The weather was perfect this afternoon to get out and about, and I finally got myself to Café 51 in South Melbourne. I have read and heard plenty of good things about this place, so I was super excited to find out what all the talk was about. I thought I’d go late afternoon and miss the rush, but it was still busy and about a 30 minute wait from ordering.
There is something for everyone on the menu, and it is split into sizes. Given it was late, and I was starving, I went to the BIG end of the menu. I also knew that I wanted to try something completely different today. Now, I must admit, in the past I have been extremely sceptical (and critical) of beef burgers that also contain fried chicken. Today, I decided to find out for myself.
I ordered “The Boss”, which came with a Juicy Lucy patty (ie 2 beef patties moulded together and stuffed with american cheddar), a fillet of crispy southern fried chicken, triple cheese, double bacon, 2 deep fried mozzarella sticks, ketchup, mustard and mayo! When it arrived, it was held together with a skewer and it looked amazing. I wasn’t sure how I was going to eat it. I picked it up and was trying to decide which way to attack this beast, and at the same time felt it falling in my hands, so I held on tight and just went for it!
At first, I was taking bites all over the place to even it up, and then I started to get my rhythm. The meat was so juicy and tasty. The chicken was delightful. The contrasting textures of the crispy chicken against the juicy patties and the cheese against the bacon worked perfectly. Despite being a very, very cheesy and juicy experience, the soft, lightly toasted bun withheld the pressure too!!
This was a decent sized burger, and whilst finishing it was never in doubt, there were a few slow deep breaths towards the end!
Only criticism was that the chips on the side were very ordinary, and some of them weren’t cooked properly, but it was late in the day and given how good the burger was, it could be forgiven!
Great prices here, with this burger being one of the more expensive and still only $12. You can also add a small chips and can to any burger for only $3!!
I never knew a beef burger with fried chicken would taste so good! Having said that, I’m not sure that would always be the case, but this place did it well! Time to find out for yourself!
