Melbourne’s top 10 best burgers

YOUR SAY: ONE thing we can all agree on is that Melbourne is mad for burgers. We’ve fallen under the spell of meat in a bun, from fine-dining joints to travelling trucks.

WHAT was first sniffily thought of as little more than a passing fad has been heartily embraced by our city and burgers are here to stay.

We’ve fallen under the spell of charred meat in a bun, served everywhere from fine-dining restaurants to travelling food trucks.

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Our best burgers have many things in common: the beef is first-rate, whether wagyu or black angus, and usually grass-fed.

The accompaniments are made from scratch, whether house-made pickles or tomato relish.

Buns are sourced from artisan bakers. And, importantly, everything is freshly made and cooked to order.

Because when it comes to these new-wave burgers, fast food is now definitely worth the wait.

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Fat Bob's- The Jackie O burger, wrapped in chip basket with a beer from Fat Bob’s on Cochranes Rd, Moorabbin.

1. Jackie O ($15.50) at Fat Bob’s

It’s an adventure to find Fat Bob’s hidden in an industrial estate in Moorabbin, but it’s not just about the unusual location. When you get there, the burgers are great.. With its vintage neon signs and All American vibe, in Fat Bob’s case it’s the destination, not the journey.

MAIN EVENT: The Jackie O takes a 180g beef patty (made from grass-fed happy cow) cooks it medium, melts fontina cheese over it and whacks it between a toasted pain de mie bun (from Bakery Lievito) filled with tomato, lettuce and onion. Mustard, tomato and Fat Bob’s special sauce (a chutney and mayo mix) add zing to this beaut burger that delivers from first bite to last.

ON THE SIDE: Zucchini chips are a guilt-busting addition, and there are 20 beers from around the world to wash it all down.

DON’T WANT BEEF? Kewpie mayo, slaw and coriander give an Asian twist to the Victa, a chicken burger with a difference.

80 Cochranes Rd, Moorabbin; ph: 9555-0909

fatbobs.com.au

The Oz burger with a Merrywell Spider and chips from The Merrywell at Crown Riverside.

2. Oz Burger ($14) at The Merrywell

At Crown’s pub on the river promenade the signs in the window pronounce their burgers “Pink and Juicy”. And that they most certainly are.

MAIN EVENT: Get the napkins ready – Merrywell’s burgers are puddle-forming juicy. The fat Black Angus patty made from a 70/30 mix of chuck/rump and fat, simply seasoned and cooked medium-rare, would rate just on its own, but add in a runny-yolked fried egg, melted cheddar, little chunks of sweet pineapple and bursts of pickled beetroot, well, you’ve got flag-flying burger Australia can be proud of. The soft damper bun eschews the brioche craze and the burger – and its fans – are all the better for it.

ON THE SIDE: Take a cherry cola float and some Merrywell chips that you dunk in bacon aioli (brilliant!).

DON’T WANT BEEF? The Fishmonger, with pickled fennel and chipotle mayo, is a punchy take on fish in a bun.

Cnr Clarendon St and Crown Riverside, city; ph: 9292 7468

themerrywell.com.au

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The Wagyu burger with chips and dipping sauce from South Melbourne Trader in Cecil St, South Melbourne

3. Wagyu Burger ($15.90) at South Melbourne Trader

Near the South Melbourne Market this unassuming little cafe is turning out one of the best burgers in town.

MAIN EVENT: Since it arrived on the menu eight months ago, the wagyu burger has “gone gangbusters” – and with very good reason. The patty – cooked pink, gloriously juicy – is simply seasoned and speaks for itself. It’s supported by some house-made Jamaican jerk sauce that adds a perfectly pitched amount of heat, while the house pickles add terrific tart crunch.

ON THE SIDE: Hand cut chips – skin on, fried to a crisp – come with the burger and are also great.

DON’T WANT BEEF? The barramundi burger with tarragon relish is a perfect pescetarian substitute.

14/111 Cecil St, South Melbourne; ph 9696 3938

tsmt.com.au

Tuckshop Takeaway in Hawthorn Rd, Caulfield.

