Ribs & Burgers

my favourite burger joint in the upper north shore

Seven of us piled in here on a rainy Sunday night in October. This place is clearly popular with the locals and you’ll need to go early to secure a table, because they don’t take bookings. We arrived just before 6.30pm and were lucky to get a table at the back.  

But we had a pleasant evening, and it all went smoothly. We ordered a variety of ribs and burgers, salads, chips, wine and beer and everyone enjoyed their meals. I choose the “Old School Cheese” burger ($11), which had cheese, onion, mustard, pickle and a few different sauces. The meat was fresh and tender, and the cheese had been strategically placed right on top of the meat and melted into it, which made for a tasty and flavoursome meal. It was neatly constructed, not too large, just the right size to be able to manage easily without all the ingredients squelching out, as sometimes happen with burgers that have too much filling.

My wife’s ribs ($23) though were a bit disappointing, with not enough meat on them, so next time we’ll both stick to burgers. The ribs came with a fresh and tasty apple and cabbage salad and of course we ordered extra chips ($5), which were hot and crunchy: the perfect complement to the meals.

The burgers and ribs were served on little boards, and the chips and salad in rather basic silver metal bowls.

The atmosphere was lively and energetic, if a bit noisy, with just about every table occupied. The interior is fairly modern but minimalist. No carpets or noise absorbers, just durable wooden furniture and tiled floors. It’s a fairly large place, making it quite airy and spacious, which it needs to be to fit everyone in. I noticed that there are tables outside on the patio, but being a rainy night, they were unoccupied. And fronting onto busy Penshurst St, I’m not sure how pleasant it would be to sit there anyway.

Service is fast and efficient. Ordering and payment is done at the front counter and within about 15 minutes, all the food was at the table. These guys clearly know what they’re about. They don’t miss a beat and the place hums like a well oiled machine. And staff are friendly and polite too, despite being kept on their toes all evening.

To access the toilets, you’ll need to grab a key from the front counter and exit the restaurant at the back. I’m assuming that these toilets also serve the commercial offices in the building. While there were adequate male, female and disabled cubicles, they were a tad dirty, and in need of a mid-evening clean-up, although I doubt anyone at R&B would have the time for that.

R&B is prominently located on the corner of Vic Av and Penshurst Street in Chatswood, making it fairly easy to find. We found street parking just outside on Penshurst St, but generally evening parking around here isn’t a problem, and there are plenty of unrestricted spots available nearby.

I paid a reasonable $48 for my wife and I, and that bought us a burger, extra chips, ribs with salad, and a single bottle of Peroni. There don’t seem to be any docket deals available here but if you stick to burgers, it won’t break the bank.

I’m not surprised that R&B is so popular because they’ve obviously hit on a winning formula: High quality food, quick and efficient service, reasonable prices and a decent selection of burgers, ribs and salads. They also have a small wine list, which you can buy by the glass, and a couple of regular and craft beers to choose from. The perfect place for a relaxed and casual night out with friends at the local beer and burger joint.

The chips were amazing, pretty much just the way I like it to be!!!!! Had southern style chicken burger, chicken was dry but well flavored, generous portion of onion.

This place is always deliver on my expectations.
I’m very familiar with the brand, but this is the first time I dined at this branch.

St. Louis Ribs, what is that ?
These come from the belly side of the rib cage, below the section of back ribs and above the breast bone. They contain more bone than meat, but they also have more fat content which can make them more tender then the Baby Backs.

And this Ribs and Burger version, they basted with soy glazed, and sprinkle with peanuts on top.
Very interesting and unique of soy glaze for ribs.

Wagyu Chimmi & Swiss also not too bad.
Wagyu patties, Swiess cheese, fried egg, and chimichurri mayo. The only thing is overloadef with lettuce 😝

We went here for a family dinner celebrating my son's 13th birthday. Alessandro looked after us from the moment we arrived. The babyback ribs were hands down the best ribs I've ever had. It's a cliche but the meat DID fall off the bone. Burgers were also fantastic all washed down with a cold beer. Great value too and my entire family left with BIG smiles on their faces !! Thank you for a great night.

Ribs and burgers is a chain of restaurants selling, as the name suggests; ribs and burgers,
as well as sides like sweet potato fries and onion rings. We got the aussie burger; it has bacon, egg, beetroot, lettuce, tomato and cheese on a crispy roll. Big, but not too big. I also got the chicken, 2 pieces marinated in lemon and herb and a side salad of cabbage and apple. Nice food, cooked well and not too expensive.