The overall top burgers from this year’s Burger Wellington, according to our panel of experts.
The finalists for this year’s Burger Wellington will be announced at the end of the month based on a public vote, and an official winner will be decided by a panel of judges. For now though, there are still a few days to sample this year’s creations. The Spinoff’s team of Wellington writers have been putting in the hard yards all month, exploring as many of this year’s entries as possible. These are their favourite burgers.
Graze: The Crackening, $35
Nick Iles
My favourite thing about great food is that the end product, the thing actually put in front of you on the plate, is potentially the least important thing about it all. My favourite thing is a restaurant that cares about provenance, understands how making our food networks as sustainable and localised as possible will only seek to benefit us all in the long run. What I am saying is that my favourite burger this year is The Crackening from Max Gordy and his wine bar Graze in Kelburn, a fish burger by name but something far more impressive in the flesh.
I love that the fish in this burger came from a couple of guys called Cole and Tom who spear-caught it the day before in the Cook Strait before it was smashed up and smoked in to a long patty, the skin crisped up into a fish skin crackling, or that the cheese melted over the top came from a small artisanal producer just outside Tauranga. Sitting in the small bar and knowing not only the journey of the fish and the cheese, but also that all the vegetables and herbs in the kimchi slaw and spicy cucumber pickle came from Birdsong Farms and Little Farms makes them more piquant, more vibrant. That the three potato sliders were made in-house using flour from Capital Millers make them fluffier and more wholesome.
My favourite thing about this burger is that it is probably the only burger in the whole field that could actually call itself Welly On A Plate. But this burger is not a lecture in ethics, it is a demonstration of how enjoyable and vibrant food is when the journey of every single element is taken into account – oh, and it’s really fucking delicious.
Hey Coastie: Cluckin’ Good Chilli Crisp, $33
Jan Otis
I had high expectations for this burger, and those expectations were blown out of the park. Just looking at the photo makes my mouth water. This is my type of burger – spicy, fresh, crunchy and juicy. You’ll be familiar with the flavours and ingredients but it is such a unique burger that you cannot compare it to anything right now.
The chicken thigh has a lot of flavour – it’s marinated in buttermilk and coated in Doritos but that meat packs a punch. The Rose’s chilli crisp adds just enough heat to open up your pores but not ruin you the next day. This is offset by the creole aioli which brings you back down to earth and cools you down. Those tater tots have to be the best side I’ve had in a long time – just imagine mashed potato bites with a crunchy exterior.
St. John’s Bar & Eatery: Lambtastic, $31
Zoë Mills
How often can you get a group to equally agree that a meal was a “banger” and “really, really good”? The Lambtastic burger from St Johns Bar & Eatery has got to be the best thing I’ve eaten in AGES.
The Lambtastic stars two types of lamb – a lamb patty and pieces of tandoori lamb, both moist and fantastically seasoned. The burger is really well balanced with a sweet mango chutney and a yoghurt sauce to cut through the heaviness of the lamb. My favourite elements of the burger were the onion bhaji and the accompanying dish of bhuja mix. St John’s Instagram told us to sprinkle the mix into the burger, and alongside the bhaji, added a much needed crunch. The burger itself was packed with flavour and stacked high, but was surprisingly light and easy to eat. “I feel like I could eat four of them”, remarked one of my friends.
The Bombay-spiced fries were equally as good as the burger. Crispy, really well seasoned and equally as thought out as the burger. To add to our fantastic experience, the service was quick, the interior was sophisticated, and the staff were warm and attentive. 10/10 would eat again.
The Interislander: Boaty Boatface, $23
Bryer Oden (@healthsensation)
I think more attention needs to be given to the only Burger Wellington burger that is in shipshape. And by that I mean, literally in the shape of a ship. The Interislander’s burger brought me a sense of joy I have not felt since receiving my chips in a wagon at Cobb & Co (alongside a traffic light with a plastic monkey on the side, of course). It taps into all of the good memories I have of travelling on the Interislander, such as my mum accidentally being locked in the gift shop during a routine safety drill.
The Interislander’s entry is a prime example of the brilliance of Burger Wellington, as it expertly walks the line of my favourite life philosophy, “same same but diff.” The burger is “same same” in that it maintains the integrity of a classic, humble burger, but “diff” enough by bringing a sense of whimsy and wonder by being served on New Zealand’s favourite ferry. As someone who is deeply serious about being silly and a little too nostalgic, the perfect execution of the theme “Play with Your Food” means I am all aboard.
