Betty’s Burgers & Concrete Co, Indooroopilly

Where: Betty’s Burgers & Concrete Co at Indooroopilly Shoppingtown

For: Lunch

What: Spicy Chicken Burger

From the menu: Southern fried chicken, bacon, pickles,
lettuce, tomato, cheese, Sriracha mayo

Cost: $15

Spicy Chicken Burger and Onion Rings, Betty’s Burgers (photo by author)

The Review:

There are few flavours I enjoy more than chicken with a bit of a kick either from chilli or other spice. That being the case the Spicy Chicken burger was my choice on this visit to Betty’s Burgers. As is my usual practice I ordered it without the tomato.

I have to confess I was a little disappointed with this burger. I like spicy food. Indeed the spicier the food the better for me. Unfortunately I did not find this burger to be all that spicy. The sriracha mayo was not without taste but it needed more sriracha than mayo to be to my liking.

Other than the lack of spice this was actually a very nice burger. The chicken was well cooked and tasted great. The bacon was the perfect accompaniment and was crispy. The salad was fresh and the bun toasted just enough to stay together well during the eating of the burger.

On the side:

I paired the spicy chicken burger with onion rings ($6) and a chocolate peanut butter thickshake ($8). I would have no problem recommending either side. Both were spot on!

Will I be back:

I have to confess that I have had a better burger than the burger tested but the experience of eating at Betty’s was good enough to warrant a return trip.

The Last Word:

As I said in the review, this was actually a very nice but I was left a little disappointed that the burger was not spicy as advertised. I appreciate that this is a personal taste and if you didn’t like a lot of spice this burger could well be for you however it needed more spice to be a hit for me. The onion rings and the thickshake I had were great though which made the whole dining experience quite agreeable.

The Woods Bar Redux: When one plate of fried pickles isn’t enough!

Last week I reviewed lunch at the Woods Bar in Mitchelton (the review is here https://wiatw.com/2019/07/06/the-woods-bar/) and I wrote that I absolutely would be back. Today I went back!

I am not going to do an “update” or “redux” review every time I revisit a venue but had to write about this experience simple because it was so good … again!

This time we ordered everything the same as the lunch reviewed save that the Cajun cauliflower Koftas were replaced with the pork belly bites. The other thing we did differently was order two plates of fried pickles.

Commenting on the second difference first: the only explanation needed is the fried pickles are the best thing I have eaten since I have been writing this blog. I will be back to the Woods Bar if only to have more fried pickles.

The pork belly bites, which came with a sherry glaze, were outstanding. So good were they that they did not last long enough for me to get a photo. The pork was cooked perfectly and the glaze sticky whilst being a spot on accompaniment.

If anything this visit to the Woods Bar only solidified my view that this bar, if it is not already, is about to become the next “big thing” in Brisbane’s north side. Get around it people!

Targa, Byron Bay

Where: Targa (11 Marvell Street, Byron Bay, NSW)

For: Lunch

What: Targa Beef Burger

From the Menu: Beef Burger with Monterey Jack cheese, tomato, pickled zucchini, American mustard and bacon (add fries +$3.50)

Cost: $16

Targa Beef Burger, Targa – Byron Bay (photo by the author)

The Review:

On the road this week to Byron Bay and sought the recommendation of a (quasi) local for the best place to get lunch. That recommendation was for Targa and it did not disappoint.

There were many meals on the menu that appealed but my eyes kept coming back to the beef burger. I ordered it without tomato (I do not eat tomato on burgers – it is a texture thing) but added the fries that the menu offered.

This burger was very good. The beef patty was cooked perfectly; it was just a little pink in the middle. I loved the addition of the pickled zucchini which added an interesting flavour and texture to the burger. The condiments (including a tomato relish which was not listed on the menu) were perfect: the zing of the relish combined with the mustard to enhance the flavour of both the beef pattie and the bacon.

One underrated aspect of any burger is the bun upon which the burger is served. The bun with this burger was excellent. Clearly it had been freshly baked and it did not fall apart as some burger buns can when the burger is rich with condiments.

I can not fault the burger. If I had to be critical the only disappointing (and it was a minor disappointment) aspect of this meal was the fries. Given the quality of the restaurant I was expecting something hand cut when it came to fries. What was served were frozen fries from a packet. It is a very minor complaint because I did eat all of the fries: I just was expecting something different.

