Fancy Name; Fancy Burger!
Don't laugh at what I'm about to say here.
I have always referred to this place simply as "Fancy Burger" but upon visiting tonight, it would appear that the official name is "Fancy Burgers" which is then shortened to "FB's." Now, because I have a problem with the improper usage of apostrophes, I'm going to continue to refer to it simply as Fancy Burger to save confusion and to save myself cringing every time I write the name. I don't even like seeing that abbreviation I wrote there, four lines up. It's making me feel a little cross.
BUT! Now that that's out of the way I'll get on with it.
Hungry Hungry Hippo had been to the city store before and his memories of the burger experience were not the most complimentary. Same story for my brother, and a few others. I have, however, heard a lot of positive comments from various people, including family, workmates, one of my trainers... so we couldn't let a couple of negative comments stop us from visiting what is one of South Australia's iconic burger spots!
In fact, on that note, somebody told me yesterday that Fancy Burger, back in the day when it was one little shop all the way out at Blackwood, was perhaps the original PROPER burger joint in Adelaide, so it is quite possible that this little place (we were at the Kensington Park store - the third and most recent addition to the Fancy Family) is responsible for the burger craze that has taken our city by storm.
So anyway, enough of that. We sit down and peruse the menu. Chicken and I each ordered Fancy That (I added cheese) and Hungry Hungry Hippo ordered the Crispy Bacon & Cheese. I thought it was noteworthy that they specify 100% South Aussie beef. That makes me feel happy.
I do have a few reservations about the fact that they specify that the burger is "served on a healthy wholemeal seeded bun." I kinda think that a burger is the kind of food that shouldn't need to try to be healthy. Don't get me wrong - I'm ALL for healthy food and try to put as much goodness in my body as possible, but a burger is supposed to be enjoyed... I'm not completely sold on the idea of it being healthy. Or brown bread. On a burger.
However, I have come to the realisation recently that I'm pretty harsh and judgmental, so I decided to give it a chance rather than getting too critical too soon.
The burgers arrive, as do the chips (we ordered a large serving, which,when adding two sauces cost around $10. Yes, sauces cost extra. Boo.) and to be fair they're quite nice looking burgers. They are really tidily put together, the bread (and I'm calling it bread, because that's what it was) was warm and toasted. The size was generous, but it did appear on first impression to be a little too bready.
I noted that the cheese was not melted, which I thought was a bit disappointing. I like the idea of whacking the slice of cheese (and it was real cheddar, which was a plus) on the patty once the patty has been flipped, so that the heat of the patty starts to melt the cheese through while it's still on the grill. But that's just me. The bread wasn't glazed but there was a PERFECT spattering of sesame seeds on top.
The first bite told us that this was not your average burger. The steak patty was smoky and charred and had that really lovely grilled flavour that has been lacking in some of the other burgers we've experienced. We all notice that there are no pickles, which leaves us all a little disappointed, BUT it does taste pretty good really.
I have always referred to this place simply as "Fancy Burger" but upon visiting tonight, it would appear that the official name is "Fancy Burgers" which is then shortened to "FB's." Now, because I have a problem with the improper usage of apostrophes, I'm going to continue to refer to it simply as Fancy Burger to save confusion and to save myself cringing every time I write the name. I don't even like seeing that abbreviation I wrote there, four lines up. It's making me feel a little cross.
BUT! Now that that's out of the way I'll get on with it.
Hungry Hungry Hippo had been to the city store before and his memories of the burger experience were not the most complimentary. Same story for my brother, and a few others. I have, however, heard a lot of positive comments from various people, including family, workmates, one of my trainers... so we couldn't let a couple of negative comments stop us from visiting what is one of South Australia's iconic burger spots!
In fact, on that note, somebody told me yesterday that Fancy Burger, back in the day when it was one little shop all the way out at Blackwood, was perhaps the original PROPER burger joint in Adelaide, so it is quite possible that this little place (we were at the Kensington Park store - the third and most recent addition to the Fancy Family) is responsible for the burger craze that has taken our city by storm.
