For a burger joint, the new Burger got Soul in Sandy Bay Road (opposite Mykonos) is providing a welcome, and, in my opinion, lasting alternative to the already established burger/fast food outlets in that area.
Popped in there today with a hungry garrulous gourmet (also known as Steve from RVL) mate to check out their burgers. Having just escaped (again) from the seedier side of life within the bowels of the RHH, I myself didn't have the intestinal fortitude to front up to one of the delicious-looking, huge burgers coming out of the kitchen, but naturally GG fronted up, and dispensed with a smokey-flavoured one in double quick time, which I scored a tiny mouthful of, just to sample the flavour. We both had a side serve of their spicy, salty chips, which GG also polished off, and Rita managed to nibble maybe 8 of - they were pretty standard, if a bit salty.
The place was abuzz with, mostly, young people, but a few old farts like us did pop in for their lunch. A couple of young mums were there too, with prams, and toddlers.
The prices were average (you're probably looking at around $12-$14) for a burger depending on what you have on it, and they have an amount of additional items you can add to your burger too.
The burger was fine, so GG said, and my sample proved him totally correct. When I feel better, I will whip down there again and get one for myself, but was more than happy with what I observed today.
For Steve's burger, the 2 bowls of chips, and Steve's coke, the bill was $25. Is that too much for a burger, chips and drink for lunch? I'd say in today's world it's pretty standard. I noticed they had free range eggs if you wanted them, and a variety of vegetarian options, so they're covering all bases there.
The reno to the former Bay Leaf Restaurant is vibrant, and patently obviously geared to a totally different market.
I congratulate them and wish them well with starting up a new business in the current economic climate. When all else fails, we normally all love a burger - and that's exactly why Burger got Soul should succeed!
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55 comments:
Thanks for the heads up Rita.
It's good to know that there's a reliable burger joint in town.
BTW, I've been asked to do a review of hospital food.
Clearly my reputation precedes me.
Can you let me know if you're planning another "inpatient stint?"
hmmm, Devil's kitchen down the road do great burgers, lamb, wallaby, chicken, salmon, beef, the little dining room has a great view down to Salamanca, and we can get a huge burger with some chips for $8 max! Perhaps GG and yourself shoukd try it as a comparison? Hope you're on the improve now?
Looking forward to trying Soul Rita, have heard great things.
Off topic but we had a great meal, well mostly, at The Squires Bounty last night and some fantastic service, but I neglected to get names.
Deb and I shared the pork belly entree which was very, very nice. Fantastic flavours.
I went for your favourite Rita and had Beef Cheeks with Paris Mash, the girls in fits of laughter when they asked, just like you, which cheek it came from. This meal was to die for. Gorgeous beef and the best mash I've had out. Sue loved her Beef Cheek Ragu with tagliatelle but the other ladies not so enthusiastic with their Steak Sangas. They were recommended by the manager but were a let down for the girls. When they were asked how they were, and replied that they were disappointed, they were not charged for them. I thought this went above and beyond as both ladies did finish the meals.
Even though I have probably only been half a dozen times, the last few times I've been greeted warmly by the manager, saying he hasn't seen me for a while etc. always quick with a welcoming word. The service here is fantastic, and I have loved every meal I've had. Highly recommended.
Hey Reb - yes, am planning another in-patient stint in hospital, in early March. Can I assist you in some way with your hospital food review?
Hi Hazel - thanks for your heads-up re Devils Kitchen. Another one to add to the 'to go to' list for Rita. Am slowly getting better but still not on top of it.
Thanks Christina, for the Squires mini-review. I had an email recently from a reader recommending I go there, and your review backs this up! That 'to go to' list is getting bigger by the day!
Worst ever pie at Banjos. Visiting the lovely Huon valley at the weekend we stopped in Huonville for lunch. Banjos was very busy and we ordered a couple of peppersteak pies to take away. When we started to eat them in the car they appeared completely undercooked and the filling spilled out everywhere making them impossible to eat! We ended up throwing them away in disgust and intead ate some good fish and chips at the punt. I will never go back to banjos again.
Dear Mr Banjo Pie eater,
It's a pie for gods sake. Do we have to critique meat pies now?
They are shit now, 10 years ago they were shit, and in 20 years time they will be shit. it's a pie for christ sake.