On the Side:

Vegie Juice, Targa – Byron Bay (photo by the author)

I paired this dish with a fresh vegie juice which from the menu consisted of beetroot, apple, ginger, carrot and lemon. It was exceptionally good!

Will I be back?

Yes. There is much I want to try from the menu of Targa.

The Last Word

I love it when a recommendation from a friend turns out to be exactly as the friend stated: Targa and its beef burger were both excellent. The restaurant is well fitted out and the staff friendly. The prices across the menu are extremely reasonable. The beef burger I had could not be faulted. If you are in Byron Bay you should check it out!

The Woods Bar

Where: The Woods Bar (37 Blackwood Street, Mitchelton Qld)

For: Lunch

What: Cajun Cauliflower Koftas, Popcorn Chicken, Sautéed Chorizo, Fried Pickles (all sharing plates)

From the Menu:

Cajun Cauliflower Koftas – with salsa verde

Popcorn Chicken – drizzled with ranch and buffalo sauce

Sautéed Chorizo – leeks, garlic, tomato and fresh herbs

Fried Pickles – with cheddar aioli

Cost: Each plate was $8 each except for the Chorizo which was $10 for the plate.

The Review:

As a local in Mitchelton, trying out any new venue along Mitchelton’s Main Street, Blackwood Street, is always a high priority. Having watched the Woods Bar come to life over the last month and launch last night today presented a great opportunity to test it out.

The menu, if anything, a little limited but only in number of items available. The Lunch / Dinner menu and the Morsels menu (from which we ordered) both contain dishes that look to be of the highest quality.

We ordered four plates to share (between two of us). To say I was impressed with the quality of each dish would be an understatement.

The Fried Pickles where an absolute standout. Sliced and lightly battered they were cooked to perfection and tasted great. Matched with cheddar aioli they could be a smart entree, an accompaniment of a larger main or a great snack if you happened to drop in for a drink at the Woods.

The three other dishes were also, as noted above, of a high quality. The highlights of each where:

The Cauliflower Koftas where perfectly cooked and had a unique flavour that actually made me enjoy eating cauliflower.
The Popcorn Chicken was combined well with the drizzled sauces and were so moorish they nearly demanded a second plate be ordered.
The Chorizo, much like the popcorn chicken, was perfectly accompanied with leek and garlic and was not too oily as one oft finds a share plate of chorizo.

This is another dining experience I can not fault. The Woods Bar has only been open two days but already seems to be dominating Blackwood Precinct with large crowds being seen each afternoon / night at the venue. With a great fit out and a significant range of beers and other beverages on tap I do not see its immediate popularity waining any time soon.

On the side:

I paired today’s lunch with a pineapple juice which was the perfect accompaniment.

Will I be back?

Absolutely – great venue, great food and very nice people.

The Last Word

This is the venue that Mitchelton’s Blackwood Street has been screaming out for: a well fitted out, dare I say “funky”, bar selling a limited but absolutely quality menu. Locals will flock to it and I expect it will become a must visit venue for those in the inner suburbs of Brisbane.

New Farm Deli

Where: New Farm Deli (900 Brunswick Street, New Farm, Qld)

For: Lunch

What: Spaghetti All’ Ameriticiana

From the Menu: Diced Bacon, Napoli Sauce, Red Wine and Chilli (best served with spaghetti which I had)

Cost: $16.50

Spaghetti All’ Ameriticiana, New Farm Deli (Photo by the author)

The Review:

I have long been a fan of New Farm Deli both for its exceptional food and, as the name suggests, it’s deli counter. A regular breakfast haunt, this week I had lunch at this venue and it did not disappoint.

My “go to” pasta dish has long been an Ameriticiana sauce done with spaghetti (or any other type of long pasta), so, it being lunch, there was only one choice for me to make from the menu.

This was a wonderful example of my favourite dish. The bacon was very well cooked and slightly crispy. The Napoli sauce was smooth with a strong tomato flavour and just enough chilli to “clear the sinuses”. The spaghetti was cooked perfectly.

It is fitting that my first review on “What I ate this week” is from one of my favourite dining venues in Brisbane and it definitely did not disappoint. I can not fault this dish!

On the side:

I paired this dish with an iced long black which, to be expected given how good this venue is, was spot on.

Will I be back?

Yes: probably next week!!!

The Last Word

Brisvegans and visitors to Queensland capital, if you haven’t been to New Farm Deli yet you need to make your way there without delay. It is a Brisbane institution and a must try (and repeat).