So anyway, enough of that. We sit down and peruse the menu. Chicken and I each ordered Fancy That (I added cheese) and Hungry Hungry Hippo ordered the Crispy Bacon & Cheese. I thought it was noteworthy that they specify 100% South Aussie beef. That makes me feel happy.
I do have a few reservations about the fact that they specify that the burger is "served on a healthy wholemeal seeded bun." I kinda think that a burger is the kind of food that shouldn't need to try to be healthy. Don't get me wrong - I'm ALL for healthy food and try to put as much goodness in my body as possible, but a burger is supposed to be enjoyed... I'm not completely sold on the idea of it being healthy. Or brown bread. On a burger.
However, I have come to the realisation recently that I'm pretty harsh and judgmental, so I decided to give it a chance rather than getting too critical too soon.
The burgers arrive, as do the chips (we ordered a large serving, which,when adding two sauces cost around $10. Yes, sauces cost extra. Boo.) and to be fair they're quite nice looking burgers. They are really tidily put together, the bread (and I'm calling it bread, because that's what it was) was warm and toasted. The size was generous, but it did appear on first impression to be a little too bready.
I noted that the cheese was not melted, which I thought was a bit disappointing. I like the idea of whacking the slice of cheese (and it was real cheddar, which was a plus) on the patty once the patty has been flipped, so that the heat of the patty starts to melt the cheese through while it's still on the grill. But that's just me. The bread wasn't glazed but there was a PERFECT spattering of sesame seeds on top.
The first bite told us that this was not your average burger. The steak patty was smoky and charred and had that really lovely grilled flavour that has been lacking in some of the other burgers we've experienced. We all notice that there are no pickles, which leaves us all a little disappointed, BUT it does taste pretty good really.
So, rating time.
Bun 6/10
I need to point out, as I alluded to earlier, that this was a wholemeal bread roll, not a bun. It was a nice one, kept the fillings in place, didn't go soggy, but that's all it was: a wholemeal bread roll. Bonus point for all the delicious seeds. Hungry Hungry Hippo remarks that it's a supermarket bread roll, not an artisan bun. Chicken LOVES it, "it's wholesome, tasty, held together well... LOVE the wholemeal!" For the record, HH Hippo and I each rated this a 5, and Chicken an 8, so clearly the differences between us show through! :)
Patty 5/10
Look. The patty was dry. It wasn't juicy and it was cooked right through. It did, however, have a lovely smokiness to it, which was pretty great. When it first came out to the table though that delicious charred smell filled our nostrils and on the first few bites that grilly smokiness really shone. However, it was dry and a little overcooked and it really was nothing special. It was a good size for the bun, the right thickness and the right circumference. It probably lacked in fattiness, which would fit in with the overall "healthy" vibe of the burger.
Value 7/10
We rated this highly for value, because really, it was a good burger for a good price. Including the chips and the sauces it came to just under $15 per person, which is fairly reasonable considering it filled us all up (in fact, Chicken was clutching her stomach, crying out that she was in pain from being so full. She's not dramatic in the slightest) and for the price to be on par with Chuck Wagon, we got MUCH more enjoyment out of this burger. Couldn't really complain. Had the sauces been included it would've been an 8 or potentially even a 9.
Balance & Composition 7/10
Hungry Hungry Hippo really rated this as the highlight of the burger. He made particular comment that the person who put this burger together did it with great care, and had given thought to every element of the burger. I have to agree with his sentiment here, and Chicken did too. It did lack juiciness, although the tomato added some freshness and moisture overall - the slices of tomato were big and thick, which was necessary on this occasion. It could have done with a decent whack more mayonnaise, because we could hardly taste it. Chicken noted that the tomato relish was delicious and she'd have liked more of it (which was surprising considering that at the outset she didn't even WANT the relish, claiming that she would have preferred ketchup in its place). HH Hippo is right though; the burger was put together with care and thoughtfulness. It was lovely to see a burger made with love!!
