Dearest and I had heard about The Grand Trailer Park Taverna before, and even tried to go once or twice only to find the restaurant closed for one reason or another.
We finally made it there this weekend. After seeing the new Beatles tour documentary movie, we decided that burgers and fries would be a perfect meal to end the evening out. We got there just in time to snag the last best seats at the bar table. I do not necessarily like the shared table idea, I would prefer my own space to dine, but that’s just me. I noticed many tables were reserved so that it seems the popular spot wants to cater more to larger parties than to smaller or individual walk-ins. Of course, it could just be that we were there on a Saturday night, but even so, I’d think there would be fewer reserved tables a more spots for walk-ins on such a busy night. But then I’m not up on the optimum restaurant management strategy.
Overall the burger joint reminded me of places in New Orleans, though the unpretentiousness of the decor and ambiance was artificial and forced in the hipster way that is popular now rather than the authentic dive-y-ness of New Orleans neighborhood restaurants.
The menu is simple, with a few variations on burgers and standard sides. I really liked that the burgers were customizable, so I could get what I wanted on my burger. I’m a pretty no frills person with my food. My standard burger order in the US was always with cheese, extra pickles only. Though I’m not opposed to ketchup and mustard, I DO NOT like mayonnaise or mayo-based sauces. And I’m only going to pick off the raw onions and lettuce, so it’s easier for everyone if I can avoid them from the beginning. I was pleased to see onion rings as a side, as I think those are almost a requirement at a good burger joint. I’ll always pick onion rings over fries to go wth my burger. There was a good selection of housemate milk shakes, offered with or without alcohol. And there were a few waffle-based desserts on the menu.
After some thought, I decided to go wth the simple, basic burger, without shallots, but with extra pickles — you can be sure if pickles are an option, I’m getting extra. Dearest picked a slightly fancier burger served dressed with the addition of a mac & cheese croquette, but switching out the beef patty for a chickpea patty to keep it vegetarian. We split sides of onion rings and fries, using the latter as a bellwether dish for comparison purposes.
We were a bit concerned by the description of “brioche buns” which usually means something more akin to a sweet bun-sized tea cake than a burger bun. And both of us feel that many brioche buns are too rich a bread for something as independently rich as a premium burger. But these buns were much more like traditional burger buns than the cakes of brioche that come with other chef-inspired burgers. I was a bit disappointed that my burger came with no pickles at all, but was pleased when the waitress offered to get me a cup of pickles. (I actually prefer my pickles on the side, so the cup of pickles was perfect for me.) The burger itself was nice, not the best burger I’ve ever had, but certainly worth it for the price. Service was quick, and the waitress did everything she could to make sure customers got what they ordered. A group at the other end of the bar table had some issues with their order, but as far as I could observe, mix-ups were corrected easily and quickly.
I’m not sure if the confusion was with the people taking the orders or the kitchen staff filling the orders, but the communication issues could certainly be a bigger problem when the restaurant is busier or with larger groups or less understanding diners.
The onion rings were good, and I was pleased they were served with extra packets of ketchup. I miss ketchup for fries and onion rings, so that was a very welcome surprise. The fries were average. Battered fries are common, and pretty much the same no matter where you get them. Good french fries are not an easy thing to produce consistently, especially with many different people operating the fryers, so the battered ones help ensure a level of acceptable consistency. The fries were not bad, but I was expecting them to be a bit more individual.
I had toyed with the idea of dessert, but after finishing my burger and sides, and letting it settle a while, found there was nothing on the dessert menu that was calling out to me. Which is not to say I would not find something on the menu irresistible on another visit, just at this time, there was nothing that was interesting me.
It was a good dinner, and just the kind of no-frills place I was wanting for dinner. It’s definitely on my list of places we can, and should, visit again when in Melbourne. And it would be a great place for a simple meal with friends. It’s kitschy and tries a bit too hard to be hip, but at its heart, The Grand Trailer Park Taverna is a humble burger joint. And that’s enough.
Overall Rating: ★★★★☆
