Burger at Laurie Dee’s in Epping voted Melbourne’s best by The Burger Adventure

WANT to know what makes the tastiest burgers? An anonymous blogger has spilt the beans on what it takes to be Melbourne’s best.

Lawrence Di Tomasso of Laurie Dee’s burger restaurant at Pacific Epping shopping centre was voted the best burger place in Melbourne by website The Burger Adventure.

THE SECRETS of reviewing Melbourne’s best burgers can now be revealed.

An anonymous blogger at The Burger Adventure has divulged alluring insights on what he looks for, and any self-respecting burgerista will want to take note.

“We scope out different areas. Just word of mouth and certain areas that we don’t know, we’ll search around and go from there,” the blogger, known only as D, said.

“We do get invited to a lot of (places) but we don’t go to anywhere new for about six months.”

The review is totally secret with burger joints not knowing they’re being judged.

“We try and do it Sunday nights,” D said. “We’re actually quite healthy the rest of the week and that’s our once-a-week treat.

“We order a normal meal, but the chips or sides don’t come into the grading. There’s enough burgers out there and enough variations that adding another thing is a bit of a headache.”

The website recently announced Epping’s Laurie Dee’s as the place to sink your teeth into our city’s best burger for the second year running.

He said the eatery, located at Pacific Epping shopping centre, topped the list due to its cooking methods.

The reviewer ordered a Laurie Dee’s double burger (two beef patties).

“(The patty) is called ‘smash patty’,” D said.

“It’s common in America, but they’re (Laurie Dee’s) the only ones who do it here.

“You smash the patty down and you just get heaps of surface area for flavour. It’s a thinner patty.

“You get a char, then the cheese goes into all the crevices.”

But what is the essence of brilliant burger?

If you ask D, the secret is all in the patty and the bun.

“It comes down to the taste of it. Presentation is worth something, but at the end of the day it’s really about the freshness and the quality of the ingredients,” he said.

“Obviously the beef is the most important and then it would be the bun after that.

“There’s not a huge amount to it, but if you get those two right, it’s pretty hard to go wrong.”

When rating the Laurie Dee double burger, the blog’s description of a “gooey” gem is enough to make your mouth water.

“This is the burger dreams are made of,” the review reads.

“This gooey, cheesy, salty gem deserves the highest of praise.”

For Laurie Dee’s owner Lawrence Di Tomasso, winning the award for the second year running wasn’t easy.

“It was a surprise to win it last year, but we couldn’t believe we got it again,” Mr Di Tomasso said.

The Laurie Dee’s burger named the best in Melbourne. Picture: Kylie Else

“We feel the pressure, I can’t deny that.

“We’ve reached a standard that we’re really proud of and sometimes it’s hard keeping that up, especially these days when everyone’s a reviewer.”

As well as drinks and desserts, Laurie Dee’s has a limited range of burgers on the menu, and for good reason.

While customers can add ingredients, Mr Di Tomasso said simplicity was the key.

“It allows us to keep it as fresh as possible,” he said.

“Over complication goes against that.

“We use choice cuts, grade the meat ourselves, butcher it and mince it ourselves; it’s repetitive but hard work is our secret.”

Right, who’s hungry?

THE REST OF THE BURGER ADVENTURE’S TOP 10

2. Rockwell & Sons — 288 Smith St, Collingwood

3. Juanita Peaches — 12 Edward St, Brunswick

4. Kustom Burgers — 861 High St, Thornbury

5. Royale Brother — Rear 1 Church St, Brighton

6. 1090 Burger — 181A Swan St, Richmond

7. Fat Bob’s Bar & Grill — 80 Cochranes Rd, Moorabbin

8. 8BIT — 8 Droop St, Footscray

9. NSHRY — 129A Beaconsfield Pde, Albert Park

10. Rockpool Bar & Grill — Crown Complex, Southbank