4. Major Burger ($12) at Tuckshop Takeaway

When two Fat Duck alumni decide it’s time to trade in their fine-dining aprons to flip burgers, it’s time for the rest of us to take notice. In just six months Clinton and Karina Serex have established Tuck Shop’s reputation as the home of some of Melbourne’s best burgers with a side of lipsmacking nostalgia thrown in. Redskin milkshake anyone?

MAIN EVENT: Two choices: the minor or the major. Both come on a Noisette milk brioche bun and have lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, cheddar and Tuck Shop’s special sauce (a mix of tomato sauce, mustard and mayo) but the Major also comes with a free-range egg and bacon. Clinton makes about 180 patties each morning from three different cuts of grass-fed Gippsland beef and there’s no back-up supply so once they’re sold out – usually by about 8pm – it’s fish and chips up the road.

ON THE SIDE: Tuck Shop calls its chips ‘cuts’, which are SA-grown desiree potatoes that are hand-cut, skin-on and thrice-cooked. Sweet tooths are sorted thanks to Karina’s daily selection of retro lolly-inspired cakes, tarts and soft serve ice cream.

DON’T WANT BEEF? Try the ‘veggie-wedgie’ burger, with a patty made from beetroot, lentils and brown rice.

273 Hawthorn Rd, Caulfield North; ph 0431 406 580

twitter.com/tuckshop_melb

The Umami burger with chips, dipping sauces and ‘slaw from Nshry on Beaconsfield Pde, Albert Park.

5. Umami Burger ($22) at Nshry

With its prime beachfront real estate overlooking the bay, you’d be forgiven for thinking Nshry might leave the heavy lifting to the view. Thankfully their burgers put paid to any such notion.

MAIN EVENT: Named after the fifth taste (“pleasant savoury”) the Umami Burger takes a 200g wagyu patty, gives it a “rub” of dried mushrooms and cooks it to a juicy medium rare while gruyere melts atop. It joins caramelised onions on the base of a toasted brioche bun, while a large parmesan crisp adds a great dose of salty, cheesy crunch. It’s so good it’s no wonder this is the most popular item on the menu by a mile.

ON THE SIDE: Served with great beer-battered chips that beg to be dunked into the spicy chipotle, wasabi mayo or tomato sauces that come with, a side of slaw and a few cornichons complete this very pretty picture.

DON’T WANT BEEF? With miso pumpkin, crisp fried shallots, daikon and wasabi mayo, the slow braised pork burger is a riot of colour and flavour.

129A Beaconsfield Pde, Albert Park; ph: 9682 1077

nshry.com.au

The Royale with cheese beef burger from Royale Brothers in Church St, Brighton.

6. Royale with Cheese ($12) at Royale Brothers

Thanks to Pulp Fiction, the Royale with Cheese has been immortalised around the world. The boys from Brighton’s The Pantry have taken it as inspiration for their latest venture that opened in December.

MAIN EVENT: Served in wax paper and a brown paper bag, this burger captures all that is right with its namesake and then raises it to new heights. Pickles, onion, mustard and mayo provide sweet-sharp saucy back-up to the patty’s lead. Lettuce is a controversial addition to the glossy sweet milk bun - though not unwelcome – while the Royale sauce adds a surprising touch of spicy heat.

ON THE SIDE: Coney Island cocktail, jalapeño salsa, onion gravy or more of that spicy tomato sauce are all available to dip the good chips into.

DON’T WANT BEEF? You could try the fish, chicken or jerk pork versions, but really, here it’s all about the Royales.

rear 1 Church St, Brighton; ph: 9005 4242

royalebrothers.com.au

The Classic Beef Burger from Local Burger Co on Rathdowne Street, Carlton.

7. Classic beef burger ($10) at Local Burger Co

Since opening four months ago, Local Burger Co co-owner Evan Kipping says they’ve been “strapped to a rocket”. Locals have packed the corner store since day dot, queuing for their old-school burgers and jam jar shakes.

