions and BurgerBurger sauce.

Mentone’s little hub has a lot going for it. The locals can get themselves into a decent cafe for brunch, or get themselves into town with the train station front and centre. Nowadays, thanks to Burger Lab, the locals can get themselves a decent looking burger too. The guys behind the operation are Anthony Pinzone and Chef Lochie Greig-Moore who are all about a relaxed environment with organic, sustainable produce. There’s a clear sense of “chill” throughout the place, with friendly staff, plenty of beer on tap as well as local specials for students to come and bitch about their Maths teacher. Their burger list isn’t as scientific – as was expected – from their name and branding, but instead they’re pretty classic options. The craziest they go is with their prawn burger that has a squid ink, black bun. But we’d never go down that path. To make up for that silliness they also offer chicken wings and ribs. I chose to sink my teeth into a Free-Range Bacon Burger that came on a seeded brioche bun with a beef patty, ‘Hagens’ Free-Range Bacon, melted organic Raclette cheese, tomato sauce, lettuce, tomato, diced shallot and mayo.

It wasn’t too long ago that Oakleigh was just a little Souvlaki-filled pocket next-door to Chadstone Shopping Centre. These days it’s a bustling little place where both locals and people from all over town come to enjoy coffee, cakes or a leisurely get-together. With this, the level of dining has lifted. New restaurants and bars are popping up all over. So of course there needed to a spot for a genuine burger joint. Mick Adam’s has stepped in to fill this void. They take their name from a Greek immigrant who opened Australia’s first Milk Bar in Sydney back in 1932. The Milk Bar was called the Black and White and so it looks like they’ve rolled with this theme throughout their restaurant – white tiles with black accents all over. Paying homage to the old days of diner eating they keep their menu pretty simple with burgers, shakes and fries. The hamburger options are mainly beef but they stretch to a crab and veggie option for more “modern” tastes. Surprisingly, there’s no signature “Mick burger” available so I went with the simplicity of the Cheesy Mike. It came on a brioche bun with a 150g grass fed beef patty, double cheddar, pickles, tomato and lettuce.