Jus Burgers: Northbridge

Once upon a time, McDonalds would be the only place to go if you ever felt like a whopper. Hungry Jacks. Whatever.
Back in the olden days, we had limited choice. Fast forward a few sleeps, we are spoilt rotten with too much choice.
Burgers no longer have their long-standing reputation of being greasy, unhealthy, hungover food that goes straight to your thighs after consuming it. They stop at the stomach, all because of a fancy little word:
Gourmet.


A hip word that is gaining so much publicity in the food world. You'll get shunned if you deliver anything less than outstanding. Everybody is a food critic nowadays.
People's standards have changed. (For the better!) 
Move over fast food, until when I next need you.
...Tomorrow? :$


The birth of earlier successful burger joints quickly led to a whole mob of burger-serving offspring to populate little old Perth. We evidently have a healthy appetite for healthy fast food.

Pomegranate Frappe - $6.95

Although it was a wet, rainy, stormy, lightning-striking-everywhere Australia Day night, it was simultaneously sticky, humid and hot. The rain pelting down could make you sweat. I can't remember the last time Perthians witnessed a spectacular light show of firework and lightning together, with rain pissing down on them.


It was so unbelievably stuffy, but perfect weather for an ice cold frappe. This stunning velvet creation features a refreshing blend of "pomegranate juice, berries, splash of cloudy apple, fresh mint and ice" and was really quite too SOUR! But so very refreshing and bursting with fresh ingredients.


We managed half the cup at best and ended up with an attractive berry-stained smile, thanks to all the abundance of gritty berry chunks and seeds.

All of Jus Burgers burgers are lovingly created with a grilled sugar-free Turkish bun, homemade aioli, relish, fresh lettuce, tomato and spanish onion. Something Jus Burgers deserves recognition for is being the state's first restaurant to sign to the Buy West Eat Best initiative, sourcing all of its produce locally from a cast of WA suppliers all over the region. There's no fakeness or artificialness here, unless you consider the only seasonings of salt and pepper added when cooking to be artificial!

There is an emphasis on fresh and no compromise on quality with their "no freezer allowed" policy, a very impressive procedure to exist in a restaurant to be honest. Stuff goes bad, start to rot, start to smell ...which then makes you appreciate the efforts required when a place endeavors to deliver FRESH FRESH FRESH and AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE all time, every time.

Original Beef - $11

I opted for the basic but equally satisfying Original Beef burger, full of simplicity, originality and free of frills, spills and hormonal imbalances. You're eating nothing but bare, naked cows in its pure original glory.


A juicy, hand pressed, char grilled patty of Western Australian Amelia Park beef hanging out with other burger staples sandwiched between a sturdy, crispy Turkish roll - Burgers just might be better at Jus.

Wagyu Beef - $15

Also on the line for dinner is the Wagyu Beef, a mountainous stack of WA Vasse Valley Wagyu beef slathered with wasabi mayo. Listening to the sound of that conjures up a taste sensation with hints of hotness, creaminess and fatty portions distributed throughout the thick slab of wagyu.


The wasabi mayo has a subtle spiciness and could probably be toned up a fair bit to add that extra hit to the overall flavour of the burger. When wasabi is involved, I want WASABI and not just...wasabi.

Mango Smoothie - $6.50

When Perth's Food and Wine month promoted Eat Drink Perth, I never once parted with my Eat Drink Perth booklet and quickly became my essential necessity. Chock full of discounted, delicious offers and coupons from all around the CBD and close-by suburbs, it wasn't a surprise to see Jus Burgers featured in there with their burger and drink contribution.


Usually selling at $6.50, their sweet deal delivered up a $5 mango smoothie with the purchase of a discounted Wagyu burger. A creamy concoction of blended mango, ginger and a splash of lemon gave a slight hint of citrus in a tropical beverage, infused with notes of spicy ginger undertones.

Wagyu Beef - $10 (Eat Drink Perth special)

Here's a cross section of the same burger from above, sliced through and making it a tonne times easier to eat. Or if you look at it differently, it can be a tonne times harder to eat, ingredients falling out from every angle of the burger.


It's become a habit of mine to ask for sliced up burgers, so you can see every intricate detailed layer inside the burger :) Nothing to do with the ease of my own eating pleasure of course.

Mullet - $15

I generally frown upon mullets. Jus has revamped the look and it has never been so good looking. I could do with a mullet in 2012. But with some sauce.


Mullets scream AUSTRALIAN! so loud, with the whole load of fry-up ingredients compacted into the one burger. Building blocks of salad, char-grilled beef patty, free range fried egg, bacon and cheddar cheese (minus beetroot please!) towers high and rocks with instability, even with 2 skewers pierced through their hearts. We watched our burger sway dangerously on the countertop and tapped a waiter's shoulder just in time to save it from meeting with the floor.


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Rightfully earning and thus rightfully boasting a multitude of awards over the years since 2009, Jus Burgers has become a famed burger name and an Australian celebrity with a loyal fan base. Being a continuous and consecutive winner of I LOVE FOOD awards (doesn't that award capture everything so well :)) for Best Hamburger in Australia, they must be doing something right to please people's palates.


This burger bar has several stores in the primest of prime locations (think: Northbridge, Leederville, Subiaco, Fremantle), all areas saturated with food and foodies. Along with happy and quirky staff, all the burger bars share quite small and slightly cramped spaces that are compensated with recycled, fun and functional decor (Ikea lamps and synthetic grass...on the CEILING?!). Constraints in seating does mean you have to scramble for a seat, making you feel much like a watchdog and barking at those who steal the next available table.


I admit I didn't take an immediate liking to Jus Burgers burgers. But seeing it out-rivaled WA's and even the entire country's burgers, maybe I was viewing it with coloured spectacles after falling in love with Grill'd burgers. And indeed after a 2nd, 3rd try, I now wear clear coloured glasses when perving at food. Their menu includes so much choice and caters considerably for those dining with dietary and ethical requirements with the expected gourmet prices for burgers.


Reading up on the man himself, Justin Bell - the bawssse of all this, it's easy to gauge the commitment put into chaperoning all the stores, AND our environment they are in. And as if this nationally successful and recognisable name isn't enough, Jus also receives commendation for environmental sustainability. Jus Burgers sells just burgers, which really lets them focus on delivering a quality and fancy elevated sandwich.


What can't this guy do?
Probably fail.


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(08) 9227 0668


Monday & Sunday: 11.30am to 9pm
Tuesday to Saturday: 11.30am to 10pm


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