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Good vibes only conversations with people from all over about their ‘go to’ places for a drink or food.
The focus isn’t on what is fanciest or most impressive. It’s on what people genuinely enjoy and so go back for more.
Have a listen and try out the places if you can.
Jaz will also create bonus episodes to share positive food and drink experiences as she adventures through life. Don’t expect a formal review. Just descriptions of cool places with yummy food and drinks.
Jaz (00:11):
Hey there. Welcome to My Mate In... Today, I am catching up with my mate in Brisbane, Jess. Hey Jess. Thanks for joining me.
Jess (00:18):
Thank you, jazz. Lovely to be here.
Jaz (00:21):
So Jess and I are mates through the programming world, but it's not a special skill that I have. .
Jess (00:29):
Yes, I have the very good fortune of working with your husband most days of the week, which is super, super fun. And yeah, we've got to like, catch up in various places around the world now. I mean, you and I got to hang out in Nashville through that, so I think that's pretty cool.
Jaz (00:47):
Mm-Hmm. And soon to be Amsterdam.
Jess (00:50):
Soon to be Amsterdam, yep. Next year. So I'm very much looking forward to that.
Jaz (00:53):
Yeah, cool. And a place that we haven't caught up yet is Brisbane. So this can...
Jess (00:58):
I know.
Jaz (00:59):
...uh, foretell our adventure when we come to visit.
Jess (01:02):
Yes. I do keep trying to not so subtly convince Tim to move up here. , uh, and then our dogs can hang out, you know, .
Jaz (01:10):
Aww. Yes. I love that.
Jess (01:13):
It's for the dogs. Yeah.
Jaz (01:15):
And two big girls, right?
Jess (01:17):
Yeah. They even have like fairly similar color. They're kind of like that caramely. I don't even know what the color's called, but yeah, they kind of seem like they'd be best friends, so.
Jaz (01:26):
Yeah. Okay. Done .
Jess (01:30):
Excellent.
Jaz (01:31):
. Aww, I love that.
Jess (01:33):
All this time I was trying to convince Tim and all I had to do was convince you .
Jaz (01:37):
That's right. You have to go to, yeah. Yeah. You have to go to the, the, uh, the other decision maker in the house.
Jess (01:43):
Yes.
Jaz (01:43):
I was gonna get controversial, but I'll say the other one. . All right, so we're actually going to talk about a couple of places in Brissy today. Where do you wanna get started?
Jess (01:54):
So, yeah, when you kind of like posed the question, there was at least three that came to mind and I kind of whittled that down to two. And then I chose one that was like, if I'm only allowed one, I'll do this first one, uh, which is Big Roddy's Rippin Rib Shack.
Jaz (02:11):
Oh my gosh.
Jess (02:11):
Uh, that's the, that's the full name. I, it's just, you know, affectionately known as Big Roddy's, but yeah. Big Roddy's. Rippin Rib Shack is the name.
Jaz (02:20):
. Okay.
Jess (02:22):
I'll, I'll let you recover from that one. Yeah,
Jaz (02:24):
I love that name so much. Okay. I'm listening.
Jess (02:28):
Okay. So Big Roddy's is, uh, it's a rib shack as it says on the tin. So, you know, like, well, well named that's, you know, 10 outta 10 there for naming. Uh, it's named after one of the founders, uh, Roddy who...
Jaz (02:41):
Mm-Hmm. .
New Speaker (02:41):
...is not particularly big, but I guess he's Big Roddy and like the logo, I mean, I don't know if you have like show notes or anything, people should see the logo. It's basically just his like, face doing this big smile thing, like this kinda like cartoony version of it.
Jaz (02:54):
.
Jess (02:55):
So love that about it. Uh, and yeah, so I don't know. What do you wanna know about Big Roddy's?
Jaz (03:02):
What do you like about it? What's, what's the atmosphere like? Let's start there.
Jess (03:07):
Okay. So what the, I mean the atmosphere is great. So there's, there's been two Big Roddy's at one point in time, but unfortunately due to Covid we're now back down to one Roddy's.
Jaz (03:18):
Okay.
Jess (03:19):
Uh, it originally started as like a food stall at like, I think the West End markets.
Jaz (03:24):
Mm-Hmm. .
Jess (03:24):
And was super, super popular. And then kind of, you know, they ended up getting like their, their full restaurant. So it's pretty small. It's, but it's got nice vibes, good music. The staff are super friendly so like, it's a, it's a really nice place to hang out. I do kind of miss the other one they had 'cause it had like this really nice outdoor area we could bring your dog. Um, this one doesn't really have a, like a dog friendly area unfortunately.
Jaz (03:50):
Yeah.
Jess (03:50):
Um, not due to them not wanting it because Roddy has a dog and you know, would love to have a dog area but limitations of venues.