I hope you enjoy your frozen fish, frozen chips and shitty banjos pies - because when Tourists come here and see that is all we offer - they wont come back.
We can all do our little bit to not support these businesses by not going to them.
Actually anon, its a 'Mrs Banjo's pie eater'.
Your ten years experience of eating their wares has served you well as you cut such a eurudite and authoritative figure in the pie critiqing business.
It is with deference that I bow to your superior pie eating expertise and understand that yours is unquestionably a learned and scholarly position however with much respect, I don't think your tourist forcasting skills are at the same parr.
Tasmania attracts many tourists every year and even though numbers were down this year, to susggest that the reason for this situation is because of a soggy pie, is, in my opinion, a very long bow to draw.
Yes! the average punter is so lamentably accepting of the low grade crap offered up by most take aways, bakeries and pubs!
Yes, so much for this bullshit spin about Tasmania being a haven for foodies. With the exception of a handful of restaurants, provedores and cafes the majority of places serving food are indeed rubbish.
Anon is right, most of the F & C places serve frozen fish &and everyone just buys in Mcains steak fries.
The pubs are a disgrace in IMO and the punters who frequent them are morons who dont know any better.
As usual I have to disagree about the pub comment.
Some around are very, very good.
A couple that come to mind being The Republic,The Brunswick and The Squires Bounty, and some are just decent,Cooleys, Snug Tavern and Sicey's. Some should be avoided like the plague though.
So you should shop around a bit more anon.
And I like pies!
Hi Rita had the most delicious organic beef burger at the red velvet lounge yesterday with hand cut chips and home made sourdough bap, couldn't jump over the thing! So big was it that a skewer had to hold it together. Maybe you lunch with steve inspited him to make his own?
Hi CW-thanks I'm glad you enjoyed it. truth is: I put the burger on because I really wanted on for a staff meal myself, so there you have it!
Rita-You are very quiet of late?
After reading here about how good that burger was a RVL I drove down yesterday to give it a go, only to find it was nowhere to be seen! Had to settle for the pork belly sandwhich which is more like a mini burger, in the same style as the burgers in Goldclass Cinema are. Chips were great though, real handcut potato, would of been good to have some thick relish or handmade sauce to accompony them.
G
Hi G, sadly the burger was only on for two days and we sold out very quickly-I might advertise it in advance next time? Burger week at the RVL anyone?
Heard great things on Twitter about the pork belly sandwich.. must get my pig eating butt up Cygnet way one day...
Hello Rita,
we will check out that burger place, especially as it is close to a few of our other haunts.
Good to hear Cartouche is still thinking abouth that ``thing''.
By the way, how's this for customer service?
I said I had my first disappointing meal at Touch of Asia at Sandy Bay recently. (I had been working my way through their menu at each visit).
Well, when we went back in on Friday the FOH lady said she'd noticed I didn't eat much of my chicken in the Szechuan dish the previous time.
She knows the beef version is one of my favourites.
I said I found it a bit fatty but not to worry as there would be hits and lesser hits as I worked my way through the card.
She said the chicken skin is ``combed'' or something and that it was a Chinese dish all about texture, far different from the beef version, where the meat is simply stir-fried.
She was sorry I didn't enjoy it.
Amazing to get this level of care from any place nowadays.
It restored my confidence, explained the ``problem'' and got me ordering the beef version of the dish there and then.
And that was beautiful.
Magic.
PS for those on the pie hunt. We had German Bakery (Sandy Bay) pois one night last week for tea.
A chunky beef and a minced beef, respectively.
It may be humble, but with good old Tassie pinkeyes boiled and bashed round the pot a bit with heaps of organic butter and parsley, plus some marrowfat peas, it were great.
Oh, and the sausage roll from there eaten cold from the fridge mid-arvo with a Coopers Sparkling Ale was a winner too.
Tourists take note.
PPS
Everything okay with you Rita, I (and I am sure others) am a wee bit concerned at your lack of response.
Fingers crossed all is well, young duck.
Thanks for your concern Sir G (and others). Have been quiet due to having returned to hospital last week, then recuperating. Specialist appointment today should tell me more, but feeling way better than I have for the past few months. I have also moved house this week so things are a bit disorganised chez Rita.
