The Counter Burger - Crows Nest NSW

Name: The Counter Burger

Address: 118 Willoughby Street, Crows Nest NSW 2065

Burger: Custom beef burger

Price: $17.90 - Approximately $23 after customisation

I read about this place a while ago, and had been extremely excited to visit. The Counter Burger is a USA based burger chain specialising in custom-built burgers. There is a huge range of options, including beef, chicken, turkey and veggie burgers. There are three sizes to choose from (150g, 300g and 450g). The selection of cheeses is great, and the selection of toppings is amazing. On top of that, there are numerous sauces to choose from. I recently moved from Adelaide to Sydney, and a friend from Canberra came to visit. We are both burger nuts, so decided to go check it out.

Poor picture of the menu

The menu is interesting. You select what you want on your burger, and it is made for you. In addition to the custom burgers, there is a menu which offers standard burgers and various sides (such as cheese and chili/cheese fries).

My 'custom built' burger consisted of:

• 300g Beef pattie
• American Cheese
• Grilled Onions
• Lettuce Blend
• Red Onion
• Roasted Corn and Black Bean Salsa
• Honey Cured Bacon
• Dijon Balsamic Dressing
• Hamburger Bun

Beef:

One of the best things about this place is that you can order your beef to be cooked as you like. I ordered mine medium rare/rare. It was closer to medium rare/medium, but was very juicy and extremely tasty. I'm not sure what blend of meats they use, but the flavour is exceptional. It could have done with a bit more fat, but was very tasty nonetheless.

Cheese: I couldn't go past the American cheese. I love American cheese. There were some other good options on the menu (Cheddar, Colby, Danish Blue, Greek Feta, Horseradish Cheddar & Imported Swiss). The cheese wasn't melted too much when the burger arrived, but after having a few fries, it was perfectly melted. It was smooth and salty - perfect. I'm not sure if this is 'real' American cheese, or just the Australian equivalent that McDonalds Australia use (Kraft), but it was amazing. Next time I'll get the same, but probably a bit more of it!

Bun:
Although there are a few options (including english muffin and wholemeal bun), I went for the standard hamburger bun. The bun was sturdy, but failed to hold everything in. This was probably due to the fact that I poured all of the sauce onto the burger, without realising it was actually far too much! It was lightly toasted, and had quite a good flavour.

Extras:

Where do I start?? As mentioned previously, I got grilled onions, lettuce blend, red onion, roasted corn and black bean salsa and honey cured bacon. There were a few too many grilled onions (as you can see!) and they were slightly soft. They were still tasty though. The red onion added a welcome crispiness and freshness, as did the lettuce - both surprisingly fresh. The salsa was hard to detect, but I did taste it separately, and it was quite good. Not sure it added much to the overall experience though. The bacon was amazing. Perfectly cooked (crispy, but also had tender parts) and wasn't too salty. Absolutely amazing! The dijon balsamic dressing was very good. I'm still not sure if I made the right choice considering the other ingredients I chose, but it was very good nonetheless. Next time I will go for a more 'traditional' burger, consisting mainly of beef, cheese, mustard/sauce and pickles.

Fries:

In a word: Wow! My friend and I shared an order of cheese fries. I was going to go for the chili cheese fries (had them in the USA and loved them), but he wasn't keen. There was the perfect amount of melty, salty cheese. The fries were cooked perfectly, and were quite thin. The serving size was huge, and at $7 is more than worth it. It's really hard to fault these - enjoyed them a hell of a lot.

The burger my friend ordered

My friend ordered the 300g beef burger on a hamburger bun just like I did. He got bacon, american cheese, grilled onion and lettuce with BBQ sauce. He defined it as being 'great', and can't wait to go back. I couldn't agree more!

Meat

4.5/5
Cheese
4.5/5
Bun
3.5/5
Extras
4/5
Fries

4.5/5

An amazing experience. The novelty of being able to customise a burger aside, the quality of the ingredients, and care taken in the preparation were outstanding. I'm surprised they haven't been able to penetrate the Australian market further. I can't wait to go back. As mentioned, I will opt for a more 'traditional' burger next time - and will let you know how it goes!

Total:

4.2

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McDonalds Felixstow - Double Quarter Pounder

Name: McDonald's Felixstow

Address: 465-467 Payneham Rd, Felixstow SA 5070

Burger: Double Quarter Pounder (Meal)

Price: $n/a



I must admit that I love McDonald's. It's not really too good for you, it's a huge global corporation and so forth. But I don't care. I still love it. I have a few favourites from McDonald's, but I get different things quite often. I love a Big Mac, and quarter pounders. Quite often I will customise my burgers. I will sometimes get a chicken pattie inside a Big Mac (as well as the beef), or even get a double-double quarter pounder (a pounder, right?).


