The Seven Burgers We're Most Excited to Try During This Year's Welly on a Plate
From bao buns to dessert-stuffed delights and a burger that arrives literally on fire, this year's WOAP burger lineup is looking as delicious as ever.
It's that time again — when burger lovers block out their diaries and ditch their diets. Burger mania is about to sweep through the capital as Burger Wellington is set to officially land for its 14th year.
The three-week burger celebration is an annual highlight of Visa Wellington On a Plate, and this year sees hundreds of venues serving up creative burger and beer matches. Forget your average beef and bun — here you'll find peanut butter-infused patties, bao buns, dessert-stuffed delights and a burger that arrives... on fire?
We've put together some of the burgs that have caught our eyes — which may be bigger than our stomachs, to be honest.
Top image: Southern Cross' 'Fondoozy' burger
A true burger aficionado knows it's all about the bun, so the team at light and bright eatery Mr Go's have stuffed their WOAP offering in a soft milk one. The filling is equally fresh: think charcoal char siu pork with pickled watermelon, mint slaw and spring onion aioli.
Price: $19, with beer match $30. Find it at 59 Taranaki St, Te Aro
Give your burger-eating experience a pillowy Asian-fusion twist thanks to the WOAP offering from this Newton cafe. Baobab's 'Sir Oink-a-lot' is a saucy blend of BBQ pulled pork with Zany Zeus feta, fennel slaw and housemade BBQ chutney in a spirulina bao bun.
Price: $20. Find it at 152 Riddiford St, Newtown
Dirty Burger Petone: Biscoffy Bae
With a name like Dirty Burger, it was fairly obvious this eatery was going to pull something delightfully and disgustedly decadent out of the bag for WOAP — and they came through in spades. The Biscoffy Bae is exactly what you're thinking from the name: a 200g PrimeStar beef patty topped with cheese, bacon, pickles, lotus crumbs and, yes, Biscoff Spread in a brioche bun. Is it a main? Is it a dessert? Who knows. Do we need to try it immediately? Hell yeah.
Price: $19. Find it at 237 Jackson St, Petone
The Hangar: Past, Present and an Alternative Future
What's better than one burger? Three burgers of course. If you're a 'must try a little bit of everything' type you'll want to head straight for the Hangar, where they're slinging a slider trio called Past, Present, and an Alternative Future. In each burger you'll find: an Oklahoma-style smashed beef and onion patty with American cheese in a Clareville Bakery potato bun; a double-beef patty with lettuce and secret sauce in a Clareville Bakery milk bun; and a portobello and wholegrain patty with broccoli slaw in a Clareville Bakery vegan bun. On the side? Ready salted crisps, and a crisp (sorry) Chipper beer from Garage Project.
Price: $22, with beer match: $27. Find it at 119 Dixon St, Te Aro
Specialising in South Asian street food, this casual eatery has given its WOAP burger offering an Indian twist. The Dabeli is stuffed with a crispy spiced potato patty with Fix & Fogg Smoke and Fire peanut butter, coriander, onions, crispy chickpea noodles and tamarind chutney in a masala butter brioche bun, with kala masala chips. Pair it with a Garage Project Transit of Venus.
Price: $22, with beer match: $34. Find it at 99 Victoria Street, Te Aro
As if we weren't going to include something for the fried chicken fans. The appropriate named Winner Winner is known for its excellent fried chook, and they haven't deviated from that for their WOAP offering. The CAP hits all the most important food groups — think buttermilk fried chicken, smashed avocado, more Fix and Fogg Smoke and Fire peanut butter (a theme emerges), bacon dust and hot sauce mayonnaise in a brioche bun. Oh, and a side of truffle oil fries. It's a foodie's Instagram feed in a burger.
Price: $23. Found at 46 Courtenay Place, Te Aro.
Finish off your burger feast with one firmly of the dessert persuasion. The Library is known for their delectable cocktail selection, but this WOAP they're bringing all the sweet vibes to their burg offering. The Iceburg-er is a delicious gooey blend of bombe Alaska caramel slice with shortbread, raspberry gel and Carrello del Gelato double chocolate hokey pokey sorbet in a sponge lamington bun. Judging by the pics, it's literally on fire. So get prepared for some theatrics with your meal.
Price: $21. Matched with Garage Project Kohaku: $30 Find it at Level 1, 53 Courtenay Pl, Te Aro
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