tl;dr: if some places are doing burgers that are a bit too fancy and over the top for you (plus: price), and that you don't want to default too much to one of the fast food chains when you can, charboys do a pretty good job of getting a happy medium. cooked fresh to order, giving just what people would like, and replicating the old-school feel of the classic burger, it has certainly earned its credit and deserves to be checked out.
going from one of the popular outlets at the boundary street markets to what looks to be a mainstay in the center of town, charboys has finally been the one to take up residence in this under-used, but ultimately appropriate area to supplant an honest-to-goodness eatery. a few things have gone here before, but have lasted only so long. well, here it is now and from the looks of the place, it won't be going anywhere soon. best reason of all, good burgers.
it was that day of the week again, wednesday. keeping to tradition then, between heading off from work and getting home to a weight training session, it was then time to find somewhere to get a bite to eat in the meantime - and get some groceries. that search did not have to be very long, since this was shot number two of going here. i had managed to get away from work early (after getting in early), this was still open for business and had city folks around. with so much hype coming from it, it was inevitable that i would try it out - and the words from fellow zo-mates was even more encouraging; after all that hype and information, the good news is that charboys lives up to its reputation.
down to the fundamentals, the service, the food, and the locations, are all bare-bones and with as little fat as possible. what is meant by that statement is that they have a small, concentrated menu of a few burgers (plus fries - you always needs some fries with the burger), and it is in a small, self-contained structure the size of a food truck, and the ordering process is as straightforward as possible. after so many great restaurants, the bare bones really makes you appreciate what the honest food can do for you.
still after so many times passing by this, i find it to be a strange structure where it is. from what is happening around it, the ripples are getting bigger with another small business set up adjacent, so it will have to be seen as it comes. i am not whether it was as shipping container beforehand, or if it is build like a food truck without the wheels added, but that amalgam is perhaps the best way to describe it. the whole thing is probably only four or five meters long, but they pack all that they need in there, and it is one busy and bustling place during peak hour. a good touch to it is that it is covered by hedge, and that makes it characteristic.
while it is a stand-alone structure, and probably designed for takeaways, charboys shares the pavement area with the adjacent ramen shop with plenty of small tables around the place. it is maybe half a notch above the industrial takeaways, and it does try to replicate the charm but the location can only allow the replication of it to go so far - that is no criticism or anything of the place, i just say it as it is most of the time.
like with any food trucks, it reminded me of old school days going up to the tuck shop window. that is the method of the service. they take your order, you pay, take a number, and it is cooked fresh while you wait. with all the orders going on at the moment, and some of them while i was there were through ubereats, so it is often quite bustling with everything going on. they have a friendly demeanour, and it is not long before you have your order. that is all there is to it
there are only about half a dozen kinds of burgers on the menu, though they do often have special ones off to the side. it is all kept quite simple in composition nevertheless, and there is definitely a serve of fries to go with each one - again, you got to allow that on your menu. drinks are basically water and soda cans. a few other snacks are becoming available, but for the most part they are abiding by the kiss principle.
i had one of the specials when i got here. this was convenient, especially because perusing the menu i was thinking out how to concoct a desired burger from what was available. a couple of things i love to put on my burger are bacon and making it spicy. well, that trump card came in the form of the "goodfella" burger. it was their usual cheeseburger, which had the classical combination of tomato, lettuce and onion, along with cheddar cheese and a mixture of their special sauce and ketchup. that with a beef patty, and it is on a milk bun. take that, and add on some pineapple, some bacon, and a coconut-chilli sauce. as an extra, i got jalapeno peppers. yes, it has been said before several times in this review, but just for reiteration - what good is a burger without a side of fries to go with it?
word has been told around these streets that this could be the best cheeseburger in brisbane, or even among the best burgers that there are. to me, honestly it has gotten to that point where i have possibly had hundreds from so many places that ranking them would be hard. if a burger is merely passable, it is still a decent burger. anyways, if i had to really state my opinion here, charboys would be up there, with most of its influence being from its philosophy. in other words we have a good burger here.
it was one tasty burger, and substantially sized. that is enough to tick the boxes already for me, but lets continue on shall we? starting off with something i won't normally point at is the presentation, the way it was done i liked. reasons why might be because it is easier to start eating, but nevertheless, the burger was half-wrapped in the foil and was in the same container as the fries. all the toppings were there on display in some way, making it more inviting to take some pictures. plus, that serving of fries was substantial as a snack.
as for the how it tasted, the beef patty was good quality and substantial, with the cheese already melting right onto it. the bacon was crispy, and well cooked with not one bit of the fat being cast to the side - i ate that all up. the mixture of vegetables were fresh (the onion well caramalised, no crunch in it), and did absorb a bit of each of the sauces - that fantastic coconut-chilli sauce which i thoroughly recommend, that could have easily just replaced the ketchup and special sauce, since they did not need to even be on the burger. the mixture of coconut and chilli works well whenever it is applied, sort of like a curry. the bacon was well cooked and slightly crispy, the pineapple added a sweetness that contrasted well to the spiciness of the sauce, and the jalapenos - in which they added a good bite to the meal as always. all of this in a milk bun, which has the right equilibrium between being soft enough to chew on, but still solid enough to not become soggy. on its own terms, the burger was really tasty and worthwhile as a bite in the center of town.
the fries were some of the tastiest yet. what helped was that it was a generous serving size, which is often a plus, and that was probably an underlying touch of customer service in action. fresh from the fryer, they were hot and crispy, with a boatload of seasoning sprinkled over them. they were a little thicker than shoestring, and were crispy down to the last bite. good enough to share, good enough to have a cheat meal with them, and just a good quick snack along the way. and all you have to do is take a swerve on the pavement with only a few minutes to wait.
well, here we are with one of the best burgers coming from the small unsuspecting structure on edward street, and all of it is really indicative of how the best burgers should be made. no fluffing about, bringing what the true burger loves love about a burger place, low-key and delivering it as quickly as possible while cooking it to order. whether it is the best or not, what it certainly does is replicate the old school fry cook atmosphere, and that is something which can't be taught.