From pop-up sensation to patty-flipping powerhouse – Broken Hearts Burger Club opens in Morningside
From pop-up sensation to patty-flipping powerhouse – Broken Hearts Burger Club opens in Morningside
From pop-up sensation to patty-flipping powerhouse – Broken Hearts Burger Club opens in Morningside
From pop-up sensation to patty-flipping powerhouse – Broken Hearts Burger Club opens in Morningside
From pop-up sensation to patty-flipping powerhouse – Broken Hearts Burger Club opens in Morningside
From pop-up sensation to patty-flipping powerhouse – Broken Hearts Burger Club opens in Morningside
From pop-up sensation to patty-flipping powerhouse – Broken Hearts Burger Club opens in Morningside

From pop-up sensation to patty-flipping powerhouse – Broken Hearts Burger Club opens in Morningside

While Brisbane’s burger scene is already brimming with some exceptional patty slingers, our insatiable appetite for juicy handfuls knows no limits – we are always eager for more! Broken Hearts Burger Club is the newest entrant to throw its hat into the ring, taking an old-school approach with its goal of perfecting the art of the smash burger. In a few short months this sizzling outfit has expanded far beyond its humble lockdown project beginnings, transforming from a sell-out pop-up and Instagram sensation into an anticipated bricks-and-mortar dining destination. Broken Hearts Burger Club is making burgers that are artfully simple and simply irresistible – an approach that has earned a stamp of approval from some internationally renowned burger heavyweights. It officially opens tomorrow, Tuesday December 1 – here’s a look at what you can expect …

When considering the burger capital of the world, Los Angeles is definitely high up on the list. With a bun slinger on almost every street, it’s without a doubt a burger lover’s mecca. When Logan-born Jay Gordon moved to LA, it didn’t take long for him to get intimately acquainted with all the big names. Visits to the likes of In-N-Out Burger, Shake Shack, Five Guys and Carl’s Jr. were no doubt frequent, but it was the city’s artisanal burger makers and the underground movers and shakers that truly ensnared Jay’s heart and tastebuds. It wasn’t long before Jay encountered lauded smash burger pop-up Tripp Burgers. Heralded by LA foodies as a must-try, this one-man operation revels in sweet simplicity – making morsels that are understated in appearance, but not in flavour. One bite of a Tripp Burger was all it took to plant the seed of an idea in Jay’s brain, inspiring him to take up burger making when he returned to Australia earlier this year. COVID-19 reached our shores not long after, sending folks indoors as the city-wide lockdown was implemented. With an excess of time on his hands, Jay fired up Instagram and created Peer Reviewed Burgers – an account dedicated to cataloging his foray into hand-smashed burger fanaticism. Initially, Jay started making free burgers for friends and family in iso, dropping off his creations in paper bags and gathering feedback on his recipe in order to refine it further. Although Peer Reviewed Burgers was a passion project, Jay wasn’t keen on doing things by halves. He purchased his own meat grinder to mix protein ordered from commercial suppliers, he sourced authentic potato buns to ensure each burger maintained integrity during delivery and even scouted for pickles that boasted the right level of crunch. According to Jay, flavour is easy to nail – a burger’s true success hinges on its texture. The combo of crispy patties with lacy edges, mouth-watering gooey cheese, zingy pickles and pillowy buns are all crucial to the experience, and over time Jay started getting closer to hitting the mark.

Eventually the greater public caught wind of Peer Reviewed Burgers and soon Jay had a lengthy list of hundreds of hungry burger fans eager to join him on his quest to create the perfect smash burger. It was at this point that Jay decided to take his concept to the wider public with a series of pop-up appearances. Long-time friend Chè Quaedvlieg came onboard and soon the duo had secured usage of local food truck New York Waffles to take their burgers to the streets. With COVID restrictions still in place, the boys had to arrange timed slots for folks to pick up pre-ordered burgers. The first pop-up sold out in 12 hours, while the second exhausted its allotment in 12 minutes. Peer Reviewed Burgers’ third pop-up saw all burgers sold in advance two minutes after pre-orders launched, proving that the crew’s star was on the rise. Word soon travelled back across the pond to Los Angeles – Mark Tripp himself reached out and gave his blessing to Jay on his recipe, the inspiration of which stretched back to Jay’s first Tripp Burger experience. Jay was even able to score a coveted Smashula – one of a limited number of specialised patty squishers sent to Jay by famed burger scholar George Motz, wielded by the most dedicated burger chefs. With his recipe earning the seal of approval by some burger greats and Brisbane at large, Jay and Chè figured it was time to take the project one step further and open a bricks-and-mortar burger joint, renaming Peer Reviewed Burgers to Broken Hearts Burger ClubPeter and Ross Jacobi of Wingfix approached Jay with the invitation to take over their 24-seater Morningside space, which was being vacated as Wingfix moved to Coorparoo. Jay and Chè agreed to take over the spot, transforming it into a family-friendly eatery of their own that now boasts a simple and crisp aesthetic inspired by 1950s America (think white tiles, splashes of blue and red and a brand identity created by Timba Smits) – a simple set up that allows the burgers to take centre stage without distraction.

So, now that Broken Hearts Burger Club is finally here, let’s get down to brass tacks and examine what’s on the menu. At the core of the offering is Jay’s finely honed recipe for the classic hand-smashed burger, a no-nonsense two-hander which is expertly executed by kitchen overlords Chè and Dale Hay. The classic boasts a perfectly cooked patty (made using a blend of chuck steak, a slightly more upscale cut like porterhouse, sirloin or oyster blade, and bacon – seasoned with a pinch of salt), slices of American cheese, bread and butter pickles, and a dollop of house-made pink sauce all gently smushed between a lightly toasted potato bun (which the team finishes baking in their on-site combi oven). Scope for alterations is limited, but folks can add extra patties (two is the recommended number), have their patties done Oklahoma style (that is with onions smashed into the beef) or add lettuce, tomato and onion to their burgers, if desired. No burger-eating experience is complete without a side of crispy fries (served with your choice of sauce – a ketchup and mayo blend, or Ché’s special mix of barbecue sauce and kewpie mayo) and a milkshake (flavours like vanilla, peanut butter, chocolate, strawberry and lime), while soft drinks are also on hand to wash down your feast. Eventually the Broken Hearts team will debut its take on a finger-lickin’ fried-chicken sandwich (reminiscent of the kind popularised by Popeyes, though the recipe is still being tinkered with), and will look to add rotating specials (think pulled-pork fries) to the offering down the line as well.

Broken Hearts Burger Club officially opens to the public tomorrow, Tuesday December 1. Head to the Stumble Guide for opening hours and other important details.

The Stumble Guide is our comprehensive Brisbane dining guide with more than 2400 places to eat, drink, shop and play.

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