Burgers

Changz Canteen

Truffle and Mushroom Burger

(double beef and cheese, enoki fries, mushroom ‘ketchup’, truffle, roast garlic aioli)

Juicy beef patties that were well cooked, strong truffle flavour.

★★★☆☆

Canteen Classic with Fries

(beef, chicken brick, double cheese, bacon, onion, pickles, jalapeño, lettuce, canteen sauce)

This substantial burger was distinctively peppery, while the canteen sauce reminded us of Big Mac sauce.

★★★☆☆

Fried Chicken Ribs with Aioli

These tasty ribs were coated in a super crispy batter, and are only $1 each on Sundays!

★★★☆☆

Overall:

Solid burgers, enthusiastic staff, awesome Star Wars decor. Burger joints are a dime a dozen these days in Melbourne, and although nothing we tried was phenomenal, I really hope that these guys make it.

Changz Canteen

256 Glen Eira Rd, Elsternwick, VIC

(03) 8592 4941

http://changzcanteen.com.au/

Mum’s Burger Kitchen

Pamela Burger

(double beef patty, double cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onion, garlic aioli, tomato relish)

This burger was huge and multiple bites were needed for me to get through all the layers. The taste reminded me of a Hungry Jack’s whopper except with less of a flame grilled flavour.

★★★☆☆

Macaroni and Cheese

Kind of tasted like instant mac and cheese.

★★☆☆☆

Barbara Burger

(beef, cheese, spinach, roast pumpkin, eggplant, beetroot, onion, tomato relish, avocado, basil pesto)

Really tasty. I’d definitely order this again.

★★★★☆

Bad Boy Chips

These chips took a really long time to come out but at least they were super fresh albeit underseasoned.

★★★☆☆

Overall:

The buns and burger fillings were great however the beef patties were inconsistent. Some parts would have a nice char-grill flavour, while other parts had no flavour at all. Service was friendly but seats are limited so it’s a good idea to book a table if you plan on dining during peak times. Otherwise you can simply order takeaway and enjoy your burgers somewhere else.

Mum’s Burger Kitchen

Boronia Village, 5/159 Boronia Rd, Boronia, VIC

(03) 9761 3363

Heroes Burger Diner

All Star Burger

(beef patty, cheese, bacon, egg, house BBQ sauce, sweet onion, tomato relish, American mustard, tomato sauce, added beetroot, house baked brioche bun)

Heavy and overpoweringly sweet.

★★☆☆☆

HFC Burger

(crispy fried chicken, tasty cheese, coleslaw, jalapeños, chipotle sauce, house baked brioche bun)

Also a heavy burger, but at least I could taste all the ingredients in this one.

★★☆☆☆

Curly Fries

Dry and ordinary.

★★☆☆☆

Salted Caramel Milkshake

★★★☆☆

Overall:

The decor here is awesome. Colourful comic strips line the walls and toy figures of heroes and villains are peppered throughout the diner. Service was quick and the food was well priced but ordinary. The burgers we sampled were overloaded with sauces which quickly led to soggy burgers. We also left the place smelling strongly like the grill (Korean BBQ style) so I think that the ventilation here could be improved.

Heroes Burger Diner

Shop 14/6 Fordholm Rd, Hampton Park, VIC

(03) 8768 8868

Mr Scruff’s

Poutine Chips with Cheese, Gravy and Bacon

★★★★☆

Salt & Vinegar Onion Rings with Scruff’s Special Sauce

★★★☆☆

Beef Burger with American Cheese, Cos, Pickles, and Scruff’s Special Sauce

★★★☆☆

Crispy Chicken Burger with Pickled Ginger, Kewpie Mayo, Cos and BBQ Sauce

★★★☆☆

Snickers Waffle with Peanut Praline, Salted Caramel, Vanilla Ice Cream and Shaved Chocolate

This was a lot smaller than I anticipated.

★★★☆☆

Overall:

I can totally understand why this place is so popular. The vibe is great and the food is pretty damn tasty. The best thing about Mr Scruff’s is that every Wednesdays between 6pm – 10pm the food is HALF PRICE! And it’s not like the prices here are expensive to begin with, so it works out to be a seriously awesome deal.

