Long weekend? Check! Sun shining? Check! Over 15 burger vendors together in the one place? Check!! That was the status for the “Big Burger Biannual” event that took place at Hank Marvin’s Market at Alma Park in St Kilda East recently. It really was a burger lovers dream, so understandably, I was very excited, and the size of the crowd told me that there were plenty of other burger punters who were also relishing in this opportunity.
First decision was where to eat, and the only criteria I had was that it needed to be a place I hadn’t tried before. That didn’t narrow it down enough though as there were so many choices, so I opted for the one with the longest line, which to me, told the story and demonstrated the level of popularity I was looking for. The place was “Skipping Girl Take Away”, which is normally located in Abbotsford.
The limited pop up menu consisted of only 3 burgers – beef, chicken or “of wolf and man” which was both chicken and beef together. This time, I decided to go with just the “beef” option which came with wagyu beef patty, cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles and skipping girl sauce. My hunger grew as I waited, however despite the line being long, it moved pretty quickly, which was great because I was starving!
I was lucky enough to find a seat in the glorious sunshine, and excitedly unwrapped my burger like a kid with presents on Christmas morning. I got stuck into it almost immediately, and my first impressions were good. This was a simple, straight up burger. The meat was good and ingredients fresh. The bun was soft but way too buttery for my tastes. The best part was the Skipping Girl sauce – just the right amount of kick to make it interesting. Otherwise, the burger was kind of soft tasting and lacked texture. It could have definitely benefitted from some bacon, which would have broken up the softness.
Chips on the side were fat and tasty, which I enjoyed and despite wanting to try one of their milkshakes, given the hot weather I opted for a cold bottle of water instead!
Overall, the experience was ok. I would still like to try them in store one day, as there would be a more extensive menu plus I sense they would be even better on their home turf. I suggest you find out for yourself.