Flavour 6/10
Chicken: "It wasn't as tasty as others, but it had a wholesome, clean, natural fresh taste."
Hungry Hungry Hippo: "Look, this burger was nothing special, but they took "nothing special" and put that together VERY well. It had quality ingredients, but lacked punch."
Els Bells: "It tasted good, but it wasn't a BURGER burger. Great as a healthy option though if you're trying to cut back on grease but still want a tasty burger."
Overall 6.2/10
This is a do-the-job, fill-you-up kinda burger. Great to see South Aussie beef and produce. It's a shame there were no pickles and that the cheese was unmelted. This burger brought back memories of when the local fish & chip shop used to do really great burgers and it's kinda that style - tasty and filling, and you don't walk away from it feeling ripped off.
Fancy Burger ... Fancy name, but nothing fancy.
Fancy Burger can be found at three locations around Adelaide.
Bun 6/10
I need to point out, as I alluded to earlier, that this was a wholemeal bread roll, not a bun. It was a nice one, kept the fillings in place, didn't go soggy, but that's all it was: a wholemeal bread roll. Bonus point for all the delicious seeds. Hungry Hungry Hippo remarks that it's a supermarket bread roll, not an artisan bun. Chicken LOVES it, "it's wholesome, tasty, held together well... LOVE the wholemeal!" For the record, HH Hippo and I each rated this a 5, and Chicken an 8, so clearly the differences between us show through! :)
Patty 5/10
Look. The patty was dry. It wasn't juicy and it was cooked right through. It did, however, have a lovely smokiness to it, which was pretty great. When it first came out to the table though that delicious charred smell filled our nostrils and on the first few bites that grilly smokiness really shone. However, it was dry and a little overcooked and it really was nothing special. It was a good size for the bun, the right thickness and the right circumference. It probably lacked in fattiness, which would fit in with the overall "healthy" vibe of the burger.
Value 7/10
We rated this highly for value, because really, it was a good burger for a good price. Including the chips and the sauces it came to just under $15 per person, which is fairly reasonable considering it filled us all up (in fact, Chicken was clutching her stomach, crying out that she was in pain from being so full. She's not dramatic in the slightest) and for the price to be on par with Chuck Wagon, we got MUCH more enjoyment out of this burger. Couldn't really complain. Had the sauces been included it would've been an 8 or potentially even a 9.
Balance & Composition 7/10
Hungry Hungry Hippo really rated this as the highlight of the burger. He made particular comment that the person who put this burger together did it with great care, and had given thought to every element of the burger. I have to agree with his sentiment here, and Chicken did too. It did lack juiciness, although the tomato added some freshness and moisture overall - the slices of tomato were big and thick, which was necessary on this occasion. It could have done with a decent whack more mayonnaise, because we could hardly taste it. Chicken noted that the tomato relish was delicious and she'd have liked more of it (which was surprising considering that at the outset she didn't even WANT the relish, claiming that she would have preferred ketchup in its place). HH Hippo is right though; the burger was put together with care and thoughtfulness. It was lovely to see a burger made with love!!
Flavour 6/10
Chicken: "It wasn't as tasty as others, but it had a wholesome, clean, natural fresh taste."
Hungry Hungry Hippo: "Look, this burger was nothing special, but they took "nothing special" and put that together VERY well. It had quality ingredients, but lacked punch."
Els Bells: "It tasted good, but it wasn't a BURGER burger. Great as a healthy option though if you're trying to cut back on grease but still want a tasty burger."
Overall 6.2/10
This is a do-the-job, fill-you-up kinda burger. Great to see South Aussie beef and produce. It's a shame there were no pickles and that the cheese was unmelted. This burger brought back memories of when the local fish & chip shop used to do really great burgers and it's kinda that style - tasty and filling, and you don't walk away from it feeling ripped off.
Fancy Burger ... Fancy name, but nothing fancy.
Fancy Burger can be found at three locations around Adelaide.