There seems to be no end to the ever growing burger bucket list, especially when you throw in non traditional gourmet burger places like cafes and pubs. Then, the opportunity to find the ultimate burger increases considerably, so when I found myself at the Torquay Hotel recently, I figured I would try out a burger in case there was a hidden gem amongst the local pub fare.
From the 3 options available, I went with the appropriately named, “Bells Beef and Bacon Burger” with beef, bacon, lettuce, cheddar cheese, tomato relish and aioli. Being a Saturday night, the place was packed and my previous experience with pub burgers was not too good, so I was feeling a little sceptical about the likelihood of this being a “contender” or even a “knock out”.
It arrived and appeared to be a well made, tidy little package. I was so hungry, I just got straight into it, and pleasingly it was pretty tasty. It was a basic, no nonsense, pub burger that got straight to the point. The meat was good and cooked well too. Lettuce and tomato were fresh, and the bacon was the best part! Bun was a fraction dry and unfortunately, did rip apart. Tomato relish was a great flavour, but there was way too much of it for my liking. This probably also contributed to the bun falling apart too. Could have benefitted from some caramelised onion and an egg being included.
Fat chips on the side weren’t bad, and together with a locally brewed Furphy beer, my pub experience was complete. Overall, it wasn’t too bad and actually one of the better pub burgers I’ve had, although that might say as much about the quality of other places as it does about this one!?
