YOMG: Krank 'N Burger

Yesterday, after a (somewhat decent) round of bowling at STRIKE, I decided to check out a local burger shop in the area that I had heard some rave reviews of. YOMG (Yo My Goodness) in Glen Waverly specialises in burgers, frozen yogurt, and milkshakes, with a huge menu containing plenty of speciality burgers. In the mood for seafood? Try the "Black Pearl" crab burger with squid ink bun. Chicken? Try the Bergerk. Want a vegetarian option? They got one, with the Vegepalooza. There's even a full vegan Tofu burger option.

In light of this large selection, I decided to try one of their limited special menu items, rather than going for the old standard traditional cheeseburger. I ordered the Krank 'N Burger, which comes with beef, cheese, lettuce, bacon, pickles, mustard, relish, and a whole cheese kransky cut in half and slapped on top of the burger.

I think my wife best described YOMG's burgers: decadent, and the Krank 'N Burger the most decadent of the lot. The milk-based bun was delicious, but heavy. The meat was juicy and tender, but thick. The kransky was an amazing addition, but my arteries cried out in terror. Just the way a good burger should be.

Needless to say, the burger was filling despite not being all that big. The combination of ingredients made the whole thing a little hard to get a handle on, but there wasn't so much sauce and relish that i made a mess. I initially misread the pickle and relish as "pickle relish" or perhaps even sauerkraut, which I believe would have given this burger the extra kick it needed. As it stood, it ended up tasting more or less the same as the Yo My with Cheese - which of course isn't necessarily a bad thing as that burger is also delicious.

The icing on the cake at YOMG was of course the milkshakes. I ordered the blue heaven milkshake, and my wife had one of the speciality salted peanut butter caramel shakes. Mine was an awesome take on an old classic, while my wife's was an incredible taste bud experience. The milkshakes were as rich and filling as the burgers, again, despite being a little on the small side.

A word of warning: if you're planning on visiting, make sure you bring plenty of cash, and be prepared to wait in line. Even on a Wednesday night at 8pm, the place was completely full. I can't imagine the crowds on a weekend... It's also one of the most expensive burgers I've ordered since starting the blog. At $16.50 just for the burger, it puts a bit of a dent in your wallet. The cheapest burger on the menu is the $9.50 Yo My With Cheese, but all of the others range between $12 and $16.50.

The fries as well will set you back $7 just for a "large" without any trimmings. I say large in quotation marks because I assumed it to be along the lines of the large fries I ordered at The Resistance the other week, and be enough for three people to share, but the serving size was quite small. It's honestly what you would expect to receive as a "side of fries" at any other restaurant. They did taste good, with the secret seasoning reminding me of Nando's patented peri-peri salt.

Overall, YOMG was a bit pricey, a bit crowded, but more than made up for it with its delicious, delicious burgers. They even have a full online ordering system where you can pick up your burgers and go home, if you don't want to fight for a table. If you're ever in Glen Waverly, you should check it out!

Taste: 10/10
Construction: 9/10
Value: 6/10
Service: 9/10
Overall: 7/10

Verdict: Come for the huge range of speciality burgers, stay for the delicious milkshakes.

Check out YOMG's website for a full menu and to order online.

The Resistance: Classic Resistance W/Bacon

The Resistance in Hawthorne is a combination bar/burger restaurant/hookah lounge. It has a seriously awesome atmosphere and is worth stopping by just to check out the charismatic owner, and relax in the bean-bag filled lounge. It also has some pretty tasty burgers.

I had one of the "special menu" burgers - the "Classic Resistance W/Bacon", which consisted of angus beef, yellow and white American cheddar, iceberg lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickles, bacon, tomato relish and resistance sauce. As the name would imply, it's simply the regular menu's "La Resistance" with bacon.

This burger was BIG with a capital B. At $13 you're getting pretty good bang for your buck, though fries will set you back an extra $3.50. The construction of the burger was solid, and while there was quite a bit of the fabled resistance sauce dribbled on, it held together fairly well and only dripped a little bit. The sauce, by the way, was delicious. It was kind of a blend of mayonnaise and spices, and really gave the burger a nice kick.