After a recent visit to the pub, I got a craving for grease. My friends and I stopped past McDonald's in Felixstow, and orderd some. I ordered a Double Quarter Pounder Meal, as per the menu. I also ordered a Chicken Bacon Deluxe burger, and although it will not be eligible for the leaderboard, I will review it at a later date.

According to the website, the Double Quarter Pounder consists of:

Satisfy your ultimate hunger. Take two quarter pounds* of 100% Aussie beef, then complete the tasty picture with cheese, onions, tangy mustard and pickles. Bet your mouth is watering right now.


I love the beef at Macca's. It's greasy, tasty and doesn't have 4Kg of herbs and spices in it. Couple this with the yellow, melty America-type cheese, and you have one hell of a mouth party. Overall, it's a great package. 


Beef:
Amazing. Juicy, tasty and full of beefy flavour. Unfortunately, I am yet to find a non-fastfood burger that has these qualities. The meat was fatty, but I don't eat here because I'm on a diet. Very damn good beef. 

Cheese:
It's hard to fault the cheese at McDonald's. It wasvsoft, melty and very tasty.Apparently Kraft supplies the cheese. I don't think it's the same as you can get from the supermarket here, but it's very similar to the American cheese which is synonymous with burgers in the States. It's as close to the perfect burger cheese as I've come across in Australia. Mmm.


Bun:
The bun was a soft, sesame seed bun. It was fairly well made, and rarely fall apart. McDonald's have done well to work out the perfect ratio of bun to fillings. It wasn't all that tasty, but it did a good job of being a bun. 

Extras:
As the menu says, in addition to the meat and cheese, the burger contained onions, tangy mustard, and pickles. Not many extras, but they work very well. They complimented the meat and cheese well, and are not too overpowering. The pickles were a bit soft, but this happens regularly. It didn't ruin the experience too much.


Fries:
McDonald's are famous for their fries. They are fairly consistent, but there is still some variation from store to store, and from time to time. As I didn't eat them straight away (waited until I got home), they were a bit soggy. I like this though, so it was a bonus. They tasted fantastic, but were slightly over-salted. Pretty damn good, but not the best I've had (either at Macca's, or elsewhere!). 


Meat
4.5/5
Cheese
4/5
Bun
3.5/5
Extras
3.5/5
Fries

4/5

Great burger. Perfect balance of ingredients, and most importantly, great, juicy, fatty beef with yellow, melty cheese. You really can't go wrong with a double quarter pounder. I find the normal quarter pounders to be too out of balance for my tastes, it's hard to detect the meat and cheese flavour. 

Total:

3.9

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End of Adelaide Burger Blog?

Hell no! I'd like to advise however that I am moving interstate. Sydney, NSW is the destination. This warrants a change in the review system. For the time being, the blog name will remain "Adelaide Burger Blog". Burgers throughout the country will be reviewed however. Burgers from overseas will still feature, but will not contribute to the scoreboard.

I will be in Adelaide for about a month every year, and will endeavour to sample as many delicious meaty cheese sandwiches as possible. At other times, I'd love to sample burgers which you recommend in Sydney. Any recommendations?


Burger on!

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Hope Valley Chicken Bar

Name: Hope Valley Chicken Bar

Address: 1220 Grand Junction Rd. Hope Valley

Burger: "Burger with the lot"

Price: $n/a


I have to start this post by apologising for the lack of images. I lost them unfortunately, but will endeavour to get more (meaning I'll have to get another burger!). The Hope Valley Chicken Bar is your typical neighbourhood chicken joint. They sell chickens, fries (chips), hot dogs, burgers, chicken rolls, salads, seafood and a lot more. The food here, while not exactly healthy, seems to always be fresh, and very tasty. Their chicken rolls are amazing. But this isn't a chicken roll blog!

I've had quite a few of their burgers. They are very good. I order them with the lot. From the best of my recollection, the burgers come with: Beef pattie, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, egg (beetroot sometimes), bacon and a BBQ type sauce. They are huge, tasty and very satisfying!

Beef:
The meat is great. Good thickness, juicy and tasty. Not too many additions, allowing you to taste beefiness. Just the right amount for a burger this size.

Cheese:
The cheese is generally a simple cheddar, and is usually melted to a satisfactory point. Sometimes it's not quite melted enough. It has a good flavour though, and isn't too salty. The burger could do with another slice of cheese, but this is just my opinion - I love cheese. Perhaps a little too much.

