Fat Bob’s Bar and Grill, Moorabbin by Big Fil

Fat Bob’s Bar and Grill is getting a bit of a reputation as one of (if not the) best places for hamburgers in Melbourne.



Given it’s located down a small laneway in an industrial part of Moorabbin that’s quite some achievement.

Arriving late for our Saturday lunch appointment Snooze and I met up with our dining companions for the day, Ms Bureaucrat and Mr Nat Stockley.

Because we had booked ahead we were able to sit in one of the inside booths and admire the wide range of predominately Australian signs covering the walls, from petrol related to Cottee’s drinks and Peter’s Icecream (it’s the health food of the nation don’t you know).



I absolutely loved the great atmosphere it provided for a hamburger diner, particularly when you add some classic blues playing in the background.  If you don’t book you’ll likely be relegated to the outside corridor though, nice but nowhere near as cool as the inside.

Most of the burgers come with masculine sounding names – the Fat Bob, Spartan, or Victa – with a Dragster or Pedal Car available for the kids.  While each of us ordered a different burger (Fat Bob, Hummer, Jackie O and the Spartan) one thing they all shared in common was their very generous size.  It may take two child sized hands to handle a whopper, but these required two big hands.  

Fat Bob

Even after requesting her Fat Bob with no pineapple it was still almost bigger than Snooze’s head.  

Jackie O {come to mumma, says Bureaucrat!}.

Bureaucrat had to turn hers into an open burger, removing the top layer of the bun, before she was able to eat it.

Spartan

Given that burgers are a little hard to share I can only comment on mine, the Spartan.  Served with bacon, tomato relish, cos lettuce, vintage cheese, onion (done two ways) and BBQ sauce, it was a great example of what a hamburger can be.  The thick, juicy meat patty was done beautifully, slightly pink in the middle.  The cos provided some crunch to the texture, the flavours melted into a creamy, mouth filling experience.  Best of all was the use of a manly bun, one which avoided the hipster brioche cliché.  While not my favourite classic old school fish and chip style burger in style, in quality it’s an absolute winner.



To go with our burgers I ordered a side of the guacamole and chips, Mr Stockley ordered the chips to go with his burger.  While both were good they weren’t quite the same standard as my burger.


Hummer w chips.

The chips were crunchy and fluffy, the guacamole fresh but without any real zing.  Rumour has it the chicken is also good, but that will have to wait for another visit.

Overall

Perfect atmosphere, friendly staff who kept us aware of how long the burgers were going to take during a relatively busy period (I suspect they all are busy periods here), great burgers, definitely feeling the love for Fat Bob’s.  To avoid disappointment just make sure you book ahead.

Verdict
Food – 8.5
Atmosphere – 9
Service – 8
Price – 7.5

Address
80A Cochranes Road
Moorabbin VIC 3189
Tel: (03) 9555 0909