Mr Scruff’s

60 Smith St, Collingwood, VIC

(03) 9995 3881

http://www.mrscruffs.com.au/

JD’s Burgers

King Kai

(signature Asian fusion beef patty, American cheese, bacon, Spanish onion, beer battered onion rings, lettuce and “afterlife” BBQ sauce on a brioche bun)

★★★★☆

Golden beer battered chips coated with JD’s seasoning

★★★★☆

Ultimate Black Pepper

(signature Asian fusion beef patty, HK black pepper sauce, American cheese, bacon, mushrooms, Spanish onion, lettuce, tomato and Japanese mayonnaise on a salad)

★★★☆☆

Overall:

I am always on the look out for good burger places, and JD’s Burgers certainly know how to make good burgers. When we visited, their menu offered 19 different burgers that incorporated exotic flavours from around the world. The burgers are served on either a premium French brioche bun or a salad (but let’s be honest, at a burger place you don’t win friends with salad!) The service was quick and friendly, and the dining area small and simple. Note that they also offer some crazy burger challenges for those who dare: a 1.5kg burger and a 4kg burger!!

JD’s Burgers

17 Hamilton St, Mont Albert, VIC

(03) 8590 6448

http://jdsburgers.com.au/

Leonard’s House of Love

Original Fried Chicken Tenders with Pickles and Chipotle Mayo

Fairly average chicken with terrific chipotle mayo.

★★☆☆☆

Cheeseburger

(beef brisket and short rib patty, special sauce, cheese, onion, green oak lettuce)

Tasty patty that was cooked perfectly.

★★★☆☆

Charcoal Chicken Fries

(fries, pepper gravy, onion, stuffing, cheese sauce)

★★★☆☆

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner

(1/2 chicken, jacket potato, sour cream, fries, Greek salad, dinner roll and gravy)

What a feast this was! And special mention goes to the awesome gravy.

★★★☆☆

Overall:

This unassuming bar is located in a small street right off Chapel St and offer a small and simple menu of American comfort foods. The staff were friendly however there was a considerable amount of wait time before our food arrived. Nevertheless I really liked the vibe of this place and would definitely come back for drinks and a snack or two.

Leonard’s House of Love

3 Wilson St, South Yarra, VIC

0428 066 778

Royal Stacks

The King

All Australian pasture fed beef patty, tomato, butter lettuce, hand made mac & cheese croquettes, American mustard, special burger sauce

The fantastic mac & cheese croquettes undoubtedly added something special to this burger.

★★★★☆

Queen Bee

Hand made chickpea patty, tomato, butter lettuce, American cheddar, special burger sauce, pickles

It had been a while since my last veggie burger experience and I’d forgotten how great they can be when the right ingredients are used.

★★★★☆

Miss Elizabeth

All Australian pasture fed beef patty, Swiss cheese, truffle mayo

I pretty much inhaled this burger! Deliciously simple and definitely crave-worthy.

★★★★☆

Saint

Two all Australian pasture fed beef patties, tomato, butter lettuce, bacon, American cheddar, raw onion, chipotle mayo, pickled jalapeños

One heck of a tasty and good looking burger!

★★★★☆

Fries

If you like McDonald’s fries, then these are for you.

★★★☆☆

Potato Gems

I know this may sound a bit weird, but these humble potato gems were the epitome of potato gem perfection! Perfectly seasoned and unbelievably crunchy on the outside with soft fluffy potato on the inside.

★★★★★

Frozen Custard

Salted Caramel, Mixture of Chocolate/Cheesecake/Peanut Butter, Kinder Surprise

★★★☆☆

Overall:

Royal Stacks is one of Melbourne’s newest burger joints and I was fortunate enough to be invited to one of their launch nights last week. This American-style fast food eatery is Dani Zeini’s latest venture (in case you didn’t know, he’s the guy behind Dandenong Pavilion, Grand Trailer Park Taverna, Easey’s and Truck Stop Deluxe) and needless to say, I had high expectations. But of course my expectations were met, as the food here was pretty darn tasty! Each burger was consistently good and you could tell that the beef they used was of high quality. It turns out that all of their beef is all Australian, pasture fed, GMO free with no added hormones or antibiotics and is minced fresh daily. The locally made bread is baked fresh daily and is free from any additives, while the gelato and frozen custard is sourced from 7 Apples. If the CBD is a bit tricky for you to get to, don’t stress because a Brunswick store and a Dandenong store will be opening within the next few months. So head to Royal Stacks where the food is fit for a king (or a queen)!