I look forward to a return of the 'old' Rita soon!
God love ya Sir G!
all these new places opening,but still no visit to garagistes?
Garagistes is a special place for a special time, Anon 10.51.
Sir Grumpy - checked out Touch of Asia's roast duck yet? If you ask they will show you it hanging to prove it's fresh. I have it once a week. I think he hangs them on Wednesday because they are always fresher when I have them on Wednesday....
On another note Taste of Asia in North Hobart does a nice curry and if you ask the put coriander on it which is really nice. A bit more expensive than other places but seem to be tastier...
Hello Deb C,
yes, I have had the roast duck and it was beautiful. Have used Taste of Asia too, but not for a while. Gives me an excuse to go back, thanks for that.
Was in Touch of Asia again at the weekend, I LOVE that chilli sauce the guy makes himself. I sometimes buy some to take home.
I have been through umpteen pots of various chilli mixtures from Wing and Co, none as good as that from Touch.
I have tried making my own but his wins again!
The Vietnamese chicken at Touch is another winner. Long way to go for chickens but (Vietnam).
It wasn't all good at the weekend, though. Got great bread (Roasted grain or something0 from German Baker at S Bay.
But Sunday....Sunday!
After a run down to Kettering in the afternoon my wife was starving (!).
We stopped on the way home at somewhere advertising fish and chips. I won't say where because I hate to put people's businesses in jeopardy...they could have just been having a bad day.
It sells fresh fish, so you think, great fresh fish and chips, yes...well, er, no.
The lady serving said it was frozen fish in the meals.
Why, we asked. Because she said it would take FAAAAR TOOO LONG to do it from scratch.
That is rubbish, if they sell fresh fillets, all it takes is a dusting of flour and a dunk in your batter container (batter made that morning) and you are away.
No more time than fossicking in a freezer for fish.
I wanted to move on but the wife was even more starving, so we ordered.
She got a fisherman's basket and I got some flathead, no chips.
What we got was a shock.
Two boxes of rubbish.
The chips were white and soggy, not golden and crispy. The flathead was dull. The wife's calamari rings were like thin, brittle crap.
I think they must have used an electron microscope and a surgeon's knife to cut them this thin. No real calamari there.
They'd be better off spending that money on good ingredients.
The fish in her pack probably wasn't even their own, frozen earlier.
It was machine-chopped with squared edges, suggesting a processor's factory jobbie.
Even if they cut it surf-board shape it would at least look fishy, as opposed to looking like a coffin, narrow tapered bottom and wide head.
I took a little bite of this fish and SPAT IT OUT, it was disgusting.
What is the point of someone opening a place like this when they have no idea?
They sell fresh fish and serve frozen crap probably delivered via one of those litte refrigerated vans you see scuttling around.
I suppose we should have read the ``signs''. We hd to wake the woman employee up (no kidding) when we arrived. She was sleeping on a chair and we coughed politely to make our presence known..!
In future, I am going to refuse any frozen fish and ask a few questions.
Question 1: What colour should a chip be? A, white; B, black; or C, golden.
Question 2: What way should an employee or owner be when the customer arrives? A, sleeping; B, awake.
Question 3: Should you get the oil hot before putting in the food? A, no because it'll reach the temperature eventually and you'll know the food is done because all the oil has soaked into the food. B, yes but the customers don't know, so why worry.
Question 4: What quality of cooking oil should you use? A; old sump oil; B, cheapest, nastiest vegetable oil beacuse it's all the same; C, castor oil; D, emu oil.
Aaaaargh! You know we get a better feed of fish and chiops from frozen fillets from the supermarket, which says it all.
Come back Seafood DeMayne.
Hi Sir G, sadly your fish and chip experience mirrors many of mine. Whats even sadder is the reality that many supposed F N C places serve frozen rubbish.
I've been banging on about this very issue for quite some time now and puts into perspective all this back-slapping we do about the standards of food and its delivery in Tasmania. The reality is that very few places actually go to the trouble of serving quality food.
I had some Tourism bigwig try to tell me a while back that we are blessed with the best fish and chipperies in the country on the back of our produce. He didn't cope too well when I suggested he test his argument by watching the vans of two of the states largest frozen food supliers regulary dump their loads into the freezers of said establishments. It's a disgrace in my opinon and if more people like yourself kicked up a bit of a fuss now and again maybe some change can be affected.
