Jacks Newtown

One my fondest memory is queuing up to get into the original Tim Ho Wan in Hong Kong. It's not the actual queue that I enjoyed but the treasure at the end of the journey. Damn those pork buns were mind blowing!

We recently visited the new Jack’s Newtown. I've heard and seen the massive lines that Jack’s get everyday. So we decided to rock up 10 minutes before opening time and we were fifth in line! The treasures at Jack’s are fantastic American-style burgers.

The shop has a clean contemporary diner fit out. Expect a long communal table, a few seating for 2 and a long bar table by the big windows that allowed a lot of natural light to enter the shop. Their menu is minimal but effective. My favourite thing about Jack’s is that they specialise in smash patty burgers! Word is that Denver’s renowned burger establishment, Smashburger, inspired Jack Fonteyn. Let me tell you more about smash patties in a bit and why I love them.

Their crinkle cut fries ($5) was amazing! The ridges helped with adding crisp on the outside of the fries and it was also soft on the inside. It was also seasoned well.

Double cheeseburger

There was no holding back so I opted for their double cheeseburger ($15). It had double beef patty, two sexy melted cheese, lettuce, tomato and a special sauce. All held in a soft potato bun. It was nothing short of excellent! I'm normally a cheeseburger purist (meaning I prefer it only with patty, cheese, pickles, onion, mustard, ketchup and sometimes mayo) but this one is an exception. Why you ask? Here are a few points:

- The nicely seasoned smash patties are off the chainz! Yes, I'm a big fan of smash patties and they do it well here. The initial stage of the smash cooking method creates a crust on the surface of the patty, which keeps all the amazing juices inside. The crust also adds that enhanced caramelised meaty flavour we love in smash patties. Jack’s does it spot on. The patties were so juicy! The 80 to 20 meat to fat ratio was really noticeable in those patties. Also, the patties are sourced from Vic's Meats!

- Besides having great patties, their cheeses were melted to perfection.

- The awesome special sauce was bold (with a touch of smoky flavour), creamy and tangy, which works well with their burger patties. This I think could be the reason why the patties are lightly seasoned.

- Last but not least is I really like how their lightly toasted soft potato buns held the double patty cheeseburger well.

So even if their cheeseburger had some salad, I really didn't mind as it was well executed.

Bacon cheeseburger

Their bacon cheeseburger ($12) is basically their single patty cheeseburger with bacon. The smokiness of the bacon caught me by surprise like a swooping magpie but in a good way! That extra flavour profile from the bacon just took the burger to another level. It may not be crispy but it breaks off easily with every bite.

Burger sizes are not too big but not small either. Just right in my opinion. So here's my conclusion: Jack’s Newtown does a great job with their smash patty burgers and if you love your burgers that way, get there ASAP!

Jack’s Newtown

170 Missenden Road (across from The Marlborough Hotel)

Newtown NSW 2042

Opening Hours:

Tuesday-Friday 5pm until sold out.

Saturday-Sunday 12pm until sold out.