Some years ago I began reading Sydney food blogs. The main reason was so that I would know the great places to go when we visited. As we usually day trip and somewhat rarely at that, I want to know where the great places are so we can visit.
Sydney food bloggers often blog food from regional NSW when they travel and this is how I found out about Bernie’s Diner sometime around 2012/2013. I do not think it was very long between my reading about the place and us visiting. We have been back at least once a year since then – well it is about a 60km drive otherwise we would go more often.
The owner was featured on SBS about a week before we went this on most recent visit so it was absolutely packed. Standing room only as you can see in that top pic there – all the booths were full and people were waiting for other people to leave so they could grab a booth. We just got a couple of chairs at this kind of breakfast bar that runs along behind one side of the booths.
We usually go for the burgers here. I get the Waikiki, the other half changes up his order each time. This time he did a double cheeseburger with bacon and egg. We also get a serve of cheese fries. These are amazing. The regular fries are also excellent. I also splurge and have my one occasional soda – so occasional I can tell you exactly when the last one was – November 2016, when we last visited Bernie’s with Sephyroth.
The things you need to know about Bernie’s Diner – BYO paper towel or napkins, because the provided napkins while authentic to the diner experience are not exactly built for cleaning up after one of these great burgers.
There are bathroom facilities hidden out the back after you walk through a spare empty room – I would expect that room might soon be in use with booths and seating and quite rightly so given the amount of people visiting here these days. The sink in the toilets is only a half sink so that is also not very helpful with a good after-burger clean up.
Here is the owner, Ioannis Benardos, being interviewed on SBS. Here is the website with the menu, and here is their Facebook page but I warn you, liking it is going to make you hungry whenever food pics are posted. :)
Of course the diner would have to be named Bernies! Ooh, I wouldn’t mind a good diner meal. Will have to wait until New York in September!
There are not a lot of places like that in Australia, Mitchell, though we are seeing a few more pop up these days. ;) The hamburger patties are amazing, so flavourful, full of herbs and spices. Just like The Other Half would make! ;)
They are huge burgers. It is good to be able to get our old Aussie style of burger again, slightly refined for today’s consumers.
There are a few burger places in Melbourne that I have my eye on, for a future visit. These are really old school, the kind of great burger you would find at a local takeaway when I was growing up. :)
I LOVE those cheese fries! Here in Quebec, we have “poutine” which is basically fries with gravy and melted cheese on top, delish! And I love a burger that you can’t possibly fit your mouth around lol…nice post! :)
I saw how these cheese fries are made one time, which is actually in a steam oven. It was pretty unusual and I would not have thought of it myself. :) My parents visited Canada last year and I sent them to many poutine places. ;)
Cheese fries! I wondered what that was in the photo. I would have to deconstruct that burger and use a knife and fork. Good tip about the BYO napkins.
There was a place in Adelaide we used to go to on Grange road called Hallas Fish and Grill – they make a brilliant burger there. Old school yummy. :) One of the things I miss most about Adelaide is the food. :)