Truck Stop Deluxe

Melbourne burger maestros Josh Lefers and Dani Zeini (Grand Trailer Park Taverna) and Jimmy Hurlston (Easey’s) are behind this venue in Werribee.

The building is a long, narrow space in which the team has parked a few big rigs. Replicating a traditional truckers rest stop, diners can take a seat in the two cabs, or pull up a stool in the re-envisioned cargo. Horseshoe booths mimic sitting in the drivers seat with dashboard controls and screens looping videos of tarmac. The back room is a breezy barn, with louvre windows, Astroturf beneath your feet and hazard flags overhead.

This is the place to wolf down a mean double-patty burger, chilli-laden fries and a spiked shake. Burgers also come wrapped in a tidy bun-mimicking lettuce cup, and the staff is friendly and relaxed.

Indulgent waffle stacks doused in whipped cream and Nutella aside, the menu has some wholesome elements, such as grass-fed Australian beef patties, truffle-cayenne mayonnaise and Black Russian tomatoes.

The McDowell is Zeini’s homage to the Big Mac. The Claire Underwood is the vegetarian burger featuring an organic potato and chickpea patty and a mac‘n’cheese croquette. There’s buttermilk fried chicken, sweet-potato fries and doughnut ice-cream sandwiches to round out a meal. Then there’s a key lime pie daiquiri, Budweiser or boilermaker.