Royal Stacks, Chatswood
They take their burgers very seriously
Located Level 3, Chatswood Westfield, 1 Anderson Street, Chatswood 2067
Sydney is in the midst of a burger frenzy and the craze shows no visible signs of slowing down. Royal Stacks has entered the scene in full swing — opening up its first Sydney store in Chatswood Westfield. Much like Lord of the Fries, Royal Stacks is a Melbourne creation that has made its way up to Sydney to show our fair city how to grill up a tasty burger. Now with four stores in Australia, Royal Stacks is becoming a national icon — making it no surprise that their burgers are amusingly named after our British royalty.
The store is spacious and minimalist in design. There’s booths near the front and the menu is sprawled on a blackboard. Typical of American joints, there’s a self-serve beverage machine near the counter. This is one-up from other burger joints in the area as unlimited soft drinks are a rarity in Sydney. A frozen custard stall sits at the front, making it easy for patrons to come-and-go for dessert.
“Now with four stores in Australia, Royal Stacks is slowly becoming a national icon — making it no surprise that their burgers are amusingly named after our British royalty.”
We kicked off with the specialty burgers along with a tasty range of sides. The King is one handsome burger bearing slight similarity to the iconic In-and-Out with its incorporation of luscious red tomato and evergreen lettuce. But this burger goes one step further with a fat croquette in and amongst the fillings. But this croquette isn’t just filled with your run of the mill mashed potato… they’re loaded with oozy, gooey mac and cheese. One bite is a struggle given its enormity but it’s oh-so-satisfying. The mac and cheese gives it that creamy texture that pairs delightfully with the perfectly grilled beef patty. The tomato is sliced thick allowing its natural juices to shine even amongst the sauce.
The other burger we ordered was the McDowell. Not featured on the menu, this signature burger is only available on request. With executive chef, Terri Tep manning the Sydney store — she brings the secret McDowell recipe along with her. It’s a mammoth burger with a double patty, three serves of bread, two types of cheese, horseradish, shallot and gherkin mayo. You could say it’s the glorified version of Macca’s Big Mac. My friend took a bite and was immediately impressed. He loved the fluffiness of the bun, which is interestingly a potato bun. It’s clear from both the construction and taste that owner Dani Zeini and executive chef Terri Tep take their burgers very seriously. Each component is strategically positioned for that maximal impact. Terri comments that it’s the attention to the most minute details that enhances the taste. She’s absolutely right, it really does make a difference!
We paired the burgers with a side of Cheese Gems and Cheese Fries. The fries were lightly salted and extremely crispy. The gems, on the other hand, were moist on the inside. They were reminiscent of my childhood favourite — tater tots. Since we got the cheese variation, both the fries and potato gems were drenched in a bright yellow cheese sauce. Humorously titled “Anita Cheese Sauce”, this cheese sauce is imported by a dairy supplier so you know the “cheese” really is “cheese”.
For dessert, we grabbed the Frozen Custard. Don’t be deceived, it’s not just custard that’s been stored in the freezer. Rather, it’s a super premium ice cream made with milk, cream and a small percentage of egg yolk. It tastes both silkier and smoother than regular ice cream given the way the ingredients have been combined. If you want to add a little bit of crunch to your Frozen Custard, then I’d highly recommend the Concrete Mixer. It’s got crushed up biscuits of the likes of Tim Tams, Oreo, Bounty and Choc Mint. It may not be the most photogenic of desserts but it is hella’ tasty.
Overall
Royal Stacks can best be described as a premium burger joint. It’s hardly comparable to fast food fare nor pub grub. Instead, owner Dani Zeini has brought to Sydney an eatery that celebrates the finest qualities of American burgers adding a lil’ bit of Aussie character to the mix as well. With its third store in Melbourne only opening a couple days ago, we’re sure this burger joint is here to stay (much like Queen Elizabeth II 😝).
Rating: MindBlown
Service: 4/5
Gourmet Gumbo dined as a guest of Royal Stacks.