Royal Stacks

470 Collins St, Melbourne, VIC

(03) 9793 2133

http://royalstacks.com.au/

*Disclaimer: I dined as a guest of Zilla & Brook and Royal Stacks.

Mick Adams Burger Bar

Kostaki Fried Chicken

(spicy fried chicken, iceberg lettuce, avocado, chilli jam, radish, coriander, mint and chilli mayo)

Amazing toppings but the dry overly fried chicken prevented this good burger from being a great burger.

★★★☆☆

The Big T

(two premium beef patties, double cheddar, pickles, cos lettuce, tomato, aioli, ketchup)

Ordinary but satisfying.

★★☆☆☆

Truffle Parmesan Chips

These needed a good mix as all the parmesan was on top while all the truffle was at the bottom.

★★☆☆☆

Overall:

With so many burger places popping up all over Melbourne, I was hoping that Mick Adams Burger Bar offered something special that would make it stand out from the crowd. Service here was efficient and the atmosphere casual. Although the food was good, unfortunately it wasn’t good enough to bring this place straight into my mind the next time I get a burger craving.

Mick Adams Burger Bar

38 Portman St, Oakleigh, VIC

(03) 9563 0331

Cafe 51

The Meataxe

(beef patty, crispy southern fried chicken, crispy bacon, double dirty cheese, lettuce, onion rings, two jalapeno poppers, chipotle and XXX BBQ sauce)

★★★☆☆

Mac Daddy

(mac’n’cheese, triple dirty cheese, beef patty, potato cake, slow cooked beef brisket, crispy bacon, ketchup, mustard and mayo)

★★★☆☆

Soul Sister

(crispy southern fried chicken, American cheddar, crispy bacon, hand cut pickles, house made chipotle, American mustard and maple syrup in a toasted waffle)

★★★☆☆

Disco Fries

(fries, melted cheese and gravy)

★★★☆☆

Dirty Fries

(fries, bacon, melted cheese and ranch sauce)

★★★☆☆

Overall:

Look no further than Cafe 51 for big juicy burgers that are stacked high with tasty fillings. There are plenty of creatively named burgers to choose from as well as a variety of hot dogs, subs, fries and shakes. Service was quick and everything was good value for money. Although this place is in the middle of nowhere, it has undoubtedly become quite popular. We thankfully arrived before the lunch time rush and managed to grab some seats at one of their few tables. This visit certainly earned me an extra gym session, but I’d like to think that it was worth it.

Cafe 51

51 Buckhurst St, South Melbourne, VIC

(03) 9699 7853

http://www.cafe51.com.au/

Goneburger

The Chicken

(Flame grilled chicken thighs marinated in white wine, garlic, lemon and rosemary, smothered in rich melted camembert and served with cranberry sauce, lettuce, tomato, onion and tangy garlic aioli on a toasted brioche bun)

Loved the camembert and flame grilled chicken combination!

★★★★☆

The Beef

(House crafted beef patty made from a blend of beef chuck and grass fed short rib beef with unique GB sauce, lettuce, tomato, red onion, cheese and pickles on a toasted brioche bun)

A simple burger done well.

★★★★☆

Baby Back Ribs

(Roasted pork ribs covered in a house spice blend and BBQ sauce)

These ribs were a bargain for $15 and were surprisingly fantastic! The ribs were well marinated and the meat was fabulously tender and simply fell off the bone.

★★★★☆

Truffled Macaroni and Cheese

(Macaroni and three cheese sauce and truffle oil

Cheesy, truffle-y, very filling.

★★★☆☆

Overall:

We stumbled across Goneburger after our original dinner plans fell through, and what a great find this place turned out to be! The food was top-notch and the ambience was very relaxed. We went on a Tuesday night and our friendly waiter was also the barman as well as the cashier. It was basically a one man show but he did a great job and everything ran smoothly. This pop up restaurant is currently contracted with Mavis Brown’s Bar until February, so make sure you visit by then! Note that this place is open 6 days a week (closed on Mondays) from 3pm.

Goneburger

35-37 Fitzroy St, St Kilda, VIC

0458 928 265

http://www.goneburgerbar.com/