The highlight of the whole burger for me was the sauce, which was so mysterious and delicious I forced them to give me the secret recipe, which I can exclusively reveal includes sour cream, coriander and jalapeños. The patty was beautifully chargrilled, the watercress was fresh and crisp, and as a bonus, a surprising quantity of chips were hidden within the hull of the ship. It also came with a tomato relish (of which I am not usually a fan) which has made me rethink my opinion on relish as a concept. All in all, this burger is a microcosm of how all Burger Wellington entries should be: interesting, well thought out, and delicious.
Ernesto’s Cocina Cubana: Censored Burger, $28
Preyanka Gothanayagi
I really didn’t want to like this burger. Ernesto’s was officially kicked out of this year’s competition due to its original name: “Pablo Escoburger”. Drug-themed food doesn’t appeal to me personally. But I wasn’t paying attention when a coworker booked us a table, which is how I wound up at the brightly lit and highly floral Ernesto’s Cocina Cubana.
The renamed “Censored Burger”, however, was exactly what I’d spent the last three weeks and thirteen burgers looking for. Every individual element shone, without being overwhelming – the absolute height of balance. A lush, juicy beef and brisket patty. A layer of spiced pulled pork, adding flavour and texture. The sweetness of the pineapple ring cutting straight through the savoury. The Kettle chips (no, really!) contributing a delightful, salty crunch. The soft fry bread bun that didn’t disintegrate amongst the fillings. I somehow even enjoyed the lettuce, which was fresh and crisp.
This burger was so interesting, with all its notes and harmonies. The gimmick – a little line of garlic powder and a fake rolled $100 note – felt on the nose, metaphorically and literally. Ernesto’s did rename, re-photograph, and re-market – but they could have done more, because it didn’t add much.
We had a collective moment of “Oh, I get it,”, maybe a quick laugh at best. Then we brushed it all aside to savour what was, almost begrudgingly, my favourite burger this festival.
Little Beer Quarter: Brewmasters of the Universe, $26
Matt Casey
‘Twas Wednesday, the day before yesterday, and I had just completed three days of excessive burger eating. In spite of a bruised wallet and a full stomach, I made the pilgrimage to the Golden Gnome Tavern (Little Beer Quarter). This burger was recommended by a mate on the grounds of “trust me”. The bar has been converted into a medieval, Dungeons and Dragons-esque tavern for the month and the burger was an incredibly beer-infused delight. Virtually every component incorporated some form of New Zealand craft beer.
The fig jam paired with the magical hot sauce complemented the staunchly large beef patty. The patty was so big I’d mistook it for a steak in the middle of the burger. I’d lost love for the taste of bacon after competing in the 2022 New Zealand Bacon Eating Championship, but the bacon on this burger was just right and complimented the other components which, to be frank, I can’t remember because even now I cannot get over the quality of the sauce pairing.
Some burgers stray far far away from what we traditionally understand a burger to be and try far too hard. This burger was unique and exciting while maintaining standard burger legitimacy.
The Featherston: It’s a Burger, Wellington, $26
Sean Burnett Dugdale-Martin
The Featherston is offering a burger, Wellington, and not just any burger, a burger wellington. The theme this year is “play with your food” and for me I can’t help but feel as if the idea behind this chunky beast was more about how the chefs could play with this idea, rather than how customers could. I’ve seen other restaurants incorporate board games and knick knacks into their burger identities for this years festival but I appreciate this subtle difference (which I might be reading way too far into). I feel a sense of ease dissipate between me and the package of pastry. No one is trying to prove how fun they are because of this narrative in my noggin’.
This is not a hand-held burger invention, it is instead a slab of what looks like a burger that was put through a blender, encased in the signature pastry of a beef wellington. Accompanied by a serving of potato mash and gravy that be lathered onto the hunk I’ve cut.
The taste is surprising and is that of a classic, simple American cheeseburger. I don’t know what they’ve hidden where but it doesn’t taste how it looks. The presentation, cut in half with the cross-section pride of place above its mash mound, accentuates my feelings of this being something the cooks are proud of. In the days since I have caught myself thinking back to that evening. The burger in a wellington. A novelty in itself that I’ve come to consider my top pick of this year’s Burger Wellington.
Read more: The best value burgers at this year’s Burger Wellington | The best ‘weird’ burgers at this year’s Burger Wellington
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