Fat Staks - Uni Hill, Bundoora
I got up at 4am today for work and boy oh boy was I hungry when I finished my shift. We went to Fat Staks in Bundoora to silence the ruckus in my stomach and suffice to say not only did I silence it, but I almost put myself in a coma.
I opted for the Triplestory, which contains southern fried chicken, pulled pork, bacon, cheese, deep-fried mac 'n' cheese, barbecue sauce and Staks sauce. It's a bloody big burger, so big in fact that I gave up on eating it whole and just ate the individual ingredients. Doing so allowed me to conduct a finer analysis of the burgy. The chicken is succulent and just as good as any bit of fried chicken from anywhere else, although Chloe thought it was a bit bland. The bacon is cooked the way I like it, succulent and tender. It's not cooked to a dry, bitter crisp, which I really appreciate as when bacon is cooked like that it really detracts from a burgy rather than adding to it. The deep-fried mac 'n' cheese is good but also very rich, adding a lot of weight to the burgy. The pulled pork isn't so flash and I don't think the burgy would lose anything points if it was done away with (but then it wouldn't be a triplestory...). On the other hand, Chloe liked the pulled pork over every other butchered animal to feature in today's burgies, remarking that it's very sweet. Maybe I just didn't notice the sweetness over all the sauce, or maybe the pork got lost in all the flavours of this monster burgy. It's definitely the biggest one I've tackled to date and was the hardest to finish. To borrow a line from Maximus, this is a man-sized burgy. If you have little hands then you're going to struggle to get a good grip.
Chloe and her best mate Zammo had a BBQbobba each. Packing a beef patty, pulled pork, bacon, cheese, onion rings, caramelised onions, barbecue sauce and mayo, this burgy isn't too bad. It reads a little better than it tastes, but I can't knock it. Maybe the onion rings, caramelised onions and barbecue sauce all made it a little too sweet for my liking. It was still good though, and from an aesthetic point of view it was big and beautiful without being a dribbling mess.
The onion rings are strong here, dark golden and crunchy. They go toe-to-toe with the rings from Hello Harry, but where they differ is that they are less sweet than their Lilydale counterparts.
In my opinion the fries are just fries really, but if the burgies are anything to go by, the loaded varieties are probably dynamite. However, Chloe and Zammo really dug them, with the seasoning highlighted as a strong point.
I opted for the Triplestory, which contains southern fried chicken, pulled pork, bacon, cheese, deep-fried mac 'n' cheese, barbecue sauce and Staks sauce. It's a bloody big burger, so big in fact that I gave up on eating it whole and just ate the individual ingredients. Doing so allowed me to conduct a finer analysis of the burgy. The chicken is succulent and just as good as any bit of fried chicken from anywhere else, although Chloe thought it was a bit bland. The bacon is cooked the way I like it, succulent and tender. It's not cooked to a dry, bitter crisp, which I really appreciate as when bacon is cooked like that it really detracts from a burgy rather than adding to it. The deep-fried mac 'n' cheese is good but also very rich, adding a lot of weight to the burgy. The pulled pork isn't so flash and I don't think the burgy would lose anything points if it was done away with (but then it wouldn't be a triplestory...). On the other hand, Chloe liked the pulled pork over every other butchered animal to feature in today's burgies, remarking that it's very sweet. Maybe I just didn't notice the sweetness over all the sauce, or maybe the pork got lost in all the flavours of this monster burgy. It's definitely the biggest one I've tackled to date and was the hardest to finish. To borrow a line from Maximus, this is a man-sized burgy. If you have little hands then you're going to struggle to get a good grip.
Chloe and her best mate Zammo had a BBQbobba each. Packing a beef patty, pulled pork, bacon, cheese, onion rings, caramelised onions, barbecue sauce and mayo, this burgy isn't too bad. It reads a little better than it tastes, but I can't knock it. Maybe the onion rings, caramelised onions and barbecue sauce all made it a little too sweet for my liking. It was still good though, and from an aesthetic point of view it was big and beautiful without being a dribbling mess.
The onion rings are strong here, dark golden and crunchy. They go toe-to-toe with the rings from Hello Harry, but where they differ is that they are less sweet than their Lilydale counterparts.
In my opinion the fries are just fries really, but if the burgies are anything to go by, the loaded varieties are probably dynamite. However, Chloe and Zammo really dug them, with the seasoning highlighted as a strong point.
Head-to-Head
The points go to the Triplestory today. It's overwhelming at times but I think that only adds to its supremacy.
Pricing
I shelled out $27.40 for today's meal. The burger accounted for $16.90, the onion rings contributed $7 and the lemon, lime and bitters came in at $3.50.
Ambience
Even though the burgers are built like they are straight outta Texas, Fat Staks is quite a stylish and slick restaurant. It's casual but somewhat classy at the same time and doesn't try too hard to incorporate a hip or trendy theme, letting the food do the talking. To be honest, it's a refreshing experience, especially in the context of the burgy scene. The service is also probably the best we've ever experienced. The staff are friendly and polite to a fault, and the owner knows how to have a bit of banter. When he says goodbye he calls you by name, which is something I can safely say I have never experienced before.
Dietary Requirements
While I've made this joint sound like a slaughterhouse, vegan and vegetarians can dine here (vegans might have to ask for minor adjustments).
Address
12 Ormond Boulevard, Bundoora.
The Last Bite
Look, I recommend every burgy joint we go to as I think they all have something good to offer. As far as Fat Staks goes, all I can I say is put it on top of your list of places to eat. Big burgies and big service make this place more American than every joint that tries to lay claim to the title. It's an experience and a half.
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