Ribs and Burgers

88 George St
Sydney, NSW 2000
https://ribsandburgers.com/au/

Any excuse to eat burgers is a good one in my books. Ever since I started keeping a closer eye on my diet (now that I don’t live at home with MARM, I need to make sure that I’m not eating too much, but still eating enough!), I’ve found it harder and harder to justify a meal that can easily take up 70% of my daily calorie intake. But clearly I’m not that actually dedicated to this whole thing, because when I found myself with a voucher to try out the new wagyu burger range at Ribs and Burgers, I was all over that in an instant.

Ribs and Burgers is not new to me, and despite being a chain restaurant, I was actually quite impressed with the ribs on my last visit. Clearly, I’m not the only person who’s impressed, because The Rocks branch of ribs and burgs was packed out on a Saturday night, with lines out the door. Thankfully the restaurant is actually significantly bigger than at first glance, and the resulting effect was a bustling, if hectic, combination between a family restaurant and local pub.

Following my usual tactic of ordering the most basic version of the burger to establish a baseline, I started with the Wagyu Original ($15.9). The first thing that hit me about this burger was how fresh it looked, with its crisp veggies and glossy brioche bun. The flavour wasn’t too shabby either, the combination of salad, beef, pickles (my favourite!), and the signature Aunty Joan’s pink sauce a simple but winning formula. My only complaint? The beef was definitely well-done, rather than the medium promised on the menu, and was a little dry as a result, and not as flavoursome as it could’ve been.

For the next burger, I decided to go all-out with the Wagyu Bacon and Cheddar ($17.9). As you’d expect, the cheese and bacon added an indulgent layer of salty smokiness, and was definitely more flavoursome for it. Unfortunately the patty on this burger was even more overcooked than the last, actually tasting burnt in places, and was bordering on bone-dry. And that was a real shame, because aside from the overcooked patty, this actually had the makings of a pretty great burger.

And seeing I was already two burgers deep, I figured I may as well get a serve of their Famous Chips ($4.5, small) too. Lightly beer-battered so that each chip had the perfect balance of crunchy and fluffy, this was definitely a good choice.

To regain some semblance of balance, I also decided on a serve of the Apple Cabbage Salad ($7.5). I wasn’t expecting much from this, but I was actually pleasantly surprised. It was fresh and crunchy, with hints of sweetness from the apple, and the pine nuts gave it some warmth and body.

Based on my past experience with Ribs and Burgers, I had fairly high expectations for their Wagyu range. And as it turns out, I was both right and wrong. If it weren’t for the overcooked patties, these would’ve actually been top-notch burgers. I would definitely like to come back to give these another crack, but I would pick a quieter night the next time around, so the burgers could be made with a little more care.

Rating: 12.5/20 – ribs and overcooked burgers.
This rating reflects my personal experience at the time of visit.
Sweet and Sour Fork dined as a guest of Ribs and Burgers.