Varsity Burgers, Northbridge – Perth, Western Australia

Bianca: Surely you didn’t think I was going to go all the way to Western Australia and not have a burger right? I allowed myself only the one burger over the 2 days we were in Perth and I settled on ‘Varsity Burgers’ due to word of mouth and general positive reviews. So after the long drive up from the Margaret River, we made our way over to the small hole in the wall burger joint. The baby sister of ‘Varsity Bar’ but with a whole menu dedicated to just burgers.

Wedged in a tiny alley between what I’m going to assume was a nightclub, it was literally 7:30pm on a Sunday night and the music was pumping. I also realised I failed to recognise a single song during our dinner, I really am getting old.

It’s a super casual affair, with disposable everything – no fuss no muss!!!

Despite my eagerness to eat ALL THE BURGERS, we got two burgers and a serving of fries and shared everything. Ordinarily I like to make a few visits and try a bunch of burgers but time was of the essence and ya know…I’m a busy lady.

First up was the ‘Double Cheese’ –w/pickles, varsity mayo and added bacon $15. When ordering I requested crispy bacon. I was taken aback by the dudes snide remark, something along the lines of “You can have it cooked or burnt, it’ll be crispy anyways”….umm rude! I’ve eaten enough burgers now to know to ask for how I like it. What arrived on the burger certainly wasn’t crispy. And that’s not even me being a pedantic nancy. Chewy sinewy fat is pleasant for no-one.

I really did want to love it because it has that Americana greasy dirty burger style I love but I wasn’t too impressed. The patty had that sausage meat texture and consistency, usually the result of salting beef prior to cooking but it still retained some juiciness, so that was a plus. I usually don’t double patties but I was curious. It was too meaty for me and so I simply removed one and it made for better eating. The cheese was in abundance, which is how I like it and they didn’t skimp on the sauce. Huge fan of the buns here, lightly toasted and held together well. For my FBAS fatties, a 2.9/5 pickles. The patty was a major let-down.

Unexpectedly it was the chicken burger that blew me away. The ‘Soul’ –w/ buttermilk fried chicken breast, cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onion and chipotle mayo $15 was a cracker of a burger. A gorgeously juicy and tender chicken breast with an ear shattering crispy coating. This is one time lettuce is a welcome addition, aiding to cut through the richness and fattiness from the fried chicken. Slight kick to the chipotle mayo. A super strong 4.2/5 pickles.

And to round out the meal, a serving of ‘Chilli Cheese Fries’ – beer battered fries with chilli con carne and cheese whip $12. Super heavy, super rich and ultimately super tasty. Fries were cooked well but way too many beans for Joyce and me.

Kind of hard to give a full rounded opinion, I like the fact they have a whole heap of add-on ingredients. So you can really tailor the burger to your specific tastebuds, peanut butter anyone?

Bianca

More WA to come!!