Sir Grumpy... not a huge chip eater but do yourself a favour when valley of love way and check out Eagle Snack Bar on the Hayes side of New Norfolk. This fish and chip shop has been in the same Greek family since my hubby was eating there as a boy (lets just say 40's looming for him soon) and they still cut their own chips and batter everything themselves. One of the few places I will eat chips because I know they are fresh, the oil is hot and the service friendly and quick. As for fish, I prefer off the skips near Mures but not Mures as they are too dear, too crowded and too slow. Plus Flippers (I think it is) does battered onion rings and I adore them with chilli sauce! Otherwise I catch and batter my own. Much fresher and you know what you are getting! Cheers.
Try Reef in Lower Sandy Bay - damn good chips...and all fresh seafood. They even do wood fired baked Travalla YUM
my kids love it
Spag Blog
Thanks, all. What got me most, apart from the crap standard of food, was the person saying it would take too long to do it fresh.
I remember getting new people in at our local takeaway, way back.
I asked if their fish was fresh.
The girl said, ``oh, no , if we did that, we'd have queues round the corner'' (or words to that effect.
Then she blushed when she realise what she'd said and added, ``well, you know what I mean''.
Well, er, NO. A classic.
The UK can be a wasteland for grub but the fish and chipperies I used all did it from fresh, with their own chips too. Wonder if that is still the case?
No wonder I eat so much Asian food these days, but you know what fish and chip cravings are like.
Looks like a drive coming up to N Norfolk! Or the Bay.
Yes, our image of clean, green and a feeding machine is, a bit lean when you dig below the surface spin.
The comment below was posted on the Burger got soul post earlier tonight, but doesn't seem to be showing up, so I have copied and pasted it, before I reply:
Hi All
Well I hope your enjoying your frozen chips, frozen fish, frozen pies, forzen dim sims, frozen pluto pups (yes, What the fuck is a pluto pup?), frozen prawns, frozen scallops, frozen squid, farmed fish from dirty water in Africa and bloody shit that everyone buys in from PFD, heats up and calls food because when tourists come and visit our state and see this is the shit we serve in our "restaurants" then they wont come back.
Can we please all do our bit to stop eating bullshit so that the shitty places go bankrupt and shut, and the nicer places stay open.
Most places in Tassie are shit. There have been many comments made on this blog about Steves RVL --- both positive and negative. What I will say is: At least his menu isnt a variety of PFD frozen foodstuffs.
Keep eating shit, and we are supporting these places, and why the hell would you want to do that?
Posted by Anonymous to Hobart Food for thought at March 9, 2011 6:15 PM
My response:
Although you have expressed it more crudely than I myself would have put it, I agree wholeheartedly with you. The majority of places take the easy (and cheaper?) way out, and those are the ones the PFD truck pulls up outside. And yes, they ARE in the majority to places that actually do the hard yards. But what can we do, other than moan about it here, and patronise places we know with certainty do what we call 'the right thing'?
I don't think the hard yards are really that hard, Rita.
I just think that that is the culture of the game and those places buy and fry shit and we are too lazy and like the low prices too much to do anything about it.
I am not having it anymore! I will now ask and say, sorry don't eat that stuff, I want fresh.
You want fresh, but you and the rest of Hobart can't afford fresh.
G
I can see a campaign coming on. Shops with stickers on the window "PFD free zone"
Actually on price, the cost of frozen food or convenience foods is and has been rising. Personally I don't use it. But that has nothing to do with snobbery. Put simply, was trained as chef, have been chef for two decades, see no point in wasting all of that skill and training by learning to cut the corners off packets and open tins.
Steve Cumper mentioned last year that the food rep turned up with packet Jus Lie. Like him I opened it tried it and yep, it was a disguised Bonox. You can buy powdered creme brulee for christs sake.
Unfortunately, much of the public mill around and look at the prices of dishes. If a dish in a reputable restaurant is 10 bucks dearer, it may not occur that the cheaper product comes from a packet. Its cheaper because the labour cost to prepare it has been taken out. The more we cut those labour costs the less people have a job and that may end up affecting you the consumer when the economy begins to nosedive. But rest assured the head of frozen food inc will sit back and smoke a large prawn cigar.
