It was burger o'clock on a Friday afternoon, the time of week when we needed to cater for our burger addiction. We were desperate to beat the traffic and find somewhere nearby to chow down on a great burger. A quick Google search revealed D#wn 'N Out burgers had opened up recently in Ryde, minutes away from us.
In case you missed the news, D#wn 'N Out is being sued by the American burger chain In 'N Out for cashing in on their brand. Personally love a good parody- Australian culture is built upon it. Having experienced these burgers in the city on many occasions, we were keen to sample their Ryde burgers.
We raced down to Ryde, realising that D#wn 'N Out shuts down at 3pm. A big minus for us- good burgers are to be enjoyed at all hours of the day and night. Finding a parking spot near the corner of Blaxland Rd and Church St was a our first challenge. We overshot that red Google maps pin. The overdeveloped suburb of Ryde meant that the roads were like a clogged artery, making finding a car park challenging. But we rose to the challenge and made it to D#wn 'N Out within minutes of closing time.
Phew.
We made it inside, and the boys were more than willing to take our order, provided we ordered take-away.
The Cheese Patty on the add ons menu caught our attention. This is deep fried cheese, covered in bread crumbs. We settled on a double with cheese patty, along with a single.
When a chef complains he might need a new kidney sometime soon, it's a sure sign that he knows how to cook a darn good patty and sample his own craft regularly.
In keeping to our take-away orders, we went to the local shopping centre at Top Ryde, settled in the food court, where we opened our boxes.
These burgers were a sight to behold. The cheese on the double just dripped with molten delights while the meat glistened and the buns shone.
We could not wait to bite in. The buns were extra soft and held the whole burger together. These burgers were juicy and dripping with fat and sauce.
The smokiness of these patties made our taste buds sing. Char-grilled, not over done, slightly pink but not too pink. The D#wn 'N Out boys know how to cook a meat patty.
These burgers have the right amount of saltiness. The burger sauce had just the right blend of tomato sauce, mayo and mustard that left our mouths watering.
There was enough pickle and onion to cut through the meat patty. The sweetness of the tomato also complimented the greasiness of these burgers. Each bite was crunchy, thanks to the simple layer of lettuce.
The deep fried cheese patty was gooey and crunchy. But unfortunately it didn't add any flavour to these burgers. Sure it added another texture dimension. But given that there was little flavour, we were left to think about the extra layer that the cheese patty was about to add to our coronary arteries.
These burgers left us wanting more. The lingering taste of that sauce after eating these burgers makes for a pleasant after taste. This is just a bog-standard good burger for $12 for a single. I'm sure we'll be back.
