Burger Burger is pulling in the crowds at the new Dine precinct at Bayfair
Burger Burger is pulling in the crowds at the new Dine precinct at Bayfair
the details Burger Burger Dine, Bayfair Shopping Centre, Mount Maunganui Rd 022 542 4422 hello@burgerburger.co.nz Open Sunday- Thursday, 11.30am-9pm, and Friday and Saturday, 11.30am-10pm
On the menu
This is not just another burger joint. This is burgers getting the basics right and jazzing it up with delicious add-ons.
Tiffany and Will getting stuck into their burgers at Burger Burger
If you've been toBurger Burger in Auckland, you know how good it is, and the Tauranga version didn't disappoint. In fact, in my opinion it's better than the original!
When you see the specials board on the table as soon as you walk in and the top burger on it is Triple Cheese Meatball ($18) and it has free-range beef meatballs, aged cheddar, mozzarella and swiss cheese, tomato jam, leafy greens and homemade aioli, you know it's going to be a good night!
They've got wine on tap and milkshakes that, upon request, they'll lace with whatever booze you so desire.
There's beef, chicken, lamb, fish, vegetarian and vegan burger options. You can swap out your traditional bun for vegan or gluten-free options, or just a lettuce wrap.
There's sharing options too. Like the BB Fried Chicken ($15) — crispy free-range fried chicken thigh with homemade green aioli. You can choose mild, Spice and Smoke (medium), or Blow Your Head Off Hot!
And, oh my word the desserts! We'll get to them later, but let me tell you ... you can design your own dessert and it involves frozen Pineapple Lumps.
The buzz
We went on a Monday and it was pretty full and had a busy buzz. But not the super busy I've been hearing they get on a Friday and Saturday night. Don't let that put you off though, they squeeze you in if at all possible and don't take bookings, so just roll up.
Burger Burger at the new Dine Precinct at Bayfair
First up, the outdoor area will be so good over summer. A couple of pickle-based cocktails (yes, that's an option) or a house lager in the early evening sun and a couple of decent burgers will be a great start to a night out!
Inside there's a welcoming woody feel, with comfy pillows and low-hanging cane light shades. It's warm and welcoming.There's a bit of an industrial vibe with a side of cool — old school posters on the wall and you can see right into the kitchen and watch your food sizzling away.
It's offset with some upbeat music, which isn't so loud that you have to yell at your girlfriend, but loud enough so you can't eavesdrop on your fellow diners. The staff are attentive and the food comes out quick. We had Pia and Aimee looking after us. Both of them were easy to chat to and gave us their recommendations.
I'll have Curly fries. They are the best $6 you'll ever spend. The aioli is homemade and has just that right little tang of garlic. I had the Chicken Burger ($15) — cajun grilled chicken thigh, red pepper salsa, tomato jam, aged cheddar, rocket aioli and wild rocket. The buns are beautifully fresh and they'd been toasted just a little on the inside to give a slight charcoal/smokey flavour. The cajun seasoning on the chicken was the perfect amount of spice to accompany the red pepper salsa and the rocket aioli and rocket freshened the burger.
She'll have She ordered the edamame beans ($6). They come with spiced salt, a really nice smoked paprika flavour. They were the spiciest edamame beans we've had! I love a bit of spice and they would be a good option when you want heat.
While she was mercilessly stealing my curly fries she cracked into a delicious burger; Old Smokey ($17) — NZ grass-fed beef patty (170g), bacon, caramelised onions, smoked aged cheddar, BBQ sauce and mayo. It was perfectly juicy, Beautifully seasoned and the smokiness had a bit of a tang.
For dessert The desserts are simple in concept, but delicious and varied in the final outcome! They have the amazing Duck Island icecream, with eight flavours to choose from, and you can have it in a mini waffle cone, all the way up to three scoops. Then there are eight toppings to choose from — Sour Rainbow to Toffee Milk.
And then a choice of four different sauce toppings. Failing all of that, you can just get Ice Cream Cookie of the Day ($10).
I had Cookie Dough & Boysenberry Cheesecake with frozen Pineapple Lumps on it. And warm chocolate fudge sauce.
She had Salted Chocolate Brownie icecream. Yup, just one flavour. To her credit she topped it with chocolate fish and chocolate fudge sauce.
The interior of Burger Burger
To drink
It was Monday so we went alcohol free. They make their own homemade sodas. We tried old-fashioned lemonade, tangy orange, and ginger, juniper and lime. My fave was the latter. I love a little ginger flavour. Also a great palate cleanser. They have some original Burger Burger cocktails. I'll be back to try the Buzzy Lemonade ($13) — lemonade spiked with gin, NZ manuka honey and bitters. Also, love that there's pickle options. Beers & Spears ($26) looks good; a jug of beer and some original or deep fried McClure's pickles on the side.
The verdict Great for date night, great for a chill and fun family meal, great for a couple of drinks after work with mates, and come summer it'll be one of the places to hang. The hardest part is going to be justifying not going back there so often it gets awkward!