Jaz (03:58):
Does Roddy have a Rotty?
Jess (04:00):
A Rotty? No. What is his dog? Is this like this big dog that's like fluffy. So it's kind of like, it's kind of got that like it's shag pile carpet fur.
Jaz (04:11):
Okay.
Jess (04:12):
But like a big one. So yeah. That's a pretty pretty cool dog. And yeah, I mean the food and the beer are just amazing. Uh, that's, I mean that's the reason why somewhere's generally good right. Is is you go somewhere is 'cause of the, the, the food and the beer. But the vibes are good as well. The staff are lovely. I've had many staff over the years. I've been going there for, I don't know, maybe eight years or something. And I've had various stuff know me by name, know my orders, all that sort of stuff. So yeah, it's like gonna like got those like family vibes kind of thing.
Jaz (04:45):
You mentioned it has good music, so what do they play?
Jess (04:49):
Well when I say good music, so like my taste in music is not super, um, I don't know, friendly with the rest of the world. So I tend to like heavy, heavy metal, all this sort of stuff. Stuff most people think is just noise.
Jaz (05:01):
Okay.
Jess (05:02):
He goes for kinda like more chill kind of music. Um, I think some sort of like, I don't know, RnB sort of stuff. I'm not really sure what the genre is, but it's always kind of chill sort of stuff. He's got like these photos on the wall where he's photoshopped himself in with all these famous people. So he is got one with like, like Tupac and Snoop Dogg, this like group photo. And then he's just like in the group photo there's one of him like meeting the president of the US.
Jaz (05:28):
.
Jess (05:28):
All the sorts of stuff. Like it's, it's got those kinda like just fun vibes to it. And then on the other wall he's got just photos of like where they started in the food truck, like the food stall kind of thing. And then just different staff just having good times.
Jaz (05:42):
Cool.
Jess (05:42):
And then there's like a Polaroid wall as well with like just customers and stuff. So I was on the wall there for quite a while from the, the one that closed down there was like a photo of me and my dog on the wall, which was really cool.
Jaz (05:53):
Oh lovely.
Jess (05:54):
I dunno where that photo's gone.
Jaz (05:55):
Sounds like it has a lot of character.
Jess (05:57):
Yeah, it's got heaps of character and like the, the owners, so there's two owners, Rod and Dave and I've had many, many chats with Rod. He's super passionate about his food. He's always eating it. I'm always like looking, I'm like, oh what are you having? 'cause it's never like something quite standard off the menu. He likes to customize.
Jaz (06:13):
Yeah.
Jess (06:14):
Um, yeah, it's just, I don't know, it's a really lovely place with lovely people, you know, .
Jaz (06:20):
Aw, that sounds awesome.
Jess (06:22):
Yeah.
Jaz (06:22):
So when you, obviously this is a place that you've frequented for a while as well.
Jess (06:28):
Yep. Mm-Hmm. .
Jaz (06:29):
Do you have a go-to order or do you mix it up?
Jess (06:33):
I have two Go-to orders that I rotate between.
Jaz (06:36):
Okay. Hit me.
Jess (06:37):
And there was a, the, you know, there have been staff at various points who've known like the two different ones. So I used to work walking distance from here. So that's kind of where I found it. And then when I didn't walk, it's now like kind of half an hour from where I am. So it's like a bigger trip. But I used to go every single Wednesday when I wasn't working on Wednesdays, like literally every Wednesday. Uh, these days I don't get there too often just 'cause I work every day now. Uh, but yeah, so in terms of my two orders, the first and kind of primary one is the ribs of course. So they've got pork ribs and beef ribs. I tend to go for the pork ribs. And then he's got five different barbecue sauce you can have on them ranging from like a, like a like standard barbecue to then one that's like sweeter, one that's more smoky, one that's spicy, but the best barbecue sauce is the max power barbecue sauce and...
Jaz (07:26):
Okay.
Jess (07:28):
It's got the sweet, the smoky and the spicy. But I think like the spicy is just like amped up a bit more. It's not like, it's not crazy like make you sweat kind of spicy, but it's like good heat. Um, I really, I mean I'm almost like my dietary requirement is I require spicy food. So when I say it's not super spicy, some people are like, that's really, really spicy. So take that as a word of warning.
New Speaker (07:47):
Okay. Good to calibrate that. Yep.
Jess (07:50):
And then I like to ask for it extra saucey so you know, make it covered in sauce. All of the sauce you can kind of like bring to your table. But if you get them to like add the sauce on when they're doing it, it like gets he, it gets heated up more and it's just kind of nicer when you get it extra saucey.
Jaz (08:06):
Mm-Hmm.
