Burger

Lot 3

Soda fountain with house-made sodas

Yuzu Soda

Zesty and aromatic, this soda was undeniably refreshing.

★★★★☆

Chai Latte

Creamy, subtly sweet and spicy.

★★★★☆

Refried Pasta In Red Sauce

Hearty with a delicious sweetness from the caramelised onions.

★★★☆☆

Pressed Pork Jowl In A Bun

Fantastic combination of flavours, crunchy tender pork.

★★★★☆

Eggplant Parma In A Bun

A very palatable burger except the eggplant was extremely soft and just went everywhere with every bite.

★★★★☆

Overall:

Located in the former train master’s house at Ripponlea Station, Lot 3 is a unique eatery that offers uncomplicated quality food. The owners previously worked at Attica and take pride in hand making almost everything on their menu here at Lot 3. Although there are only a handful of items on the menu, the menu does change weekly. The staff were lovely and the space is small and simple with only 16 seats available. I envy the commuters of Ripponlea Station and their easy access to this gem of a place.

Lot 3

3 Glen Eira Ave, Ripponlea, VIC

(03) 9972 9523

The Baker’s Wife

The Lamb

(crisp spiced lamb shoulder, pumpkin hummus, fried chickpeas, beetroot relish, paprika yogurt, cucumber and mint salad)

= ★★★

The Bubble and Squeak

(Bubble and squeak croquette, Italian sausage, roast tomato, fried egg, sourdough, house relish and house BBQ sauce)

I really enjoyed the croquette but the sourdough and the sausages were simply tough and dry.

= ★★

The French Toast

(The Baker’s Challah, rhubarb and strawberry compote, spiced ricotta and Canadian maple syrup)

= ★★

The Cheeseburger

(150g beef patty, Swiss cheese, brioche bun, pickled cucumbers, American mustard, lettuce, tomato and chips)

= ★★★

The Barramundi Roll

(crumbed barramundi fillet, brioche bun, fennel, apple and celery slaw, fried capers, dill aioli and chips)

Delicious combination of ingredients. Plus the barramundi fillet was very tasty and had great crunch.

= ★★★★

Nutella Donut, Hot Jam Donut, Raspberry and Custard Cruffin, Chocolate Cruffin

I definitely liked the cruffins more than the donuts…

= ★★★

Nutella Donut

…although the donut fillings were delightfully bounteous!

Overall:

Warm inviting atmosphere, average service, good selection of pastries and muffins (which are baked fresh on the premises).

The Baker’s Wife

414-418 Burke Rd, Camberwell

9809 1133

Gloria Swanston’s Kitchen

Kick-Ass Beef Burger (200g fresh-ground beef, lettuce, tomato, pickles, onion, bacon and double American cheese served with crinkle-cut chips)

I didn’t order fries! Where were my crinkle-cut chips? Meanwhile the burger was enjoyable but not memorable.

= ★★

Mustard & Gravy Pulled Pork Sliders (slow roasted Moroccan-spiced pork shoulder over coleslaw served with crinkle-cut chips)

Fries again! Not that they were bad, just not what I ordered. The juicy pork and crunchy coleslaw combination with the sliders was tasty though.

= ★★★

Overall:

An alright place for drinks and a quick bite. Come for the $9 lunch specials.

Gloria Swanston’s Kitchen

243 Swanston St, Melbourne

9663 2916

http://gloriaswanstons.com.au

Journeyman

Latte

Aromatic, noticeably milky.

★★★☆☆

Almond and cornflake crispy chicken with red cabbage slaw, coriander, lime, corn and tomato salsa on a brioche bun

Talk about a good burger! The chicken was satisfyingly crunchy and the slaw was delicious. Plus it was decently sized and very filling. I can totally picture myself ordering this again.

★★★★☆

Pulled pork benedict with poached eggs, cider vinegar hollandaise, apple and spinach

Everything was tasty except for the hollandaise sauce. It was more like a butter sauce. It was so overpoweringly buttery that I had to scrape it all to one side in order to taste the rest of the dish.

★★★☆☆

Overall:

Previously known as Dukes Coffee Roasters, Journeyman was renamed in 2014 to separate the cafe from their coffee roasting business. The menu as well as the decor have pretty much remained the same, and service was efficient. So give this place a go if you are after great coffee and/or a great chicken burger.

Journeyman

169 Chapel St, Windsor

9521 4884

http://www.journeymancafe.com.au/

Rudimentary

The Burger – soft shell crab, chili mayo, green apple, celery and mint

Flavoursome crab covered in crispy batter.

★★★☆☆

Organic Zeally Bay bun with smoked brisket, kimchi and asiago

Unexpected burger filling that would have been more enjoyable had the brisket been less salty.

★★★☆☆

Overall:

Footscray is not the first suburb that springs to mind when it comes to coffee and brunch. The owners of Rudimentary have done an excellent job at creating this earthy hipster cafe that makes you forget that you are in Footscray (that is until you look up at the high steel fencing surrounding the place). The cafe itself is cheery and vibrant with large open windows and clean neutral tones. From inside you would never guess that the building is in fact a couple of shipping containers welded together. Service was very efficient and I loved the fact that we were able to leave a name and contact number and be called when our table was ready. The menu here is quite small and has clear Asian influences (crispy pig’s ear anyone?). Everyone on our table decided to get a burger and the first thing we noticed was how incredibly thick the burger buns were. Not only were they thick but they were also quite dense making it impossible to squish down and fit into your mouth. I don’t know about you, but a cut up burger to me doesn’t taste as good as a burger I am able to hold in my hands and bite into.