Cartouche
I'm surprised all you foodie types aren't jumping on the bandwagon to boycot the discounted milk in Coles and Woolies. Yet another cause celebre for the aspirational middle classes.
Bring back free milk like in primary school I say. as long as its cheap. I'll be there taking advantage. So what if some farmers go broke, we'll get the milk from somewhere else that knows the value in bringing to the people what they want instead of whining about how tough it is. Dont like being a dairy farmer? Choose another job.
Bertram, I buy Real Milk, the non-homogenised stuff from Tassie.
If that is unavailable then Elgaar or another local drop.
Much better stuff.
But I know the other side of the coin, the battlers who can only afford the cheapest.
If they can get a cheap feed for themselves and the kids they wili and who can blame them?
The Eagel is still owned by the same owner, but has been leased to many different people over the years, and yes all there battered fish is indeed imported crap from overseas, name me one fish and chip shop in Hobart that uses local fish, sure there might be a couple, but not many. Think about this how many shop do you see crumbed flounder on the menu .. guess what no such thing, supermarkets have to tell you where the fish is from, why not the local takeaways ?
Hi Rita, I work at BGS in Sandy Bay and thought i'd jump online to see if we had any kind of reviews yet - interesting to hear opinions! Jump back in for a burger when you're feeling better - i recommend a tassie tempter or a funky chicken! our shakes are good too :) come back in a few weeks when we're not so crazy flatout busy.
Hi Anon BGS worker - glad you popped in for a look. I will indeed be back to BGS soon, and actually was there last week when I dropped off daughter Bec who wanted a burger. She enjoyed hers!
Some friends and I were invited to BGS's 'dry-run' before they opened to the public. The burgers were good, not fantastic, but good enough. The wait time then was lengthy, but it was their first night so we were prepared to give them a fair go and we weren't in a hurry.
Fast forward to last week: we ordered four burgers and two serves of chips to take away; after being hung-up on twice we ordered and were told "40 minutes max" (a fairly long time to wait for burgers I would think, but hey, it was Friday night. We called in about 45/50 minutes later and there was at least 10 people waiting for takeaways. Interestingly, there was a bunch of floor staff fumbling there way around the kitchen, all clearly distressed, very confused and working at a snail's pace whilst the poor manager did all she could to remain polite and calm. Where are the kitchen staff? The only one that looked remotely like a kitchen professional was one younger guy, the rest of the 'cooks/chefs' were waitresses who kept flipping between assembling burgers (in an excruciatingly slow and 'unflowing' manner) and running (well, walking) orders. There was no expedience, no prioritising and clearly no leadership (in the kitchen at least). So, 1 hour and 15 minutes later (for four burgers and some chips, which were forgotten at first) our burgers were ready. We'd paid while we were waiting and were then asked to pay again when we collected our order ("NO YOU HAVEN'T!" was the emphatic response when I politely explained we'd already settled...). The burgers were cold and soggy and we couldn't be bothered ringing to let them know. We certainly didn't want to wait another 1 1/4 hours and are not the sort of people that whinge about things just to score something free anyway.
I understand they're new and still finding their feet, but 1 1/4 hrs is WAY too long to wait for burgers, regardless of how busy they are. Not to mention, there was a LOT of staff on. Maybe some more proficient kitchen staff rather than front-of-housers in the kitchen would be wise and a little more tact on the customer service too. The burgers weren't bad either.
Wow BlackCard! That sounds like you had a REALLY shitty experience at BGS. I hope someone from there is still reading, and can come back here with a response to your number of issues. I too would be REALLY interested in their explanations. It's sounding a bit like the Sapa Rose experiences of many too - good food but crap service.
I had a very similar experience, lengthy wait even though the place was near empty, also forgot my chips and had to go back to pick them up, by that time were cold and soggy. Burger was ok, nothing special about it, given it's their second store I would of expected better execution of product and service. I too had the feel that it was chaotic and disorganized. Not really in a hurry to go back.
G
Any curry puffs?
