Charlie & Co, Melbourne CBD (by invitation) by Bureaucrat

Hailing from Sydney, Charlie & Co has set up its first Melbourne outpost on the third floor in the Emporium shopping centre.  I was invited by Charlie & Co to come try out their burgers for lunch one day.  While I had wandered through parts of the Emporium before, I hadn't been on the third floor.  For a food court, it’s quite glamorous, spacious and filled with natural light – almost the antithesis of a food court.

There’s about 10 burgers on offer and a range of sides, extras and sauces.  What differentiates Charlie & Co from similar burger chains is that they’ve upped the ante with luxe ingredients in its menu – for example, wagyu beef patties as standard, free range chicken and eggs, parmesan and truffled fries, and smoked chilli coleslaw.

I met Chef Errol who helped me decide which burger I should try.  Originally I decided to go for the Mighty Charlie, however, as it was indeed mighty (it has a wagyu beef patty, bacon, egg and cheese... just to name a few of the ingredients), I chose to go with the Classic Charlie burger.


While they do have gluten-free buns, I decided to go bun-free, which they happily obliged.  A nice thick patty, with lovely grill markings.  Fresh salad leaves, tomato and crunchy, thin slices of pickles that were not too sour or sweet.  The burger comes with your choice of cheese.  I got the brie, and boy, they’re generous with the cheese (you can also get it with blue cheese or cheddar).  Two thick slab of creamy brie to go with my burger – very decadent!


I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try a side - especially when they’re beer battered onion rings.  Golden in colour and I loved the beer batter.  My only minor quibble would be that the batter was a wee thicker than I would have liked.  But it’s still tasty and light and crispy.  I also got a bottle of lemon crush – lemonade made with real lemon juice and no preservatives.



Verdict
Food – 7.5
Ambience – 7
Service – 7*
Price – 8*
*Scores are notional as I was a guest of Charlie & Co.

Overall
Charlie & Co is a welcome addition to the Melbourne burger scene.  I’m going go back to try a few more burgers and their desserts (they have salted caramel choc ices!) and milkshakes.  You can have the burgers at the Emporium or get them as take away.

Thank you to Chef Errol and the rest of the team at Charlie & Co for sharing with us your tasty burgers.

Address
Charlie & Co
Third floor, Emporium Melbourne
287 Lonsdale St
Melbourne 3000
Telephone: 8609 8136