Rockwell and Sons
288 Smith Street, Collingwood
03 8415 0700
American, Bar Food, Burgers
$$$
Food
- Deviled Egg
- Pork Crackling
- Tater Tots
- House Pickled Vegetables
- Chopped Broccoli
- Double Patty Smash Burger
- Fried Chicken
The Good
The Double Patty Smash Burger was undeniably the highlight of the meal. Starting with the brioche, it was soft, fluffy and buttery, but the best bit was the exceptionally crispy inner that resulted from the perfect toasting. Within, we found two juicy and well seasoned beef patties that, while exhibiting a nice crunchy char on the outer, was still pink in the middle. The protein itself was of high quality, flavoursome and tender. This was well complemented by their special sauce and of course a nicely melted slice of gooey cheese that held everything together. The flavour combination as well as the contrast in textures were simply incredible. One of the best burgers ever.
We also enjoyed the Fried Chicken. Specially made and only available on Wednesdays, getting our flippers on this chicken was no easy feat and required preordering and prepaying. With an incredible crunch, the deep fried, golden brown outer gave way to well marinated, juicy and tender protein. With heavy seasoning, the crispy skin was most definitely too salty, though became more palatable when combined with the protein within. With no dryness or toughness to be found anywhere, yes even the breast meat, this fried chicken was done to perfection.
The Deviled Eggs didn’t disappoint. Beautifully topped with a rich and creamy mixture of mustard and mayo, the egg ‘yolk’ was packed full of flavour. With a slight spice from the mustard, this was balanced out by the chopped chives. Delicious.
The Mediocre
We felt that the Pork Crackling and Chopped Broccoli were less spectacular in comparison. The chimichurri sauce had a good zesty flavour though was a tad too watery, which failed to coat the pork crackling sufficiently. The Chopped Broccoli also felt rather pedestrian and could’ve definitely used more goat’s curd to enhance the flavours.
The Bad
We found the Tater Tots disappointing. Not only did the portion size leave much to be desired, the little potatoes that we found within were exceedingly salty, so much so that they were nearly inedible.
The Verdict
Having last visited a year or so ago and leaving with such fond memories of the burgers, we were certainly not let down this time either. Most definitely one of the most balanced, flavourful and tasty burgers I’ve ever had and I can’t recommend it enough. The chicken though, while pleasant, wasn’t without flaws and despite being fried to perfection, it was universally found to be overly salty.
Would Penguin Eat Again?
Serving up one of my favourite burgers of all time, I will most definitely be back for the Double Patty Smash burgers for sure.