At The Dakota Find Burger Nirvana In Sydney, Bendigo & Melbourne

Following At The Dakota's first installment of lip-smacking culinary reviews, the Darwin band are back to finish the job with part two of their assessment of the nation's burger joints, frequented while on the road on their recent national tour.

Sydney: Chur Burger

Dylan

Burger: OG Beef + bacon

Always add bacon. Given. Burger came out looking like Jennifer Aniston in... basically in anything 'cos she's the dream. Did not disappoint my hungry li'l taste buds which devoured this mean burg. Beef patty and bacon combo cooked well, tasty pickles, melty cheese and a swimming pools worth of condiments. That last bit divided the boys but for me I was stoked and dove right in. Picasso in a patty. Chur, chur, chur.

Rating: 8/10

Jaxon

Burger: OG burger

Pulled into Chur Burger, had a very attractive menu but was put off early by the mega expensive prices, $28 for the lot was not a way to start. When the meal came out it looked very inviting, wasn't too bad when you take the first bite but unfortunately the excessive amounts of sauces really took over the flavour, the Patty(s) were very well cooked which is a plus. The chips were relatively standard, nothing jumped out taste wise but all in all not too bad.

Rating: 7/10

Paul

Burger: OG Burger

Don't believe the hype... Now, this is coming from someone who thinks condiments are the real MVP of any meal, but biting into this burger was saucier than a 50 Shades of Grey novel, making it hard to enjoy. The buns were delicious and a definite highlight, with everything else overshadowed by the cascades of sauce. There's definitely potential for a good burger beneath all of this with a few refinements.

Rating: 5/10

Bendigo: Boris Murgers Cafe Bar

Dylan

Burger: Bacon Murger

Holy Dooley, we backed a winner here. Boris offers up a whole swag of burgers and hot dogs at his fine establishment. I went the bacon burger and it left my belly feeling giggly. I was grinning like a Cheshire Cat as I munged down on the crispy burger patty and its bacon friends in a brioche bun. Extremely fresh lettuce, tomato, onions and pickles were the perfect accompaniment. Tomato relish and mustard? Of course, horse. Shout-out to the chips from this joint too — cut straight from the potato and cooked perfectly. Satisfied and ready for a nap. Nah, yeah, yeah.

Rating: 8.5/10

Jaxon

Burger: Bacon Murger

Needed something to fill the void after a big plane trip then a long car ride. I ordered the "Bacon Murger"; it came out a little late because of a rush, which was OK with me. I was quite happy with it all around: the bun, the patty and the extras. The chips were pretty cool; the way they were cooked, curved wedges acted as a shovel for some sauce. Everything was also very cheap, plus very good service, which is how places should be, or at least what every outlet should strive to be.

Rating: 8.5/10

Paul

Burger: Classic Murger

Whilst lacking the hipster qualities I've become accustomed to over this tour, it did not disappoint. It reminded me of a home-cooked burger made with love. Ingredients were fresh, so there were no food regrets. The chips were bangin' too. All in all, a splendid spread.

Rating: 7/10

Melbourne: Brother Burger

Dylan

Burger: Jane Burger + cheese + bacon

The great and powerful Brother Burger. The lads froth on this place and talk it up like it's Brad Pitt in Troy. Is it as tasty? Yes. Is it the best thing since sliced bread? Debatable. Got a Jane Burger with cheese and bacon (of course), and it was a delicious little thing. The patty itself is the best of any of the places we've been — so, so good. It was on the small side compared to the condiments though. Way too much lettuce. I'm not a rabbit, Mr Brother. I want meat. That being said, this place is fantastic and I see why the boys love it. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Rating: 9/10

Jaxon

Burger: Fair Dinkum Burger

Nice, open area where you can see everything that the chef does for peace of mind. Except the meat and produce, obviously, everything else is done in store: the buns, the sauce etc. I got the "Fair Dinkum" Burger. I ordered some sides also — peanut butter-and-jelly wings and onion rings — because I was extremely hungry. The burger was quite soft and easy to bite through, the patty was delicious and everything combined pretty well.

The wings were delicious; the plum sauce on the satay coating with a sprinkle of peanuts on the top was great. The onion rings didn't disappoint either, with a lovely batter and a top crunch every bite.

Rating: 8.7/10

Paul

Burger: Hot Stuff

Brother Burger is a long-term favourite of mine. It's become a Melbourne ritual and it definitely does not disappoint. "Hot Stuff": essentially your classic cheeseburger with bacon, jalapenos and chilli sauce. With everything made in-house, literally before your eyes, the quality of produce is next level. Do yourself a favour and try some PB&J wings and the homemade butterscotch milkshakes while you're at it — maybe just skip breakfast to make sure there's room. Almost flawless!

Rating: 9.5/10

At The Dakota's new EP, Melt, is available now.