The burger itself was cooked really well - the bacon was crispy and the beef was well done. I could tell that all of the veggies were fresh, especially the lettuce that had a satisfying crunch. The bun wasn't anything to write home about but it served its purpose.

The real surprise of the night, however, wasn't the burger but the "Lord of States" fries that I ordered alongside it. Holy hell were these good. For ten bucks, you get a plate of fries, covered in grilled beef, frankfurt bits, cheese sauce, pickle relish, onion and aioli. It's a bit on the dear side for fries but its definitely worth it - this is one of the best variants of the chilli cheese fries I've ever had.

The service at The Resistance was unfortunately the worst part of the whole experience. Yes, the owner was friendly and warm, but the service was quite slow, they messed up our order, and also completely forgot to bring my friend's drink out until we reminded them.

But this was more than made up for by the aforementioned atmosphere. It's hard to get angry about having to wait a little bit longer for your food when you're chilling out in a bean bag, listening to some psychedelic tunes, and smoking some hookah.

Taste: 9/10
Construction: 10/10
Value: 7/10
Service: 6/10
Overall: 8/10

Verdict: Incredible atmosphere, delicious burgers, but service is a bit on the slow side. Go here if you want somewhere to relax all evening, not if you want to eat and run. Also freaking awesome chili cheese fries.

Check out The Resistance Bar and Cafe's Facebook page for full menu and location.

Suburban Burger: The Suburban Burger

Suburban burger is this little burger place tucked away in the south-eastern subrub of Lynbrooke. I honestly wasn't expecting much from these guys but they absoltuely blew me away. It just proves that small-town suburban restaurants can easily compete with all the big boys in the city. 

I ordered the classic "Suburban Burger" for my first outing here: Gippsland Angus, bacon, lettuce, tomato, tasty cheese, fresh onion, pickles, mustard and ketchup. The construction of the burger was incredibly solid - there was enough sauce to give it a great taste, but not too much as to make the burger greasy and slippery. I could easily pick it up and eat it with my hands, which is always a big plus.

The burger tasted great. It was cooked to a perfect well done - not overcooked or charred but still crispy and juicy in all the right places. The mustard and ketchup, like I mentioned earlier, were not overwhelming, and simply complimented the taste of the cheese, beef, and bacon. The bacon was crisp, resting on top of the cheese it really made the burger that extra bit special. The bun was homemade - I feel like the best burgers need to use homemade, fresh buns. It really adds to the crunch and helps a lot with construction.

This deliciousness comes at a price that's a little on the dear side, but still pretty reasonable. The burger is $13.50 on its own, and does not come with any sides or a drink. This would be fine if the burger was big, but it's actually a little on the small side. You can add a small side and a can of drink for $5, or a large side and a 600ml drink for $9. I opted for a beer - there is a very nice selection of craft beers on tap, so you'll be able to find the best one to pair with your burger.

The service was fast and friendly. I went with a large group including a baby, and they were able to accommodate us without any sort of fuss. Orders are taken and paid for at the counter, rather than by waitstaff.

Overall, the Suburban Burger has been one of, if not the tastiest burgers I've ever eaten in Melbourne.

Taste: 10/10
Construction: 10/10
Value: 7/10
Service: 10/10
Overall: 9/10

Verdict: Not just the best burger in the suburbs, but perhaps the best burger period. Suburban burger is a must for everyone.

Check out Suburban Burger's official website here! They do dine-in and take away.

Welcome to Bogos Burger Blog

Welcome to Bogos Burger Blog, the place where I, Steven Bogos, set out on a mission to eat and write about the best burgers that Melbourne has to offer. Melbourne's gourmet burger scene has exploded over the years, leading to so much delicious choice that I often forget that fast food burger chains like McDonalds still exist.

Navigating the site is easy. To the right, there are a couple of search conditions to find the right burger for you. You can search the archive by location, or simply view the current "top five burgers", a list that is updated whenever a new challenger dethrones a member of the top five.

Burgers themselves are ranked by four subcategories: taste, cost, construction, and service. We also have special awards for the best "cheap" burger, and the biggest burger.

Thanks for checking out my blog and I hope you enjoy it!