Bun:
The bun is a standard sesame seed burger bun. It's sliced in half as usual, then toasted on the same cooking surface as the rest of the ingredients. This gives the bun extra flavour, and makes sure that none of the tasty grease goes to waste. The bun itself isn't brilliant, but the toasting gives it some extra points.

Extras: 
Where do I start? There is a good mixture of extras in this burger. This is the first burger reviewed which contains egg. The egg is fried, and placed towards the top of the burger. They're always well cooked, and add a little extra flavour to the burger. A good addition, but eggs don't go well with all burgers. The lettuce, tomato and onion are always very fresh, and add a good crunch to the burger. Beetroot is ok sometimes, but can be a bit too much. It's generally fresh, and not too strong though. The bacon is cooked well, and a generous amount is included (generally covering the entire pattie). Not the best bacon I've had, but it goes well with this burger.

Fries:
As this burger is from a chicken bar, it does not automatically come with fries. I get fries anyway. The Hope Valley Chicken Bar make great chips. I'm aware they come in frozen, in huge bags, but they are always cooked well. They are NOT cooked in the same oil as the fish - a VERY important point. I hate seafood, and cannot eat fries which have a fishy taste. The staff are happy to cook your fries to order (extra crispy, soggy etc.). I generally just opt for the standard cooking time, as they are usually a bit soggy, with a few smaller, crunchy fries in the mix. Great tasting fries, if not a bit oily.

Meat 

 

Cheese

Bun    

Extras

Fries

This burger is great. There are a lot of similar places around Adelaide, but I've not visited them all (yet). This burger gets a very high rating, due to a great balance of fresh ingredients, and its traditional, simple construction, taking it to the top of the rankings. The only thing bad about getting a burger from here - choosing between it, and amazing chicken roll they make! Go pick a burger up, they are located at: 1220 Grand Junction Rd. Hope Valley (shopping center).     

Total:

3.7

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The Bilby Cafe - Warrawong Sanctuary

Warrawong Sanctuary logo (warrawong.com)

A few days ago I went for a drive up to Warrawong Sanctuary with my girlfriend. It's a great place, and an awesome place to visit - highly recommended. After walking around for a while, we decided to get something to eat. The Cafe is quite nice, and the menu more extensive than I would have thought. I had decided that if there was a burger on the menu, I'd have it. Good news - there was!

The burger was good. Better than expected. The contents, according to the menu were:

Warrawong Beef Burger: 
100% organic beef pattie, red onion, tomato, dill pickle, Swiss cheese and house-made relish served on a freshly baked damper bun.

I can't recall the price, but it was reasonable. Worth it.

Warrawong Beef Burger - Warrawong Sanctuary

Beef:

The beef was a bit different to most burgers. It wasn't different like the Palais burger, but more like the frozen type patties you can buy at the supermarket. The texture was just different - more dense it seemed. The flavour was great though. Although there was a significant amount of seasoning and spices, it didn't detract from the beefy goodness. My only complaint, is that it was a little too thin, and was over-powered by the other ingredients at times. 

Score: 3.5/5

Cheese:

Although the men indicated that the cheese was "Swiss", it seemed more like a mild cheddar or colby to me. It had a decent, salty flavour, but was not melted properly, and due to the fact that the beef wasn't too hot, it did not melt any further once it arrived at the table. It's easy to melt cheese onto patties - all it takes is a saucepan lid or something similar placed over the top of the pattie while it is on the cooking surface for 20 seconds or so. The cheese was a let down, but not a total disaster.

Score: 3/5

Bun:

The bun was very fresh. It was nice and soft, and tasted quite good. I like damper rolls/buns for burgers. They soak up the grease without breaking up most of the time. The damper bun did this, and had good flavour too, a bonus. Can't complain too much about it.

Cross section

Score: 4/5

Extras:

The extras were good. The red onion was fresh and crisp, but not too strong. The tomato was also fresh, a very important thing! The dill pickle slices were a great addition, and there were quite a few of them. The relish was great. I think it was mayonnaise based, with bits of pickle etc. There was the perfect amount - enough to taste but not too much to drown out the other flavours. All in all, very solid extras. 

Score: 4/5

Fries:

Golden and crunchy on the outside, soft and light on the inside. Although I like my fries somewhat soggy, I do enjoy fries like this. They were great. Tasted fantastic and were very fresh. There was no strong oil taste either. Fries that are cooked too long can retain too much oil and taste awful. I'd be quite happy to have them again.

Score: 4/5

Great burger! It was a good balance between fast food and pub type burgers. Good quality ingredients, and not trying anything too flashy. I would definitely have it again if I was to go back to Warrawong. Try it, you won't be disappointed.

Total score: 18.5/25

(Very good, go for it)

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