Jess (08:06):
And then it comes with fries. The fries are super, super tasty. They've got like this really nice kind of seasoning on them, all that sort of stuff. So ribs and fries and then I get a side of buffalo wings.
Jaz (08:16):
.
Jess (08:17):
So it's a pretty big, it's like it's a massive meal and it's one that basically becomes my only meal for the day. Now the buffalo wings come standard with like a buffalo sauce that's like the best buffalo sauce I've ever tried. But if you get garlic buffalo sauce, it's even better.
Jaz (08:33):
Okay.
Jess (08:34):
Uh, so he's uh, like Roddy's got like a, I think like a Lebanese background. So they have this thing called like garlic toum, which is basically a garlic dip. It's basically all garlic with some lemon juice. And I believe he mixes some of that garlic toum into the regular buffalo sauce. It's just super, super tasty. So you get them, you get them extra saucy and I think by default it comes with like a blue cheese dressing. And as much as I would love to enjoy blue cheese, my taste buds haven't got there yet. So I get the garlic aioli, which again I think is like his aioli recipe with the garlic toum mixed into it. So super garlicy, the buffalo wings are pretty spicy, they're probably spicier than the max power. Um, you can get the wings in any of the barbecue sauce as well. But I really like the kind of contrast between the kind of sweeter barbecue sauce and then this really tangy vinegary kind of buffalo sauce and you have like a bite of this one and then a bite of that one. And they're both kind of just like attacking your taste buds and then each one kind of like helps the other one. I don't know, it's just a real good time . And then the, the other thing you have with it then is Big Roddy's champion lager.
Jaz (09:41):
Okay.
Jess (09:42):
So he's got a few beers on taps and beers in the fridge, but he's got a special one that he has made up by a local brewery. And it's just this real nice lager basically.
Jaz (09:51):
This place is legit. It sounds amazing. They don't, they're not even just like stocking random commercial beers, they've got their own brewed beer.
Jess (10:00):
Yeah. Exactly. Yeah. So that's meal one is the ribs, the wings, and the champion lagger.
Jaz (10:05):
.
Jess (10:05):
And that was like my go-to for ages. And then one day I saw Roddy eating a burger and I know he is had, he's got all different burgers and stuff, but I kind of just like, I like latched onto these ribs and they're amazing. But I saw him eating a burger and I'm like, what's that? That looks great. So he was having the fried chicken burger, but then he customizes the main one a little bit in ways that resonated with me. So he takes off the standard mayo, which is like a lime mayo and replaces it with jalapeno mayo and chili mayo.
Jaz (10:35):
Oh nice.
Jess (10:36):
So it gives it a spicier kick because he likes this stuff spicy too. And then also adds jalapenos. So the fried chicken burgers kind of like this, it's like brined and it's like really juicy and then it's got like nice tangy pickles and then it's got like the mayo that kind of like helps with the tanginess of the pickles and it just is like a fricking amazing burger. So you get that and you have that with the lager as well. And so those are kind of like the two main meals I get from there. Um, my partner Lisa is vegetarian and so you kind of go rib shack, vegetarian, that's not gonna work.
Jaz (11:09):
.
Jess (11:09):
But they do a kind of a version of the fried chicken burger that's uh, like a Panko field mushroom massive thing. And Lisa says it's the best burger she has ever had.
Jaz (11:21):
That's a, that's a big call.
Jess (11:23):
Like from a rib shack if you can believe it. Best vegetarian burger in the world comes from a rib shack. So Yeah.
Jaz (11:29):
Heck yeah. . Heck yeah. I was really interested when you said with that kind of, uh, modified burger.
Jess (11:37):
Yes.
Jaz (11:37):
That Roddy adds jalapenos.
Jess (11:40):
Yep.
Jaz (11:40):
And I'm wondering is it fresh or is it like, what would you call it, Jess, when they're like...
Jess (11:44):
Pickled?
Jaz (11:45):
Yeah, like pickled.
Jess (11:46):
Yeah. So they're, they're pickled. So you kind of have then the, the regular pickles like pickled cucumbers and then pickled jalapenos. So it's got got it just adds this extra like vinegar tang. But then the mayo kind of like helps make that all work together 'cause like in my opinion the best food has that kind of mixture of like tanginess but then balance with some kind of sweetness and creaminess. So.
Jaz (12:07):
Mm-Hmm. . So I've done quite a few episodes of this show and people, people can tell me what they like.
Jess (12:16):
Mm-Hmm. .
Jaz (12:17):
But there's really something special about having this conversation with you and I think people will be able to hear it. 'cause I don't record video, but I can just see it in your face as well. Like the, the way you're talking about the flavors coming together. I'm like, oh this, this is exciting. You, you obviously really like this place, but you obviously really like food. .
