Grill Meats Beer - CLOSED

A burger bar with a renowned pedigree.
Francois Finlay
October 16, 2014

Overview

From the team that bought you Logan Brown comes Grill Meats Beer, an upmarket craft beer and burger joint in the heart of Cuba Street. With such a renowned pedigree, the expectation of this eatery is high.

The menu is simple: pre-burger snacks, burgers, and beer. We asked for some recommendations from our waitress and ordered her suggestions from the menu. I ordered the Parrot Dog Quickchange XPA ($8.50 bottle), and my friend a Tuatara Bohemian Pilsner ($8.50 bottle). These came with a bowl of J.F.C with Sriracha Mayo ($10) - their take on Japanese fried chicken. The beers were both excellent options paired with our entrée. The chicken was incredibly moist and was well complimented by the spicy mayo, with the only downside of the meal being how quickly it ran out.

Just as we finished the Japanese fried chicken, our mains arrived. I had ordered the bull and pig ($24.50), a 200gm beef burger with cheese, a fiery ‘epic hot zombie’ chili sauce, bacon and bacon aioli. The burger meat was unadulterated and thankfully juicy pink in the middle. It’s substantial, and the bacon aioli is stand out. My friend ordered the GMB Classic Mini, ($13) a downsized version of their chicken burger on a brioche bun. I had serious food envy when this turned up. It’s the right size, it’s incredibly tasty, and it’s full of flavour.

The key benefit of the ordering the mini is the ability to explore the side dishes. We ordered two - a fennel and apple slaw ($7) and the Kiwi classic cauliflower cheese with grana padana. The slaw is good, but the real winner was the cauliflower cheese - a gooey baked mess which reminded me of something my mum would make. Order it, it comes strongly recommended and it lives up to the expectation.

The food is supported by the décor , it is considered and well thought out, if not a little predictable for a burger-themed diner. It’s noisy but not loud, and the service is frequent and friendly whilst not being intrusive. The combination of food and venue are a likeable match.

Grill Meats Beer is exactly what it presents itself as, a place to enjoy good beer and even better burgers. You can feel the quality and enthusiasm that the crew have bought across from Logan Brown and it’s definitely worth a look.

Photo credit: Miso Peckish

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