Last updated on January 26, 2018
After hearing people raving about the goodness of the burgers at Betty’s Burgers, we knew we had to go there when we were next on the Gold Coast. They started in Noosa, and more outlets have gradually been opening, swept along by their popularity. The first Gold Coast branch is located at the Chevron Renaissance. We were initially worried about being able to find parking, but it turns out customers can get up to 2 hours of free parking at the shopping centre, so as long as you don’t have too drawn out a meal, it works out fine.
The next challenge, after finding parking, was finding the shop itself, as although we thought we knew where the eateries were in that shopping centre, Betty’s Burgers is actually located around the outside rather than in the central atrium area.
You can actually spot it quite easily if you approach from the road, the restaurant having plenty of street frontage and “Betty’s Burgers & Concrete Co” in red cursive lettering above the entrance. One of the waitstaff was also stationed right at the entrance with an armful of menus, to greet customers and probably try to entice in could-be customers. We were given menus as we walked in, and told that we could sit anywhere we liked. It was also explained that we should order at the counter when we were ready.
The restaurant very much has a beach feel, in keeping with its origins, with sandy coloured floor tiles and light wood tables, orange and white metal chairs, and turquoise cushions. The walls, in white, have a distressed wood look, and horizontal slats, reminding one of a beach shack. Baskets of plants hang from the ceiling, with garland lights strung between them. A pastel-coloured retro bicycle is propped up near one of the counters. It is all quite quaintly pretty. Laid back R&B pop music was playing, just a little too loudly, which was the only discordant thing.
The menu is quite straightforward and simple, with seven burgers listed, one of which is really a combination of another two, and optional add-ons of bacon, extra meat, or a gluten-free bun. You can also get chips, side sauces, or a salad. Between us, we ordered a burger each, namely the Betty’s Classic, the Pork Belly Burger, and the Betty’s Classic Stack, and a side of onion rings. After placing our order, we were given a buzzer to take back to our table, to alert us to go back to the pickup counter when our food was ready.
While waiting, we looked over the menu again, and tried to decide if we should have Concretes as well. About half the menu space is dedicated to their Concretes, which are custard ice creams combined with assorted mix-ins and toppings. They have pre-designed combinations like Hot Fudge Doughnut, which has vanilla custard, krispy kreme doughnut, hot fudge sauce, hazelnut crumble, and vanilla cream, or Almond Toffee Marshmallow, which has chocolate custard, almond toffee, marshmallow sauce, salted caramel sauce, vanilla cream, and cinnamon sugar. Alternatively, you can create your own decadent dessert. After consideration, we figured that post-burger might be a better time to make the decision.
It wasn’t too long before the buzzer went off, flashing lights and all, and the burgers could be collected. They certainly looked good on the tray, a cardboard Betty’s Burgers brand-labelled container, each burger wrapped in Betty’s Burgers printed paper and presented like a floral bouquet so you could see the fillings. The golden glaze on the burger buns and the fresh colours from the lettuce and tomato made them very photogenic.
The Betty’s Classic had Angus beef patty, lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese, and Betty’s special sauce. A quite traditional, straight down the line combination, but the sort of thing that shows up how good (or not so good) a burger place is, because there aren’t other fancy ingredients to hide behind. They did it well, with the soft, juicy meat patty, fresh vegetables that didn’t make it sloppy, and a dollop of their tangy sauce. It was tasty, and neither dry nor too saucy.
The Betty’s Classic Stack is a combination of the Betty’s Classic and the Shroom Burger, so it has the contents of the Betty’s Classic, as well as fried mushrooms filled with melted gouda and gruyere cheese. Once again, the meat patty was nicely cooked, still with a hint of pink in the middle. The mushroom mix was like another patty, battered and crunchy on the outside, cheesy and saucy on the inside. That cheese was delightfully stretchy.. It was a great combination of textures and flavours. It made for a big stack though, even with the soft, easily flattened burger buns, and it was impossible to get the ingredients together in one mouthful, unless you have the ability to dislocate your jaw like a python.
The Pork Belly Burger had slow cooked, crispy pork belly, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and siracha mayo. We were pleased to find that the pork belly did actually have a crunchy outer skin. The pork belly meat was juicy, and not overcooked. The sliced pickled vegetables added freshness, and there was the hint of heat as well as creamy richness from the siracha mayo, without it being too fiery to enjoy the flavours.
We did also get a serve of onion rings as a side accompaniment. These were soft and caramelised on the inside, with the natural sweetness of cooked down onion, and well contrasted by the crispy salty beer batter coating on the outside.
We didn’t end up getting Concrete, but we can at least vouch for Betty’s Burgers and Concrete doing some pretty good burgers. Betty’s Classic Stack is the burger we would get on a return visit. It will be interesting to see what happens when Betty’s Burgers ventures into Brisbane in 2017, and faces off with the likes of the heftier Getta Burger, which offers more substantial burgers for similar prices. They do pitch a different aesthetic though, and have maintained their following through the Sunshine and Gold Coasts. Time, and tummies, will tell.
Scores:
Food: 3.5/4
Setting: 1.5/2
Service: 1/2
Total: 6/8
Price point: Burgers $10 (Betty’s Classic) to $16 (Betty’s Classic Stack). French fries or onion rings $5 to $6. Concretes $8 for their combinations, or mix your own for $6 for the base custard and $1 for each mix-in.
Value: Alright.
Details:
Address: 12-14 Chevron Renaissance Shopping Centre, 3240 Surfer’s Paradise Boulevard, Surfers’s Paradise
Phone: 07 5538 6565
Website: Betty’s Burgers and Concrete Co
