Press PLAY to hear Kara Monssen’s full review

CHARRD

74 Lygon St, Brunswick East

How long are you prepared to queue for food? When would you leave the line out of sheer boredom, hunger, or both?

Charrd, the new hole-in-the-wall burger joint by Brunswick East’s Yakamoz crew, isn’t for the impatient or ravenous.

Some punters are queuing anywhere from 20 minutes to two hours to wrap their mouth around one of the social media famous burgers. I very patiently waited for one hour and 35 minutes after joining the queue before Charrd opened for Saturday lunch.

So what’s the big deal, exactly?

Owners OJ and chef Cagri Ergin decided to launch a spin-off takeaway window next door to their Mediterranean restaurant on Lygon St in July, after the restaurant’s double cheeseburger amassed a cult following last September.

Within three weeks of opening, and one viral social media post later, Charrd took off.

Ever since there’s been a metres-long queue stretching down the side street. Some people wait 20 minutes, others cop a two-hour wait.

Expect two burgers on the menu– the classic and Charrd– each done as a single or double patty, alongside fries, housemade lemonade and iced tea, and a secret Charrd sauce that’s clearly made with mustard and orange juice. Sometimes there are secret specials.

The Charrd Double, the burger that broke the internet ($19), sees two properly beefy and fatty patties, stacked high with pickles, caramelised onion, a spicy homemade hot sauce and truffle mayo between a sesame seeded brioche bun.

It’s rich and wonderfully meat, saucy yet balanced and kept in check by the hot sauce and pickles. Believe the hype.

As for the classic, which I ordered as a single patty, it’s similar to another fast food joint’s famous cheeseburger, but unlike Ol’ Ronald’s creation this is amped up by quality ingredients and a resounding smoky flavour thanks to time spent on the charcoal grill.

When rating burgers, I consider whether each ingredient is noticeable or overwhelmed by others such as sauce. Aside from the Charrd Double being a heavy handed with the truffle mayo, each ingredient hits as it’s intended and the integrity of the bun doesn’t disintegrate under the weight of meat and mayo.

As for the sides? Those chips are properly snappy, nicely seasoned and hot as you’d expect, and that housemade lemonade is clearly made from fresh lemons and counteracts the richness of all that meat.

You may even luck out with a secret menu item, which isn’t disclosed at ordering.

Thankfully on this visit the chicken burger, a whopping panko-crumbed chicken fillet jammed between two brioche buns with fresh salsa verde, was cluckin’ delicious and juicy where it counts.

Would I wait in line again? I’d try and find a sweet spot of queuing for 20 minutes.

In terms of quality, value for money and taste, I dare say the burgers are better at Charrd.

Images: Supplied/Charrd