These days no one bats an eyelid if a burger shop pulls out a stack piled high with bacon, three patties, a mountain of sliced cheese, fried chicken, and whatever else they can fry up. But with all the mega burgers around town, it's easy to lose sight of the basics of what makes a decent patty, which is what Burger Theory is doing in their La Trobe Street diner.
As it does on home turf, the Adelaide-born business makes all its patties and sauces from scratch onsite. The La Trobe Street venue, the first in Melbourne, will have its preparation station front and centre in the space which used to house the Duke of Kent Hotel, so customers will be able to see their burgers go from big hunks of marbled steak, to minced meat, and finally to patties ready for the grill.
Despite the meaty focus, Burger Theory has no issues with alternative patties. Their fried chicken burgers, in particular the Korean-influenced spicy number featuring kimchi, gochujang fermented chilli sauce and bacon is a notable combo. For a meat-heavy eatery, Burger Theory's falafel burgers (yes, there's more than one) look good enough to not be considered an after-thought to the main event.
Founded by Rob Dean and Dan Mendelson, Burger Theory saw success in Adelaide through its popular burger food truck, which garnered a cult following with its monthly burger specials.