MAIN EVENT: The Classic is a burger of days gone by made with a modern eye for quality ingredients. A good-sized patty made from chuck and brisket with a 70/30 ratio of meat to fat – Australian beef, of course – is teamed with thick tomato slices, a bit of lettuce, house-pickled onion and the “Local Burger Co sauce” (pickles, mayo and tomato sauce). It’s a walk down memory lane that tastes better than the original ever did.

ON THE SIDE: Sweet potato fries make for a nice twist, especially when washed down with a vanilla malt shake.

DON’T WANT BEEF? Haloumi, eggplant and Granny Kipping’s tomato relish turn the mushroom burger into a meat-free marvel.

687 Rathdowne St, Carlton North; ph: 9347 7561

thelocalburgerco.com.au

Double Patty Smash burger with Kraft cheese from Rockwell and Sons on Smith St, Collingwood.

8. Double Patty Smash Burger ($11) at Rockwell and Sons

Dude food gets the clever treatment at Rockwell and Sons, but it’s their sandwiches that keep the crowds coming back.

MAIN EVENT: The double patty smash burger is a triumph celebrating – and elevating – the most humble of ingredient, the Kraft single. This burger is a juicy, oozy triumph. On toasted brioche, two medium-grilled patties are each dripping with the melted plastic cheese and slathered with a hot-pink Russian sauce-like concoction. Apart from a few crunchy gherkins thrown in for good measure, there’s nothing to distract from its meaty, cheesy goodness.

ON THE SIDE: Craft beer, of course.

DON’T WANT BEEF? The pressed rib sandwich, with dill, fennel and onion, delivers pork with just the right amount of posh.

288 Smith St, Collingwood; ph: 8415 0700

rockwellandsons.com.au

The New York Burger from New York minute in Mt Alexander Rd, Moonee Ponds.

9. New York ($12) at New York Minute

This little cafe in Moonee Ponds is bringing a slice of America to our ‘burbs in a big way.

MAIN EVENT: The New York is the burger you always wanted to make at home but didn’t know how. It’s a big, rustic take on the famed two-all-beef-patties-special sauce-lettuce-cheese-pickles-onions-on-a-sesame-seed-bun. Free-range wagyu, spinach and toasted Mr Pita buns ramp up the ingredients, while the combination of their “special sauce” and pickles deliver sharp sweetness. It’s a two-hand event in the style of a classic that over-delivers on quality and flavour.

ON THE SIDE: Add some fries and a shake and you’ll have a meal that’ll keep you happy for days.

DON’T WANT BEEF? Spinach, bacon, cheese, tomato and sweet chilli mayo elevates the chicken schnitzel burger to the heavens.

491 Mt Alexander Rd, Moonee Ponds; ph: 9043 1838

newyork-minute.com.au

Classic burger from the Burger Lounge in Main Rd, Eltham.

10. Classic ($9.50) at Burger Lounge

For the past couple of years Gerry and Florie Mustafa have been serving the good burghers of Eltham with their very good burgers – a “healthy” take on fast food. And don’t the people love them for it.

MAIN EVENT: The seed-topped sugar-free sourdough bun (from La Madre Bakery) holds a manageably hefty patty made from free-range Gippsland beef. Tomato, lettuce and red onion up the colour, while a good splodge of aioli and tomato relish add saucy goodness. It’s simple done well. You can jazz up their burgers any number of ways, from cheese – Swiss, tasty, even King Island brie or blue – through roasted pumpkin or caramelised pear.

ON THE SIDE: Handmade onion rings with garlic aioli or thick cut chips with rosemary and salt hit the spot with precision.

DON’T WANT BEEF? There are heaps of lamb, fish and veg options (more than 20 all up), but the crumbed chicken, with honey mustard mayo, Swiss cheese and caramelised onion is hard to go past.

902 Main Rd, Eltham; ph: 9431 4500

theburgerlounge.com.au

YOUR TOP BURGERS: READERS DISH UP BUNS WE OVERLOOKED