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Travelling Tribute

When it’s pouring with rain on a Sunday afternoon and you’re looking for something to do, a drive out to Healesville is a great way to fill in the day, especially when you get to try out a burger joint – Monroe’s Burgers & Beers. I’d heard a lot about this place in recent weeks, so was excited to finally be there.

I ordered “The Tribute” burger – fresh ground prime beef, double American cheddar, chipotle mayonnaise, streaky bacon, lettuce, grilled onion, and Sweet Baby Ray’s brown sugar and hickory barbeque sauce on a super soft milk bun. I also added an extra patty with extra cheese too.

This was a neat, well-constructed, good looking burger. First touch and the temperature seemed just right, so I grabbed hold and got stuck into it. The beef was juicy, tasty and cooked to perfection. The cheese was good and the steaky bacon gave it a good contrasting texture. The bun was “off the hook” soft and the chipotle mayo provided a nice little flavour kick too. I think it might have been good to make it more of “the lot” by adding some tomato and egg in there too.

Hand cut chips on the side was awesome, and this time I opted for a banana shake, which was ok. It was just a banana milk shake, you know?!

Overall, a good experience and a very enjoyable burger. For me, it lacked a bit of x-factor though. I can’t put my finger on it because it ticked a lot of boxes. It’s a long way to go for just a good burger, so I suggest you throw in a visit to the local Sanctuary while you’re there!

 

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What’s the furthest you would travel for a burger?
TKO – Technical Knock Out – 7.3/10

Location: Monroe’s Burgers & Beers, 228 Maroondah Highway, Healesville VIC 3777

Navigating a classic

Catching up with a friend of mine recently, and when choosing a location, to make the travel even, I picked something in between both of us. That ‘something’ was the Matthew Flinders Hotel in Chadstone. I have not been to this place in a very, very long and I was looking forward to a good, old fashioned pub styled meal.

Of course, as soon as I looked at the menu and saw a burger, the decision was easy. It was appropriately named, the “Classic Burger” – seasoned beef patty, cheddar cheese, bacon, onion, sliced tomato, lettuce, tomato sauce, mustard mayo and a brioche bun. Now, I have not had much luck when it comes to burgers at pubs and bistro’s, so I was sceptical about what this was going to be like, but I remained hopeful and positive that it would be fine.

It looked good when it arrived, and surprisingly, it tasted good too. The thick meat had lots of flavour and the cheese was melted to the patty – another tick! The other ingredients were fresh, with the bacon cooked perfectly and it was not drowned in sauce either. Brioche bun was a winner and complimented the burger nicely.

Fat chips were really tasty, and when I went to get a drink at the bar and saw that Furphy was on tap and pints on special, there was no choice to make there!

Overall, I have to say this has been the best pub burger I have had for a while. It may not be the most memorable burger of all time, but it was a solid performance from a sector that traditionally under performs. So, if you find yourself at the Matthew Flinders Hotel, make sure you give the burger a go!

 

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Where can you find a good pub burger?
Split Decision – 6.8/10

Location: Matthew Flinders Hotel, 667 Warrigal Road, Chadstone VIC 3148

Killing time

I was in the city recently and had some time to kill. I was walking down Little Bourke Street and stepped into a place called “Alibi” with the intention of having a coffee and getting some work done for an hour or so. I sat down and the waiter offered to bring me a menu. I had no intention of eating until I saw the lunch menu was mostly filled with burgers, so I very quickly decided to give it a try.

I ordered the “Alibi signature house ground Angus” burger – Angus patty, lettuce, shaved onion, tomato, American cheese and milk bun. Despite the place being almost empty, the burger seemed to take a very long time to arrive. Once it was served, it looked nice and fresh. But that was about as good as it was going to be! The meat tasted chunky and funky, the thick tomato was ice cold, reducing the overall temperature of the burger, the lettuce was tasteless and the bun was as dry as the Sahara. The whole thing lacked flavour and I didn’t even finish it as I ended up with just pieces of bun with lettuce and sauce in it.

Chips on the side were not good either, and had some pepper sprinkled on them, which gave them a weird spicy flavour. I had a water with my meal and in hindsight I should have ordered a beer to help make the experience better.

Unfortunately, this was at the wrong end of the scale for me, and I should know better than to expect a good burger from a place that obviously is not a burger joint by nature!

 

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Where have you been surprised by a burger?
Throw in the Towel – 4.4/10

Location: Alibi Kitchen & Bar, Ground Floor, 471 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne VIC 3000

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