Paul’s Famous Hamburgers of Sylvania, Sylvania
8 July 2009
14 Comments
Good old fashioned burgers
I adore burgers and although I know they’re not good for me, I sometimes have to sate my cravings with McDonalds or Hungry Jack’s / Burger King (all the other times I can hold out, but just barely).
When a couple of my friends recommended Paul’s Famous Hamburgers of Sylvania, I was pretty excited, but somehow I never got to actually go. Eventually the stars and planets aligned and I finally ended up visiting Paul’s, despite the terribly cold and windy night.
Inside
With their brazen claim of “You’ve tried the rest, now try the best!”, I have to be honest and say that whenever I see places (or books or anything else for that matter) that claims to be the “best”, I get a bit wary but at the same time slightly hopeful. Maybe this time around, it will be the best I’ve ever tasted/read/seen.
Pineapple Crush - 1L ($4.50)
We sipped on some awesome Pineapple Crush (pineapple juice with quite a lot of pulp) as we waited for our burgers. It was so refreshing, not overly sweet or had that too-sour after taste, that I had to refrain myself from gulping the entire beverage down. The only downside of the drink was you could end up having a small string of pulp unwittingly hanging off your lip after taking a sip (yes, it did happen to me) – funny but a bit embarrassing.
The Works Burger (Tomato, Lettuce, Onion, Egg, Bacon, Cheese, Pineapple) with BBQ Sauce ($7.20)
The Works Burger (Tomato, Lettuce, Onion, Egg, Bacon, Cheese, Pineapple) with BBQ Sauce ($7.20)
Yes, the Works burger is most probably as gigantic as it looks.
The freshness of the ingredients used was definitely the highlight of the burger, though what really shined through was the deliciously juicy pineapple – not the patty as I would have thought.
My foodie friend was a bit disappointed that the buns were a bit soggy from the excess water on the lettuce (perhaps it was too fresh! Ha ha) and that it was a bit under-seasoned and under-sauced.
Hamburger with Tomato, Lettuce, Cheese and Tomato Sauce ($5.50)
While I can’t dispute the fact that it’s a pretty darn good burger and as you bite into the burger its freshness just pops out at you, I also can’t dispute the fact that I found myself wishing I had a bit more sauce on my bun and that it was missing something – some oompf that would make me wish it would never end. Maybe my expectations were subconsciously set on high.
Large Chips with Special Sauce ($4.50 + $1)
The crisp-on-the-outside-fluffy-on-the-inside chips, on the other hand, were perfectly seasoned.
My foodie friend loved the tangy special sauce, but the taste seemed a bit too strange for me; the flavour of the special sauce was kind of a mixture of ranch, tartar, and sweet mustard sauce with a hint of barbecue. Or something like that, we couldn’t really agree on what we thought it tasted like. It was really odd.
2007 Winner
Seeing the award made me wonder what was the difference between the burgers then from now. Perhaps it was the missing oompf that I wish it had, as it really has so much potential to be a really spectacular burger.
So, it wasn’t the Best Burger Ever, but it was very decent… and super fresh. And I think sometimes, that’s enough. It doesn’t have to knock your socks off every time you eat it, but you know you’re guaranteed a pretty darn good feed, leaving you quite full, and service from friendly, laid-back staff who most probably will know your name by your third visit.
I noticed that their small but steady stream of customers mostly ordered take away or quickly scoffed their meal down before rushing off somewhere. It made me wish that Paul’s were a bit closer, despite my nitpicking, so I could also satisfy my burger craving as easily without feeling like I was being too unhealthy (and for some more of that awesome pineapple crush).
Just a word of caution: street parking is a bit difficult, as Paul’s is right on the busy, busy Princes Highway – just after Tom Ugly’s bridge. We had to park on the other side of the road, in a side street, after waiting for what seemed like an age at the lights to turn right.
Paul’s Famous Hamburgers of Sylvania
12 Princes Hwy
Sylvania, NSW, 2444
Ph: (02) 9522 5632
Fax: (02) 9150 4947
Web: http://www.paulsfamoushamburgers.com.au/
the fresh pineapple juice sounds great and ooh fisheye… noice!
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Oh My !! My Cousin’s live just behind Pauls, on Belgrave Esplenade. I love the burgers here !! Trus Aussie hamburger ………
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