They’re milkshakes, sauced with a couple of shots of liquor to match the flavour of the shake – a fun twist on cocktails. I thought, “I gotta know what a $17 milkshake tastes like”, and yes, it’s a pretty fucking good milkshake.
It’s typical of Brother Burger and the Marvelous Brew, where the ambiance is upmarket Americana (diner booths and counters, soft lighting, burgers and beer) while the flavours are Australian, (onion rings, Blue Heaven milkshake, South Australian Wagyu beef, posh re-imaginings of Chik-O-Rolls and Dim sims, beer).
Marcello Tummino, the restaurateur behind Brother Burger (And The European, Benitos and The Supper Club) had a restaurant space he needed an idea for. After much soul searching, he decided ‘Geez, I like burgers, and I like beer so….’
The burgers are the heroes here, handmade from South Australian Wagyu mince and grilled to a perfect black on the outside but a tender pink inside, although there’s plenty of other items on the menu to keep you coming back week after week, all of it supported by a rotating menu of artisanal craft beers. According to Marcello the beer is as much a part of Brother Burger as the food.
The team sources a selection of beer from craft brewers around Australia, constantly introducing new suppliers and beers so that customers are always exposed to new options when they come in.
“When we find one we like, we’ll buy two or three kegs and when that’s gone we’ll change into something new. The variety is endless. What we’re trying to do is provide people with a window into a different world other than Carlton. It’s nice not to be chained to the big companies.”
Observing that people are happier when they go out for casual meals, the team at Brother Burger strike a balance between fine-dining quality and a relaxed, social place to eat.
Marcello explained that he’s trying to fight the perception that burgers are cheap. “If you do anything with quality, it takes work, man hours, there’s a price attached to that. We’re going for people who really enjoy good quality,” he says. “We handmake everything here, all our bread, pickles, sauce. We carefully choose ingredients, and do our best with them. Our chefs did three months of development before we opened, and we’ve added new items as we’ve gone along. The variety is there so people will have options every time they come here.”
A glance at the menu give you options: salads, snacks planted firmly in the dude food camp, chicken or chorizo burgers, well thought out, scrumptious vegetarian options (more than one!), but your humble writer always comes back to the burgers. My favourite, The Hot Stuff, with beef, double patty, cheese, pickle, mustard mayo, chilli jam and a side of jalapeno, is the best-selling item on the menu and it’s easy to see why. It’s the perfect blend of trash and treasure.
“I think comfortable food has always been popular, but in the past there was a stigma attached which is fading now. In the past people ate burgers behind trees or sliding down in their car seats so people wouldn’t see them.
“Fast food isn’t just cooked fast – it’s generally fast growing of product – fast growing chickens and vegetables – all to get the dollar down. When we talk about price and quality, the quality of something grown with cruel and unnatural techniques, it makes things cheaper.”
Marcello is going the other way, upping the quality, slowing down fast food. “To get that comfort experience, something of quality without that guilt attached, that’s a pretty good proposition.”
BY LIAM PIEPER
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