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I’d heard about the burger. Sydney is home to many mouth-watering options, but when Joe’s Tavern opened in the Inner West last October, word spread about its 50/50 one as fast as gossip at my all-girls’ high school. And it turns out, for very good reason.
The Joe’s Tavern burger arrives with a pickle speared through it. Caramelised on the outside and pink in the middle, the patty is equal parts beef and lamb, the latter flavour carrying through nicely. It’s paired with sweet, jammy onions, chopped onions for crunch, melted nutty Ossau-Iraty cheese and Dijon for zing, all cushioned in a soft bun. Tomato, lettuce, beetroot? Forgetaboutit. Joe’s is rich, meaty and juicy – and doesn’t mess about.
So yes, come for Joe’s burger. But there’s a lot more happening at this golden Australian Street spot.
The vibe
Joe’s Tavern is a 30-seat restaurant and bar from Paisano & Daughters – the team behind steak diner Porteño, as well as right-next-door siblings Continental Deli, seafood party place Mister Grotto and Italian restaurant Osteria Mucca. Originally, the site was home to sunshine-like plant-based diner Flora. But less than a year after opening, the team switched gears to a concept inspired by New York taverns serving the classics, with a focus on nose-to-tail cooking. It’s named after one of the group’s founders, Joe Valore.
The wood-panelled bar remains, as do the mustard-gold walls. Now, they are filled with an incredible line-up of black-and-white portraits of the chefs who inspired the team, including the late Jeremy Strode, who co-founder and chef Elvis Abrahanowicz worked with at MG Garage. It feels special to be seated among the white-jacketed greats.
Wine is poured at the table by switched-on waitstaff, daily specials are written on the walls, and the food tastes like a really great family friend cooked it – if they were a top chef.
The food
The classics include the aforementioned burger, alongside ’70s dinner party-inspired starters, plus seafood and steak, with the kitchen led by Abrahanowicz (ex-Aria, Becasse) and Måns Engberg (ex-Saint Peter).
An entrée of ‘cucumbers New Townkese’ ($26) sees pickled, fermented and fresh sliced cucumbers served with a dollop of stracciatella and fragrant dill – it’s acidic, salty, creamy and bang-on.
Fish cakes ($42) arrive not as several, but as one chubby, well-seasoned and tender cake, topped with a zippy, chunky tartare and a herb salad so lush it feels straight from Martha Stewart’s garden. It’s delicious, if a little on the pricy side.
The blood sausage ($38) is the only thing they don’t make in-house, our waiter tells us. Instead, Abrahanowicz’s Maltese butcher drops it off each week. Tonight it comes sliced and pan-seared, doused in oil, a punchy green sauce, cabbage for crunch and tender grilled calamari. The meat is soft and the dish is salty and rich – perhaps a touch rich for some.
The team gets entire animals directly from farms and butchers in-house, minimising food waste. Our 250g black market chuck tail MB5+ ($85) is beautifully cooked, with a blackened crust and rosy interior, and a buttery peppercorn-studded sauce. On the side, deeply golden, gnarly onion rings and an iceberg salad (both $16) with crisp leaves snowed with cheese and blue cheese dressing bring crunch and delight.
Award-winning pastry chef Lauren Eldridge is behind the desserts here, which feature a knockout knickerbocker glory ice-cream sundae, mango cheesecake, root beer float and a mint choc chip ice cream sandwich with chocolate cookie, mint parfait and dark chocolate pieces – move over, after-dinner mint.
The drinks
Like the food, the drinks at Joe’s focus on the classics, with Michael Nicolian (ex-London’s Milk & Honey, Sydney’s Bentley Group, also Continental Deli) steering the direction. Excellent Dry Gin Martinis sit alongside Manhattans, Old Fashioneds, Sazeracs and Whisky Sours ($24), with cold Budweiser ($10) and Pabst ‘Tall Boy’ lagers ($14) for the burger, plus there's a solid whiskey collection. The by-the-glass wine list features drops from Australia and France, including a lively Lunar prosecco from South Australia ($16).
Time Out tip
If you’re with a group of four, you could get away with a quarter of a burger on your first visit – it’s indulgent, and it lets you try more. Then come back, sit at the bar and order one to yourself with a cold beer.
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