The sunshine and craving for a burger got me out for lunch today, so I headed to the popular Acland Street, St Kilda and went to a place called “95 Espresso Bar”. An unassuming place, but I was drawn in by the signs advertising gourmet burgers and beer – how could you go wrong??
It turned out to be a half bar, half café, half restaurant kind of place. Interestingly, for a place that was advertising gourmet burgers, there was only one burger on the menu?! Surely this must have been a mistake?! I innocently asked if there was a second menu for other burgers, however was promptly told by the waitress “no, there’s only one and it is really, really good.” Hmmmmm I sensed some over compensation?!
Needless to say, I ordered the “95 Beef Burger” – beef patty, BLT, cheese, tomato relish, red onion, and avocado. Yes, avocado!! *head shaking* Sorry, but since when do burgers come with avocado?? Anyway, I was feeling reckless, ordered ‘as is’ and got on with it, and all this on a brioche bun!
Well, the patty, bacon and cheese were quite tasty, but that’s about where it ended for me. I couldn’t taste the avocado at all, which actually annoyed me and made me start searching for it, but no luck. The reason I couldn’t taste it was the burger was covered in so much sweet, BBQ sauce, that’s all I could taste, and given the menu never said it came with BBQ sauce, I found it quite strange?! Plus the “brioche bun” was far from being soft, the lettuce was rocket, there was too much red onion and chips on the side were like a plate of crispy, tasteless leftovers. So this did not add up to a good experience at all.
The best part of the meal was the pint of “95” home brewed beer on tap to wash down the taste!!
Value for money was terrible, with the burger costing $18 and service not flash. This place also advertised how good their coffee is, and after trying their burger, suggest that’s what they stick to!
