Cappapino's: Cafe, CBD Sydney (15 Sept 2016)

139 Macquarie St, Sydney NSW 2000

Cheap eats on Macquarie St

Such a reasonably priced menu at this basic cafe. Beef burger with chips ($7.90) is cheap for a quick bite to eat. Very soft bun, thin patty and a decent amount of crispy hot chips. I reckon a bit of melted cheese would do wonders for the burger for only $1 extra and a bacon or egg will also only add $1 to pimp it up. Service is responsive and keeps the place fairly clean. Nice outlook towards the Royal Botanic Garden across the road.

Centennial Parklands Café, Centennial Park (6 Oct 2012)

Cnr Parkes Drive and Grand Drive, Centennial Park NSW 2021

http://www.trippaswhitegroup.com.au/our-venues/Centennial-Parklands-Dining/4

Kid friendly cafe in the park

Thanks to Amy Glancey from Trippas White Group for inviting me to sample the menu at Centennial Parklands Café. On a sunny weekend this cafe gets packed to the rafters with kids. This is great for families not wanting to worry about their hyper-active kids shouting and screaming but perhaps not so great for those looking for a quiet and relaxing bite to eat. The noise didn't bother me having my baby on board which helped to hide her cries of frustration of not being understood. Wagyu beef burger ($22) served on a brioche bun was moist and juicy as hoped although watch out for the beetroot dribbles. It was a decent size with plenty of tasty chips which made for a filling meal. Beer-battered hawkesbury river flathead ($27) came with a fennel slaw and was also generous in size. The batter was fairly thin and crispy. It's a premium price to pay for fish and chips although it could have been shared between two not so hungry people and the quality of the fish was good and cooked well. I think if you come on a rainy day you'll find it not so popular with the families with kids as they won't be using the playground nearby.

SNAPSHOT REVIEW:

PROS: Pleasant view of the park, Kid friendly, Lots of free parking, Baby change table available, Kids playground nearby, Food tried was nice, Service was down-to-earth and accommodating, You don't have to clean up after your kids make a mess

CONS: Kids everywhere on a good day, Can get noisy, Prices are a bit more than your average cafe

MUST TRY: Returning to try other menu items

VERDICT: If you're looking for a kid friendly cafe in a park then this is the place for you although expect to pay a bit more than your average cafe

—

Wagyu beef burger, brioche, tomato, beetroot relish, pickled gherkin, chips ($22) — tender, juicy, decent size, good chips, watch out for beetroot juice though 

WORTH TRYING :-)

Enjoyable chips

Watch out for beetroot juice drippage

Beer-battered hawkesbury river flathead, tartar sauce, chips, fennel slaw ($27) — decent portion, good chips, crisp thinnish batter 

WORTH TRYING :-)

Phoenix Organic Ginger Beer ($4.80), Charlie's Honest squeezed orange juice ($4.80) 

I prefer table supports that are flat without legs

Baby friendly change table in toilet

View Larger Map

Andrews Hamburgers: Burgers, Albert Park, VIC (26 May 2012)

144 Bridport Street, Albert Park VIC 3206

http://www.andrewshamburgers.com.au

Old school burger cravings

When I get a craving in Sydney for an old school hamburger I tend to visit Charlie's Cafe for lunch in Woolloomooloo so when I heard about the famed Andrews Hamburgers in Melbourne I had to put it on my burger wish list. I probably shouldn't have had a bite to eat at Chez Dré before having the Beef burger with 'The Lot' ($10.50) but luckily I chose to walk from the CBD and back again to burn off the calories. The Lot comes with lettuce, cooked onions, tomato sauce, egg, bacon, tomato and cheese with a surprise bonus side of decent chips when I dined in. The size of the burger wasn't enormous but definitely generous enough to satisfy a hungry stomach and more than enough for me. It was a bit hard to eat without becoming messy so thankfully it wasn't any bigger although to truly be called a burger with the lot I think it needs to also included beetroot and pineapple. I'd happily visit this place again although probably would opt for the more humble basic burger with beetroot which is usually my preference. Such a shame it's not located closer to the CBD but I'm sure the suburban locals are more than happy with that. I meet the down-to-earth owner Greg Pappas sporting a cheery smile in the kitchen who has an impressive collection of wall photos of celebrities that have visited the shop. The only question that remains for me is why the place is called Andrews Hamburgers?

SNAPSHOT REVIEW:

PROS: Reasonably priced menu, Family friendly service, Decent portion, Dining in seems to include a side of chips

CONS: Can get a bit messy to eat, Probably not the healthiest meal on the planet, Very limited seating inside so more suited to takeaway

MUST TRY: Beef burger with 'The Lot' if you have the appetite
VERDICT: Old school burger cravings will be satisfied

—

Beef burger with 'The Lot': Lettuce, cooked onions, tomato sauce, egg, bacon, tomato, cheese ($10.50) served with chips when dining in

Can get a bit messy to eat if you're not careful

Bill $10.50 for one

Service counter and kitchen

Limited seating inside

Grab yourself a sticker to show your support

Matt Preston was here

George Calombaris was here

Greg Pappas (owner) and Me

View Larger Map