In any case Rudimentary is a great addition to Footscray and I really hope that they continue to do well.

Rudimentary

16-20 Leeds St, Footscray, VIC

0497 058 173

South of Johnston

SOJO Burger of the week (Pulled Pork Burger)

Satisfying burger filled with lots of juicy pulled pork

★★★☆☆

Pancakes topped with banana, butterscotch sauce, vanilla ice cream and toasted crushed hazelnuts

★★☆☆☆

Corn fritters with a poached egg, tomato relish, avocado, smoked salmon

★★☆☆☆

Overall:

Funky eclectic decor, ordinary food, ordinary service. Might be worth your while exploring Collingwood’s many other eateries instead.

South ofJohnston

46 Oxford St, Collingwood, VIC

(03) 9417 2741

http://southofjohnston.com.au/

Parlour Diner

Lobster and Shrimp ‘Po Boy’ with Slaw and Chimichurri Salsa

★★★☆☆

Blue Ribbon Crispy Fried Chicken served with curly fries, sauce and salad

★★★☆☆

Dynamite Burger (beef patty, tomato, lettuce, cheese, pickles, chipotle, Asian slaw)

★★☆☆☆

Grilled Corn on the Cob with Spicy Lime Butter

★★★☆☆

Chocolate Peanut Butter and Banana Milkshake

★★★☆☆

Overall:

We came here for a late dinner on a weeknight and found the atmosphere, service and food to be fabulous. A special mention goes to the huge pieces of fried chicken (fantastically crispy on the outside, juicy and boneless on the inside) and the chocolate peanut butter milkshake (sweet with a hint of saltiness and contained tiny little pieces of peanut and a giant scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream). This place is quite small and the kitchen is minuscule so I can understand that waiting times for food can be quite long when it gets busy. Nevertheless if you are in the mood for decent American food, head to Parlour Diner.

Parlour Diner

64 Chapel St, Windsor, VIC

(03) 9533 2006

Breslin Bar & Grill

3 Southbank Boulevard, Southbank 9686 2110

Pork Ribs (half rack)

Fantastic melt in your mouth ribs covered in a sweet sticky sauce

=★★★

Wagyu Beef Burger with Twice cooked thick cut chips

(wagyu beef, Swiss cheese, caramelised onion, truffle mayonnaise, tomato, baby cos lettuce)

= ★★

Chorizo Croquettes

= ★★

Overall:

A friend of mine mentioned how great the ribs are at Breslin Bar & Grill and thankfully I was not disappointed. The ribs here are slow cooked for 16 hours and are then char grilled over a wood fire. A must try for those who are a fan of ribs. Ambience was great and the service was prompt.

Trunk Diner

275 Exhibition St, Melbourne 9663 7994

Golden Gaytime Milkshake

I liked this creamy toffee/honeycomb/vanilla milkshake. But then again I find the Golden Gaytime Krushers available at KFC to be equally as likeable.

= Good

The Wagyu Burger
175 gram freshly ground Wagyu beef served medium-rare, grilled brioche, baby cos lettuce, purple onion, tomato and house-made pickles

A tiny ordinary tasting burger that needed self assembling? No thanks.

= Not bad

“Huevos Rancheros”

Two fried eggs, chorizo, Mexican mixed beans, goats fetta, salsa, avocado, jalapenos and toasted tortilla

= Not bad

Overall:

Average food, good variety of milkshakes (eg. Tim Tam, Lamington, Golden Gaytime), quick service, buzzing atmosphere.

Fat Bob’s Bar & Grill

80 Cochranes Rd, Moorabbin 95550909

Hummer burger (180g grass-fed beef pattie, tomato, jalapeño, spanish onion, cucumber, tasty cheese and Fat Bob’s “Hummer” spicy mayo) with fries and tomato relish

Jackie O burger (180g grass-fed beef pattie, tomato, spanish onion, fontina cheese, cos lettuce, mustard, tomato sauce and Fat Bob’s special sauce)

Popcorn chicken with sweet chilli mayo

Overall:

Fat Bob’s had been on my places to eat list for awhile and I was very excited to finally get my hands on one of their burgers. The verdict? Solid burgers that will satisfy any burger craving. Although the beef patties were bland, it didn’t matter as the other ingredients (especially the tasty sauces) made up for this lack of flavour. I fancied the Jackie O burger more so than the Hummer burger as the ingredients in the Hummer burger reminded me of the ingredients you get in a Subway sandwich. Similar to the beef patties I found the popcorn chicken and the chips to also be bland, requiring the sauces to provide flavour. Service was friendly (note that you place your order at the counter) and the decor was perfect for a burger joint (plenty of signs, posters and glowing neon lights). Definitely give this place a go if you are in the area and have a hankering for a good burger.