Can we just take a moment to say we are loving the new wave of venues that only do one thing and do it super well? It's a delightful trend because, as it turns out, in this crazy modern world we all want less choices — not more. And if your first choice is a fat, juicy steak sandwich, Empire Steak should be your new go-to.
After a short teasing period, the sandwich venue opened on Little Collins Street in August 2016 — and it's definitely been worth the wait. As you would expect from a joint that basically just does meat in bread, owner Dean Sholl's menu is simple and features several variations on the steak sarnie. There are vego options too though — just as an FYI for the herbivores out there who want to hang out in a steak restaurant.
Our pick is the Lazy Susan, a char siu-glazed steak between perfect steak-sized bread (white or mulitgrain) with slaw, sesame dressing, coriander and pickled cucumber that looks indecently juicy. We're also intrigued by the Fritz, a sandwich that features steak, shoestring fries, butter lettuce and house sauce. And just to clarify, yes, that's fries in the sandwich. What a world we live in.
They've decked their CBD shop out in cheerful, retro signage emblazoned with a slogan we can really get on board with: "embrace the drip factor". Thanks for the tip.
UPDATE JANUARY 25, 2017: To celebrate Australia Day, Empire Steak is giving away free (yes, free!) steak sandwiches this Wednesday, January 25 from noon until 2pm. It will feature 100 percent grass-fed porterhouse steak, butter lettuce, tasty cheese and — this is the kicker — Vegemite mayo. Run, don't walk.