Bianca: Finally, the burger gods have listened to my pleading. Concord, you finally have a cool burger joint to get excited about. I do have my favourites in Sydney and right at the tippy top of that list is Mister Gees Burger Truck. They’ve been up there since they first opened back in 2014. We had started blogging earlier that year and they quickly became my guilty pleasure. While the truck’s location has been fixed at the Haberfield address since 2015, I was always pestering owner Gee about a brick and mortar store. I just didn’t realise it would be in my own backyard (figuratively guys).
And now let me introduce you to your Happy Ending. Mister Gee’s will forever hold a place in my heart but Happy Ending has stepped things up a few notches. Here you’ll find 3 burgers, a chicken sandwich (burger), sides, specials and a few surprises to come.
There’s a discernable difference between the two projects, with Mister Gee’s having more of a ‘street’ night-time vibe. It’s always been about the whole set-up for me. Lining up, the anticipation, the hip-hop and then the eating. Happy Ending is the polar opposite, light pastels, a completely different menu and feeling.
Starting with some sides, you can go the plain Fries route but Fries w/cheese sauce is really where it’s at. I’ve only ever experienced that plastic Vesuvius American version and this is miles above anything I’ve tried.
I was smitten by the Korean Chicken Tenders (which are more like nuggets). A super crispy outer coating gives way to tender chicken thigh bites, these were particularly moreish. There was a crazy addictive honey-esque sauce coating the chicken.
Nachos -w/ cheese sauce & mango salsa sounds a little strange on paper but the combination of the mango, cilantro and cheese sauce negates all heaviness. Crunchy, creamy and greenery. I’d count this as a salad………………..
Now onto the main event. No Mustard Please -w/ dry aged beef patty, American cheese, caramelised onion & sauce No.2 $12. This would be your more traditional cheeseburger style but on crack. This was the fourth burger I tried in succession and I couldn’t tear myself away from it. Across the 3 beef burgers, the dry aged beef patties were a beautiful, juicy medium rare with a noticeable caramelised outer layer. This was really the first thing I noticed with all the beef burgers. The bun, a light Japanese style milk bun from St Malo’s Bakery (a departure from the bun used at Mister Gees) was soft and pillowy yet retained its shape and remained a sturdy vessel for its contents. Double American cheese provided some creaminess but it was really ALL about that sauce. I initially thought it was a mild sweet chilli sauce due to the fiery red specks but there was a back-note of a roasted element, from what I’m going to assume was red capsicum. I loved this burger! For the FBAS peeps, 4.8/5 pickles.
Bonus Round – w/ dry aged beef patty, American cheese, tomato, onion, pickles, sauce No.5 $14. This will satisfy those that like the addition of fresh veg. The thinly sliced Spanish onion adding some crunch and lightness. And not a lettuce leaf in sight, praise jeebus! 3.8/5 pickles.
Gee called this next burger one of his favourites on the menu. Anxiety in NYC – w/dry aged beef patty, American cheese, tarragon bacon mayo, mushroom duxelle & confit shallots $14. It’s ‘just a little bit fancy’ to quote our good friends at Mickey D’s. This French-inspired burger is the most indulgent on the menu, the ingredient ratio succinct. It’s a fairly rich burger and the eating experience is comparable to Bar Luca’s Blame Canada in the heaviness stakes. This gets 4.1/5 pickles.
And quite possibly my new favourite Sydney chicken burger. The Deep Fried Friends – deep-fried thigh fillet, American cheese, pickles, mayo & kaya butter $15. Without being too emphatic, this is worth the trip to Happy Ending alone. Crispy, moist chicken thigh. The exterior batter isn’t too cumbersome or overwhelming. The pickles adding a burst of sourness. But this burger is made by the Kaya butter, an Indonesian Coconut jam. It’s sweet, it’s salty and it’s probably going to be responsible for my impending diabeetus! 4.9/5 pickles.
It’s an exciting opening for Concord and let’s be honest, ME! It’s not a replacement for my beloved Mister Gees but the perfect accompaniment.
55 Majors Bay Road, Concord, 2137, Sydney
*For Food’s Sake worked with Happy Ending on their upcoming launch but all opinions remain our own. Especially when it comes to the burgs!
Dayumn!!! So looking forward to the fried chicken and No Mustard sounds like my kind of burger.
The Anxiety needs to get in my belly ASAP!! So does the No Mustard Please and Chicken Tenders – then I will purge and start again hahahaha. Sooooooooooooooooo delish!!
Really happy ending NOT! Walked up the road notice it was opened and walked in, as I turned to look for my wife to order a lady informed me sorry it was a private function lol no one was inside only a few people sitting on the outside tables wow. Instead of talking to me, offering something or even informing me when they were open next just went outside to speak to a couple of guys. Nice!
Great customer service! Local customer gone, so embarrassing wow. Not interested….
Michael, I’m pretty sure that “lady” was me! And I politely informed you that it was a private event (there were signs on the walls informing the public). I hope you do go back, the food is great. Wednesday night was a soft launch for bloggers/ instagrammers! And I’m a Concord local as well and very happy and proud to have Happy Ending Burgers in the neighbourhood!
Like I commented the only words that were said was private party nothing else, if you elaborated a bit more or said something else I wouldn’t have made a comment on this page. Signs only noticed as walking out written on a A4 piece paper that was barely readable which blended with the other wall. Thank you for your reply but once again like on Wednesday night no major improvement on sharing of any information wish all the best on your business venture.
Hi Michael, we only facilitated the launch. Keeping everything running smoothly, the owners were very busy running things behind the scenes. We just had to make sure all the guests were well looked after. Apologies if you were put out by the way this was communicated to you. It was a fairly stressful evening trying to co-ordinate things. Hope this clears things up for you 🙂
Further to the above and no point did I say you were rude or impolite just stated the facts.
Totally understand
Awesome. What are their opening hours?