Visited 29/12/2018, Gold Coast
**Dairy Free Approved/Vegan Options** Chevron Renaissance Shopping Center, 12-14/3240 Surfers Paradise Blvd, Surfers Paradise QLD 4217, Australia
‘Betty’s Burgers And Concrete Co’ is a hallmark of Queensland’s restaurant scene where it found great initial success. There are 4 locations in Gold Coast alone and it’s Surfer’s Paradise location is hard to miss, bright neon sign and all, placed conspicuously on the main strip. There were countless people already standing in line outside, waiting to be addressed by Betty’s Bouncers. Tables inside and outside were already mostly taken up, albeit the ones which were reserved and the bar stools for solo eaters.
The decor was very modern and inviting. Yellow fairy lights and plants hung from corner to corner. The open floor plan that lead to the outside and the white wood interior gave me beach house vibes. That, as well as the teal & light blue scalloped counter table and beach art, brought to mind the ocean just nearby.
The system to get a seat strangely works, although it looks complicating at first. First, you are handed a menu in line before you get to the bouncer; you are to decide what you want immediately so you spend less time at the ordering till. Secondly, when you reach the bouncer, you will be inquired about how many seats you need. Thirdly, after much finessing from the bouncer, you will be directed to the ordering line; around the same time, your table is also being cleared. After ordering, your table is ready for you. This process is surprisingly efficient and we were seated around 10 minutes after our arrival.
Next time when I feel up to it, I also want to try their Vegan burger which I didn’t see on the menu but spied on Betty’s website. Betty’s staff is quite knowledgeable about the allergens in their food and were very patient in answering the questions that I had. I’ll also link their allergen chart sheet for those who are interested here.
Sources Of Dairy/ Changes I Made
- The bun is made with Milk, chose the Gluten Free Bun instead which is Dairy Free (DF). It will cost an extra $2
- Or instead of a bun, you can get it lettuce wrapped instead
- Remove the cheese from the burger
- Their secret sauce is Dairy Free (DF)
What I ate Safely After Making Changes/ Dairy Free (DF)
- Betty’s Deluxe ($15 + $2 Bun)
- Fries and Tomato Sauce ($5 + $1)
Betty’s Burgers isn’t exactly the most cost efficient burger place. Having eating at several places much nicer than Betty’s yet paying around the same price, I had a waiter taking orders, refilling waters and most importantly, I didn’t have to pay for tomato sauce. I can’t be sure if Betty’s initial plans to be “affordable” still stands. After waiting a while, the food beeper finally rang to alert us to pick up our food. I still remember the shock I had when I saw how $78 worth of food fit a single tray; that’s 4 burgers, fries, a thick shake and unavoidable amenities. Before you tell me that’s the price to pay for Angus Beef, I’ll tell you the 1/2 pound of 100% Angus Beef Burger at McDonald’s costs $13.70 with the combo WITH free ketchup on the side.
I decided to forgo all criticisms regardless and focused on the food. By the time I picked it up, the bottom of the burger had already begun soaking through the wrapper. I have no idea why it was so wet. The other burgers were also slightly damp from meat juice but mine was positively swimming in some unidentifiable liquid. This caused my bacon to become soggy very quickly, hardening and becoming as tough as jerky; I had to pull it apart with my hands so I could chew little bits of it at a time or it wasn’t going anywhere. The meat patty was very slightly pink in the center, well seasoned and tender but I can’t say it was good enough to make me want to relive the moment.
The bun which I paid extra for was basically a toasted crumpet, it wasn’t bread, it was a very hard and lightly spongy crumpet. Because it was porous, it did absolutely nothing for my watery burger. By the time I was halfway through the burger, I was frankly miserable, hands all wet, meat slipping and sliding further away from the grasp of my crumpet and the tissue dispenser was nowhere near me. That was a great waste of $17, I thought; I’d rather be having a Big Mac, I thought.
Thankfully, it seemed not all was lost as everyone else on the table had amazing burgers. Although I had a horrible experience otherwise, I can say that Betty’s ingredients are fresh. I’d never seen a more vibrant lettuce and the homemade pickles were done well. The others thought the same but also had many other great things to say about the overall burger. In fact, even a friend of mine who thought burgers were a waste of time said they’d absolutely come back to Betty’s again.
The other testimonials made me very sad that I couldn’t share the same experience, most likely due to my alterations. I won’t mention tomato sauce anymore but the fries aren’t good, they tasted as if they had went stale and were then re-fried. I’m sure that isn’t the case because of the sheer amount of orders they are getting but they just weren’t good.
Although I myself won’t be going back to Betty’s, I would definitely bring a group of my Dairy Tolerant friends there. Another one of my friends who was left quite unsatisfied after his Betty’s Double, ordered a Betty’s Classic and said it was the best burger he’s ever had. In fact, I might have no choice but to return since everyone else liked it so much and who knows, maybe I’ll enjoy it more then.
DF NAVI 