Burger Challenge at Burger Got Soul – Hobart, Tasmania

“The eyes are the windows to the soul” – Anon

Well, if that’s the case then Burger Got Soul need to throw away the cucumber slices and book themselves in for some cataract surgery…!!

After recently passing comment on Budgie Smuggler’s burgers (drool), I was asked how they stack up against other burger joints in Hobart, and in particular BGS. There was only one way to answer this question…

A burger challenge!!

So who are the contenders? Well at this stage there are three that spring to mind immediately:

  • Budgie Smugglers;
  • Burger Got Soul; and
  • Red Jaffa.

I’m open to suggestions though, so please let me know if you’ve got a favourite!!

So how was it?

In their favour, unlike 90% of Hobart’s food industry BGS were actually open after 2pm on a Sunday afternoon. So that’s a massive win right there!

Given the time of day you’d expect it to be a quiet time for patronage, but I didn’t expect it to be completely empty! Not a good sign, particularly considering their location in the heart of Sandy Bay. But on the bright side, perhaps it would mean quick service?

Alas, no. More on that later.

The burger menu at BGS is fantastic, catering to every taste imaginable. Satay, creole, three types of lamb, chicken, traditional…they’ve got the works! And to top it off they also give you the choice of bread for your bun, including wholemeal, turkish, soft white and gluten-free. No complaints there!

Despite the numerous tempting options on the menu, to keep the comparison fair I decided to go with the more traditional Tassie Tempter, comprising beef patty, bacon, egg, beetroot, salad, relish and ‘Soul’ mayo for $13.50.

A slightly odd experience in trying to pay for the meal must be mentioned. Where possible I try to pay by Amex. Of course not everyone takes it due to the extra fees they charge, so I normally ask before trying to use it. In this case it seemed like an odd concept…

Me – “Do you take Amex?”

Service staff – “Hmmm…not sure. I can’t see why not.”

Me – “No problems, here you go.”

Service staff (inserting card into chip reader) – “It doesn’t look like it’s working”

Me – “That’s because it doesn’t have a chip. It’s signature only.”

Service staff – “Oh, ok.” (Swipes card). “Is that pin or signature?”

Me (invisible face palm) – “That’ll be signature.”

Swipes card – Fail

Swipes card – Fail

Swipes card – Fail

Me – “I guess you don’t take Amex?”

Taking a seat in the deserted sit-down area, I was expecting some fairly prompt service. But it must have taken almost half an hour for the burger to arrive. On the up side, it looked incredible! Tall and a little unstable, just like an edible Jenga tower!!

Burger Got Soul @ Sandy Bay

Burger Got Soul @ Sandy Bay

Burger Got Soul @ Sandy Bay

Burger Got Soul @ Sandy Bay

The Tassie Tempter!

The Tassie Tempter!

Next decision, to go the hands, or to surrender early and go the knife and fork option? I decided to take the multi-pronged approach. First a cut down the middle to give me some straight lines to work with, and then consume the rest out of the hands!

Looking at it I was doubtful that I could fit the whole thing into my gaping maw. I surprised myself, and my maw was forever grateful! Without any room to spare on the edges I could just fit everything in, but to be honest I suspect most people would really struggle.

The flavours were pretty good:

  • salad – salad is salad is salad;
  • bacon – mmm…so good. Really crispy and definitely better than what I got on my Budgie Smuggler burger;
  • mayo – awesome. I don’t know what extra flavours they put in it, but it was delicious;
  • cheese – good, but positioned dreadfully, hanging off to one side it inevitably slipped out the back when I was taking a bite;
  • bun – awesome!! soft, yet tough enough to hold together right to the end and the ideal canvas to flavour party;
  • meat patty – this is where the burger lost massive points. To be honest it had hints of supermarket patty flavour…big on the cardboard, with a hint of beef. Rubbery texture and generally very average. I’m surprised though, because the image that BGS try to cultivate is one of quality.

So overall I was pretty happy with the meal, but for $13.50 I was expecting much better.

So how does it compare to Budgie Smugglers?

For flavour, Budgie Smugglers wins hands downs. No doubt about it.

For variety, BGS wins. You just can’t beat their awesome menu.

For ambience, it probably depends what you’re after. If it’s sit down, then BGS is the way to go, whereas if it’s takeaway then go with Budgie Smugglers (because the burgers are better).

For value, Budgie Smugglers wins by a long shot.

Overall?

Taste – 3.5/5
Patty – 1/5
Bun – 5/5
Ingredients – 4/5
Condiments – 5/5
Presentation – 5/5
Stuffable – Yes
Value – 3/5

Overall – 2.5/5

With Budgie Smugglers scoring an overall 4/5, Budgie Smugglers is No. 1….for now!

Next up will be Red Jaffa takeaway, located up in the industrial area of Moonah. Stay tuned!

Again, if there are any suggestions for other good burger joints in Hobart, leave a comment and I’ll add it to my list of places to visit in the near future 🙂 !

Burger Got Soul Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

17 Comments

    1. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately 🙂 ?!), I work outside the CBD. It could be very dangerous to both my waistline and wallet otherwise!

      Thanks for the tip. It’s another one I hadn’t heard of and I’ll keep it in mind for a weekend when I’m in town.

  1. I was going to ask if you have tried Devil’s Kitchen but it seems like others have already recommended it! I will be in Hobart in two weeks time and my brother has sent me an itinerary for the weekend which includes, on the Friday night, entree at the Taco Taco food truck and then a main course of a burger at Devil’s Kitchen!

    1. I can’t believe I haven’t tried the Taco van yet! Unfortunately the timing and choice of venue just hasn’t worked out yet. I look forward to hearing what the Devil’s Kitchen burger is like! So many people have recommended, so it must be pretty good!

    1. haha, sounds like Devil’s Kitchen is locked in!

      I was just looking at their FB page and it looks like they shut at 3pm every day except Fridays, and don’t open on weekends. Since I don’t work in town I might have to try and sneak in there for a Friday night dinner I reckon!

  2. Thanks for the suggestions Kate, much appreciated!

    I’ve had quite a few people recommend both those places now. The other popular one seems to be Jack Greene’s down at Salamanca. Sounds like I’m going to get a massive burger fix over the coming weeks/months!!

  3. Now that definitely appeals to my sense of adventure!! I’m often down at South Arm for my photography, so a stop at the General Store would work perfectly!

    I suspect there are quite a few places out there that you would never think to visit either based on external appearance or location, and it’s only through the experience of others that you ever find out about them.

    Thanks for the tip, it’s now on the list!

    The other place I’ve heard about is The Winston up at North Hobart. I think I’ll have to pay them a visit as well.

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