Popping in to BB a Pop Up

Back in early February I received a lovely email from Terry, one of the owners of Burger Bistro - a burger restaurant that started in Shafto Lane, Perth and then later expanded into Leederville. He informed me that with his partners Chris and Owen, they'd branched out to Beaufort Street and opened a new venue - BB a Pop Up.

Inviting me to come down to check out the venue, I definitely was interested in the offer. But sadly it took me a bit longer than I'd liked to finally get down there knowing that I needed to take my boy with me otherwise I'd just have to head back. He does love a good burger!

Using this as an opportunity for a date night, we set out on Saturday night to the site where the Angry Moose previously sat.

Arriving just before 8pm, the venue was nearly full which is definitely a good sign. The decor is funky and relaxed - mismatched 80s looking couches and chairs with lantern lighting and posters covering the walls.



The staff working were extremely friendly, taking the time to introduce themselves to me and express delight in our menu choices when we finally ordering. It's such a mark of a venue when the staff are happy and so focussed on service. At no time did I see the two main waitresses slowing down - they were constantly 'on'. Cleaning tables, taking orders and delivering meals. Like two cyclones on legs!

The menu is quite simple, with six beef burgers to choose from if you're more traditional like I am (where I believe a good burger is a meaty affair). Otherwise you can change any of the beef options to chicken or order the one vegetarian offer.

Sides are chips or coleslaw and cheap as well, as their name suggests. $3.50 for sides is definitely unheard of these days in Perth! Drinks wise you have your standard soft drink range plus some beers, including Corona at only $6. A cheap night out for sure!

We place our order at the counter and then take a seat on a couch nearby. We're given a cute little puppy dog number holder which is kitschy and suits the essence of what this place is.

While waiting for our food we eye the desserts on offer, which includes their famous tiramisu, chocolate mousse and an assortment of cakes. They all look good, but we're ready to focus on the burgers which aren't far away.

Yes, this is a picture of still water. But I wanted to point out that they bring chilled glasses to the table which is always a positive touch. Instead of paying for water they also have a chilled cooler in the restaurant to help yourself to a refreshing beverage while you eat. It's the little touches that really sold me on this place before I even took a bite of food.

Jeremy chooses a Cascade Ginger Beer ($4) for his drink. It's a drink I can never find myself enjoying (unless in a cocktail) but I know my boy always picks this in a line up. He also points out with appreciation the frosted glass.

Delivered literally on a silver platter, Jeremy's USA burger ($14) is a brioche bun that contains beef patty, melted cheddar, pickles, ketchup, mustard, lettuce, tomato and onion. It's a classic burger flavour combination and the bun is beautifully glossy, with a nice toasted char on the top.

The beef patty is made with prime angus beef, salt and pepper, with no fillers, bulkers or preservatives according to BB's website. And you can really taste this as you bite down into the burger. It has a good meat to fat ratio, resulting in a flavoursome, tender and juicy burger - with the meat cooked to a pleasingly pink centred medium rare.

While I too had been drawn in by the simple flavours of the USA burger, I decide on something a little fancier - the Le Beau-fort ($15.50). This is the tied most expensive beef burger on the menu, which when considering many places are charging $20+ for a burger, is quite reasonable.

Inside that glossy brioche bun is a beef patty, brie, mushrooms, dill & horseradish mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato and onion.

One bite in and I'm pretty impressed. The bun is pillowy soft, with just a slight crust on top. It tastes so fresh and deliciously buttery, the soft bread soaking up the juices from the mushrooms and beef. I love, love, love the dill & horseradish mayo which is fresh, herby and chocked full of flavour. The brie also goes down a treat, it's creamy but has that slightly pungent mould taste in the rind. It works really well with the buttery mushrooms.

The chips on the side are shoestring and well seasoned, offering a good kick of salt. I like the satisfying crunch they give off when I bite down and just how moorish they are.

Before we started our meals we'd been dead set on trying the tiramisu but after sitting back and chatting awhile we both realised we were at a happy full level. The restaurant is even more full than before by the time we head off so we thank the staff at the counter and head out, freeing up the valuable real estate we'd been taking up.

All up, I really enjoyed our night at BB a pop up. I have to say, these burgers definitely were some of the best ones I've ever eaten. It was an even greater plus having the crew at BB look after us and give us our meal free. But that doesn't change the fact or even sway me into hyping up these burgers - they don't need it. As my boy said, a burger is meat in bread and if they get those two elements perfect then it's pretty hard not to love it. And they definitely nailed both the patty and the bun in my opinion.

I'm looking forward to going back and trying some of the other flavour combinations on their menu.