I have been to BGS Sandy Bay twice now, the second time for the benefit of doubt, I have tried two very different vegieburgers and was disappointed to find both had the stodgy, cheap vegie patties usually found in our major supermarkets. I am willing to go again and try another vegieburger that claims to be made of different ingredients but I am pretty pissed at spending that much on a burger to get cheap and nasty shit dressed up with a bit of sauce and salad. Service was fine Sunday lunchtime though.
Ali try the "You Gotta have soul" vegie burger. I'm not a vegetarian and this burger is my fave on the BGS menu. They make the red lentil pattie themselves and it's soooooooo delish!
I've been to the Hobart BGS 5 times since opening and generally my experience has been good. Handy hint, lunch time is quieter and short waiting time.
4 resounding thumbs down from my family for our meal tonight. would not go again. really bloody ordinary burgers that are horribly overpriced for what they are and the fries were lukewarm by the time the burgers were ready. $66 for 4 takeaway burgers and 3 chips = ridiculous. i am kicking myself for going there despite having read a lot of the comments here before heading along (i was searching to no avail for a menu online and came across this blog post instead). oh well live and learn but i don't see this place surviving long.
Well Raymond - I have to say that on past recent performance, BGS appears to be as you described it above. Too many customers coming away with similar experiences like yours tell the tale.
Also the fact that they are already advertising is extremely telling in itself.
BGS - you SHOULD be kicking arse. You should be running a very sleek operation by now, but from comments both here on this blog, and verbally from all manner of locals, you are failing to deliver. Staffing, service and product are the three vital things for a takeaway to get repeat business. Look at these before it's too late.
bloody overpriced rubbish - sounds great on the menu (so i guess it has potential in terms of concept) but the end result is sub-standard. one o the worst vegie burgers i've ever had and i've been a vego my whole life so believe me i've shopped around.
Make this short and sweet. OVERPRICED (ie nowhere near bang for your buck.)QUALITY of food was to be desired and I fear for any establishment that have most if not all staff members appearing under 25. I don't mind serving staff being young but not the chef/cook. I might as well have gone to Maccas. No if I want a burger I go to lower Sandy Bay at the take away there at Nutgrove or Harbour lights cafe. Sorry BGS I had such high hopes and your place looks great but I think you need to do a few tweaks and you will be vry successfiul.
Hey Rita you better do a BGS follow up and once again change your review... After the wankers sunday review
The review was severe in the sunday tasmanian< but I believe he also threw down the gauntlet as to who does the best burger.
why not open up this debate on this forum, as a next post. simple realy, should not require too much input from dear Rita.
Rita always stands by her reviews as they were written by her as she found the establishment at the time, so why write another. why not all commenters
list their favourite burger and see how this fairs with GP's results. should be fun.
I saw that review and I can't think of anywhere for a decent burger in Hobart.
We do better at home and we ain't chefs.
I also hate rare burgers, very dangerous for e coli. So, not a fat thing that never cooks.
The greasy-spoon takeaway burgers, wrapped in plastic in the bain marie are a disgrace. Rubbery, sweated crap things...I still don't believe anyone came up with this.
I must admit I was very surprised when I read GP's review on BGS. My colleague arranged a team lunch there last month, and that was the first time I went there. Some of my colleagues have been there before. I am not a big burger fan, but was splendidly surprised by the choices of burgers available to choose in the menu. I can't remember the one I had but it's the spicy one. I thought it was very good. Not dripping with greasy fat. Nice and clean. The vegetables were fresh- lettuces were crisp and crunchy. I asked everyone at the table if they enjoyed their burgers as much as I did, and all had a similar thumbs up. So, not sure why GP's review was harsh on the food. Maybe it was cooked by someone else. But, then how difficult is it to grill the meat, place some fresh vegetables and dressed the sauces (which are all pre-prepared). Maybe it is one of those day that it was made by someone not experience with handling food.
Just read your review, didn't know much about this place. But looking at the photos and prices, this place is an exact copy of the "grill'd" burger franchise, even down to the menu and decor.
There are close to 50 of these across Australia, I am amazed Burger got soul is trying to pass themselves off as original. Apart from the name, I am not sure whats different.
Waited for 5 mins at the counter while some bint tried to work out how to make a short black. Left without ordering, and apparently without the three staff noticing that customers wanted to order. Maybe it is part of some uber trendy gen-Y service deal???
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