Out and about again in Port Douglas recently, enjoying the sunshine and local surrounds, when the internal lunch bell started to ring. This time I headed to the “Court House Hotel” at the end of the Main Street. This is a really open, inviting looking place that sweeps across the corner block. Unfortunately, the upstairs dining was not open, however street side just outside the bar was relaxing enough.
After not having much luck with the local burger scene, my intentions were to avoid having another burger, however the menu presented a compromise that I thought would be worthwhile – the “Tropical Chicken Burger” – char-grilled breast fillet served on a soft burger bun with crispy bacon, lettuce, tomato, tasty cheese, pineapple and BBQ sauce. Excluding the times when I have added fried chicken to a beef burger, this is the first time the Great Burger Caper has reviewed a straight up chicken burger. It’s probably the first time I’ve even ordered one too, aside from the occasional KFC or Red Rooster quick fix of course!
Anyway, back to the experience….. I was excited as I waited for my meal, simply because it was something different and I didn’t know what to expect. It arrived reasonably quickly, and looked the goods!! The first bite was so good. The chicken really was cooked perfectly and I could taste each of the other ingredients without any of them being over powering too . The pineapple vs BBQ sauce either side of the chicken worked perfectly, and everything was really fresh too. It was a tropical feel all round, with the lightness of this burger being a great compliment to the beautiful weather and relaxed surrounds.
Chips on the side were decidedly tasty too. Throw in a couple of schooners of James Squires 150 Lashes and I could have sat there all afternoon, soaking up the atmosphere.
This burger was definitely a surprise packet, and turned out to be proof that taking a risk can pay off sometimes. Whilst it is hard to judge against beef burgers, it was certainly the best burger I had in Port Douglas, and hands down the best chicken burger I have ever reviewed!!
