Ribs and Burgers

1/862 Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn

As the name suggests, Ribs and Burgers is a nationwide restaurant specializing in Ribs and Burgers. They have four locations in Victoria alone and their website claims to be the best burger restaurant in Australia. 

 Old school cheese

Although I would not call myself a "purist" when it comes to burgers, I definitely enjoy something basic over one of those burgers that are so packed that eating them becomes a challenge. The old school cheese burger is a shining example of one of these more basic burgers, with an amazing char-grilled beef patty topped with cheese, onion, pickles and sauces.

Small rack of ribs

In contrast to the old school cheese burger, which had an lovely char-grilled flavour and aroma, the ribs were a slight letdown. Although the ribs were tender with a slight bite to them, the sauce they used, which they describe as their "signature bbq basting" was actually quite weak and not at all what I expected.

The food at Ribs and Burgers was definitely of a higher quality than I had expected. Even when I visit more established and well known burger restaurants I often find myself disappointed with the offerings, so I was happy with how the old school cheese burger at Ribs and Burgers turned out. If for nothing else, I would visit them again just for the burger.

Food Rating 8/10

Overall Rating 8/10

TGI Fridays

Westfield Doncaster Shopping Centre, 619 Doncaster Road, Doncaster

TGI Fridays is one of the biggest American restaurant chains in Melbourne and as such has found much popularity. While they have always been quite popular, I have generally avoided visiting TGI Fridays due to the poor experience of some of my friends. Despite this, as TGI Fridays features in this years Entertainment Book, we decided to visit them for a family dinner anyway.

TGI Fridays

Coconut thick-shake

Although I am a big fan of coconut, the coconut thick-shake at TGI Fridays was a little lackluster. The thick-shake mainly tasted of cream and dairy rather than coconut and while there was a small amount of coconut taste in the shake, it was a little strange.

Dry aged rib-eye on the bone

Jack Daniel's rib, steak and prawns platter

TGI Fridays is quite well known for their meat dishes, ranging from wings to burgers, steaks, ribs and many other dishes. The meat dishes we ordered for our meal had a lot of ups and downs. The Jack Daniels sauce and the ribs were tasty and tender, the sauce in particular was packed with flavour which I enjoyed. On the other hand, the steaks on both of the dishes were overcooked and had become a little tough, with the rib-eye dish in particular being disappointing in both taste, execution and presentation.

We specifically visited on a weekday night where there would be fewer patrons in the restaurant, as we had seen the restaurant quite packed on other nights due to its popularity. Despite this, our food still took over 50 minutes to arrive, by which time we were absolutely starving. A redeeming factor was that the waiter who was serving us was very friendly and apologetic about the wait for the food.

Food Rating 6.5/10

Overall Rating 6/10

Huxtaburger

681 Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn

Ever since Huxtaburger came to Melbourne, it has been the go to place for good quality burgers without having to spend a fortune. With five outlets in Melbourne, many of my friends and colleagues regularly recommend a visit to Huxtaburger when I talk about the different burger options in Melbourne.

Clean and bright interior

 Strawberry milkshake

 The Theo

The Theo is a burger containing double grass fed beef patties, double cheese, bacon, BBQ sauce, mustard, mayo, lettuce and pickles. The balance of the flavours is done quite well, especially considering the different sauces that are used and the beef patties are juicy and flavourful. However, since the sauces are placed on the bottom and the double patties are quite juicy, the bottom of the bun disintegrated while I was eating it. 

Chips

Although the structural integrity of my burger was questionable, the flavour and composition of the burger was excellent. With that in mind, I would definitely visit Huxtaburger again, but I would most likely choose a smaller burger, such as the classic "HuxtaBurger".

Food Rating 7/10

Overall Rating 7/10

YOMG

67 Kingsway, Glen Waverley

Originally a frozen yogurt store in Mordialloc, YOMG has since expanded to 4 more locations including Mornington, Malvern, Cairns and Glen Waverley. Last year when they expanded to Glen Waverley they also expanded their food menu with a selection of 11 burgers, topped fries, wings and a range of shakes.

Glen Waverley's Kingsway

Clean and bright interior

YOMG

Shang-fry $10.00

The Shang-Fry is in a weird place in terms of size, where it is not quite big enough to be a meal by itself, but is too much when ordered with a burger. However the flavours and and balance of the Shang-fry as a snack is perfect, the only problem being that you have to eat it quickly in order for the chips to not get soggy.

Luau Luau $14.50

When visiting a burger joint I don't usually order chicken burgers as I haven't had great experiences with them, however the Luau Luau sounded almost irresistible and I was also in the mood for something different. The burger itself was lovely, the chicken was nicely cooked and tender while the flavours were enhanced by the saltiness of the bacon and the sweetness of the grilled pineapple. A small problem I found with the burger was that the huge slices of pineapple had some of the core left in it, causing the burger to be a little hard to bite through.

The laid back atmosphere, friendly staff and range of food really make YOMG a great hangout spot. I will definitely be back to try their frozen yogurt and shakes.

Food Rating 8/10

Overall Rating 8/10

8bit

231 Swanston Street, Melbourne

8bit is a trendy little restaurant serving burgers, hot-dogs and milkshakes, which originated in Footscray. 8bit takes inspiration for its name and style from the 8-bit video game era in the 1980s, which is shown in their decor and name. The city store also has a lot of small quirks ranging from their colour schemes to the arcade machine which, makes 8bit a fun place to visit.

8bit Swanston Street

Insanely busy night

Altered beast $10.50

The altered beast was a burger which had beef, bacon, cheese, grilled onions, lettuce, 8bit sauce and BBQ sauce. The beef was cooked nicely, it was still a tiny bit red in the center so it was still juicy. The burger was also constructed in a way which kept the toasted buns from getting soggy from the juices which was a nice touch.

Beer battered fries $3.50

The beer battered fries were a bit of a disappointment, they tasted very similar to the chips you would get at Schnitz except a little bit crispier. 

8bit is better that a lot of the fast food style restaurants available around the city. I would definitely give it a try as they make a good burger for the price, but there are definitely better burgers to be found for those that look hard enough.

Food Rating 7/10

Overall Rating 7/10