SERPENT’S HEAVEN KITCHEN (First edition)

Bonjour, unfortunately Manu couldn’t be here today, he’s too busy pretending he created a magnum flavour and pretending he speaks fluent English. But thankfully the serpent is here to review the very best new foods and new food trends that are occurring around Melbourne town.

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This week I have finally decided to write about a trend which continues to rise and has been rising for sometime already, the Americanised burger concept. Or a better explanation for this, the Austra-American Burger Revolution, which describes the rising popularity of American styled burgers in Australia.

The Americans have always had a choke hold on Australian pop culture, in particularly the film and music industries but food is something that is not only American but very multicultural. The same can be argued with the other categories but to a lesser extent. However once you buy your Steph Curry NBA GSW Guernsey you say “hey dude, what burger are we getting today?” That’s right once we put on our SnapBack, Nike kit, beats, and our NBA Guernseys we decide to go and have an American style feed, how Australian.

But I think this trend needs a real pump up because it’s taken Melbourne by storm and it’s had a real impact on what people are deciding to eat. The biggest promoter for these American style burger places is social media and us as the likely consumers of this new craze.

Social media has put out the ratings for the different burger establishments but more importantly they’ve posted the amazing photos that follow them the irresistible snapshots of these triple patty, double cheese, double bacon masterpieces, which really catches the eyes of many and entices them to try this new phenomenon.

But now it’s time for my restaurant or tuck shop ratings for this weeks Americanised burgers.

Huxtaburger ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Love the burgers at Huxtaburger, incredibly flavoursome, well priced, good atmosphere, clever member sign up and friendly staff.

Recommendation: ‘Theo’ burger- it’s mustard, Mayo, tomato sauce, double cheese, lettuce, pickles, double patty, BBQ sauce.
Why? Very flavoursome, intense burst of different flavours, a little tangy, well presented and filling

Criticism: Crinkle cut fries were average with no real range of sauces/ chip dippers. Burger took half an hour on a quiet day

(5 stars)

8-Bit (Footscray) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Very filling and tasty burgers, very impressive onion rings and tangy sauce, brilliant restaurant layout with nostalgic retro, arcade style furnishing, reminiscent of 8-bit theme, the menus and decor are all really designed. Quick service and friendly staff.

Recommendation: Double Dragon- double beef, double cheese, double bacon, pickles, mustard, lettuce, ketchup and 8 bit sauce. Quite flavoursome, every bite is a joy, BBQ sauce is very complimentary with the succulent double patty. Will fill you up so there with an empty stomach.

Criticism: By all the reports the 8-Bit in the CBD isn’t at the same flavour standards as original 8-Bit in Footscray.

(4 stars)

Dribbles ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
Very creative flavour burst in their burgers, an inventive use of Dijon mustard and very succulent beef patties, the onions rings are one of the best I’ve had and the accompaniment of Dijon mustard creates an energetic flavour burst. The restaurant is NBA themed, from the decor to the burgers named after famous NBA greats.

Recommendation: Shaq Stack- the biggest burger on the menu, double beef patty, double cheese, double bacon, caramelised onion, tomato, lettuce, Dijon mustard, dribbles sauce, and BBQ sauce. A must have burger when you’re at Dribbles, big burger in a well suited rectangle holder, Dijon mustard makes this burger, very flavoursome and filling.

Criticism: When the burger eventually arrived it wasn’t hot in temperature. Cheesy fries are average, cheese wasn’t well melted, in general, a bit overpriced.

(3 1/2 stars)

Rude Boy ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
Hidden in an apartment complex, these burger place nearly on the scene is really gaining some popularity, was packed when I went. Presentation is outstanding of all the food, the different varies of hot chips were really creative, unique and diverse. The burgers were very filling and quite flavoursome.

Recommendation: Fried Chicken Parma Bun- Milawa Free-Range Chicken, Crispy Prosciutto, tomato, basil, sauce, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, mustard and ketchup. Really impressive burger, if you’re a chicken parma fan this is the burger for you. Sauce is delicious and taste’s like marinara, and the chicken fillet is beautifully crumbed and is complimented well by the parma elements in the burger.

Criticism: Beef Patties are not too flavoursome and are quite bland and little undercooked. Bacon had too much fat, and the food took ages.

(3 1/2 stars)

Royal Stacks ⭐️⭐️1/2
Extravagant building, large jars of Nutella on entry and again a very Americanised restaurant. Well presented burgers and fries, in numerous locations. Large variety of ‘concrete mixers’ and milkshakes.

Recommendation: The Saint- double patties, chipotle mayo and jalapeños, lettuce, tomato, cheese. A big flavour kick from this burger, beef patties were small but very flavoursome and juicy, and the overall burger is seasoned well.

Criticism: Overrated! Expected so much more from Royal Stacks, the most expensive and highly praised burger on the menu the King was below par. The Mac cheese croquette was dry and not to flavoursome. Although the patties were well done the burger itself was not filling and not flavoursome enough. The potato gems were okay but the cheese after a few minutes was dry and tasteless.

(2 1/2 stars)

Bad Boys Burgers ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This small shack near China Town in the CBD really surprised me and I was very satisfied with the variety of burgers and the flavour balance and portions of the meals. The meal combos are impressive, with any choice of burger, beer battered fries or onion rings and a boutique drink, it sizes up to be a really flavoursome and filling meal. They even do $50 family dinner boxes which are a big hit, along with their ranges of milkshakes and coffees.

Recommended: Cheesy Boy- single beef patty, double cheese, onion, pickles, mustard and ketchup. Really flavoursome, well balanced in a combo with onion rings, one of my favourites, I’m usually a bit cheeky and add an extra beef patty and friend chicken to be a bad boy and that is sensational!

Criticism: Small place so the service isn’t the best, steer clear of the beer battered chips as the two occasions I’ve been there either my mates or I have received chips which were undercooked.

(4 stars)
Laurie Dee’s ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This place did impress me a lot. The decor is reminiscent of a stereotypical American diner with the separate booths and the red leather seats. The burgers were very unique with the use of mint sauce and the burger presented wrapped in foil, and the loaded fries are just a wonder to look at exceptional presentation.

Recommendation: The Laurie Dee Double- Fresh minced patty (double) caramelised onions, cheddar, special D’Sauce, tomato, lettuce, diced pickles and relish.
The special D’Sauce is the mint sauce and at first I wasn’t sure if it would work but trust me it did, it was a very flavoursome and incredibly filling burger, need an appetite for the double patty

Chilli cheese fries: Laurie Dee’s fries topped with beef chilli, cheese sauce and diced onions. Really delicious chips, not too spicy, definitely a serving that needs to be shared, lovely combination in these fries, one of the best loaded fries I’ve had.
Criticism: Beef patties were a little bland and relied too heavily on the other ingredients in the burger, pretty expensive and the service isn’t the best.

(4 stars)

Thank you for reading the Serpent’s Heaven Kitchen, we hope you enjoyed the reviews of the new Americanised burger restaurants, be sure to check them out and if you disagree with some of the reviews, feel free to comment below.

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Au Revoir