Jess (12:37):
I do. Yeah. I really like food. It's, uh, food is is one of my love languages. Probably my main love language. It's the thing that I get most excited about, even more excited about than like programming. I love programming. I can talk about it passionately, but we chat about food. It's, yeah.
Jaz (12:54):
Yeah.
Jess (12:54):
My happy place.
Jaz (12:55):
. I can see that. I can see that. I've seen you present conferences for programming and you, you are very happy and...
Jess (13:01):
Very happy, yeah. But not like...
Jaz (13:02):
...engaging, but this is, there's a real sparkle. Um, okay. So apologies to jump in.
Jess (13:10):
Mm-Hmm. .
Jaz (13:10):
It's awesome to hear that there's vego options, um, that are not just, oh you can have fries or you know there's a veggo option. Like they seriously do vegetarian burgers well.
Jess (13:20):
Yep. They've got like cauliflower wings, other stuff as well.
Jaz (13:23):
Oh Yes. Spicy cauliflower wings and stuff?
Jess (13:26):
Yeah.
Jaz (13:26):
Cool. Is there anything else we should mention about Big Roddy's before we shift focus?
Jess (13:32):
Well, I mean in terms of like where it is, so it's in South Brisbane. Um, it's on Fish Lane, which is this kind of like weird little street that's got like a lot of restaurants and stuff on it. And Big Roddy's is kind of like up one end of that. Um, but you're in south Brisbane, which is like basically adjacent to South Bank and West End. So there's like tons of other cool stuff around there. There's this really cool escape room place called Escape Manor that has like the, the highest quality escape rooms I've ever seen. It's like being on like a movie set.
Jaz (13:59):
Oh cool.
Jess (14:00):
So there's cool stuff to do nearby. There's motorcycle parking, like pretty much right next to Roddy's if you're a motorcycle rider. There is some street parking and buses and trains. There's also like this really cool whiskey bar nearby that I could also talk about for ages called Cobbler. It's like doesn't have signs out the front or anything. It's like you wouldn't even know it was there unless you knew it was there.
Jaz (14:21):
How did you find it?
Jess (14:22):
Uh, a friend .
Jaz (14:24):
Yeah?
Jess (14:24):
Yeah. That's, I think that's the only way you know about it. .
Jaz (14:26):
Yeah. Nice. And um, like international whiskeys or they focus on Aussie ones?
Jess (14:31):
Uh, they have whiskeys from all the, the main players obviously the kind of the um, Scotland ones are the, the main ones. But they've got Irish ones, they've got Australian ones, they've got Japanese ones, they've got, they've got ones that you can like get like one little glass of that are like hundreds of dollars. And then they have like the more approachable ones that are like, you know, your $14-16 kind of little ones in those little Glencairn glasses, this huge wall. They've got like they wear these nice aprons and the the wall behind 'em is almost like a bookshelf with the big ladder that they climb up. It's just got like this real cool vibe inside. Yeah. That could be a whole other episode. .
Jaz (15:07):
Um, a little little side tangent there. We do like whiskey.
Jess (15:11):
Yeah.
Jaz (15:11):
So that's good to know. We were trying to wean it down to a couple of places.
Jess (15:16):
Yeah.
Jaz (15:16):
And there was a second that needed to be discussed. What was that place?
Jess (15:21):
Yes, so this place is called the Woods Neighborhood Bar. Uh, it is walking distance from my house, which is in suburbia. It's the kind of place like you wouldn't really expect to find in the suburbs 'cause it's not like in kind of the more built up areas. It's honestly better than anything in the city though in my opinion. It's got kind of, I guess like similar vibes to Roddy's in that like the people there all have a chat. They'll get to know you, you know, we can go in there now and they'll remember us all that sort of stuff. It's just like they've got heap of taps with all the like local breweries, like rotating beers in and out. And then when you get into more like the winter months, they'll have like, you know, porters and stouts and then they've got like tons of good food options. They've got this massive outdoor area so we can bring our dogs, dogs can hang out and as soon as you bring a dog there, like all the staff are just like, can I pat your dog?
Jaz (16:07):
.
Jess (16:07):
They bring you water bowls, all that sort of stuff. So it's like super, super dog friendly.
Jaz (16:11):
Yay.
Jess (16:12):
Um, the menu's got like tons of uh, vegan veggie options. Yeah. It's just like a really nice chill place to hang and like spend an afternoon going into an evening.
Jaz (16:23):
How big is it? Because I imagine it's kind of nice, like a cozy size based on where it is or?
Jess (16:30):
Yeah, it's kind of like, it's on this like kind of the main strip in Mitchelton called Blackwood Street and I guess it was like an old shop that was probably like, I don't know, a real estate agent or something at some point in its life, like this kind of brick building that they've kind of painted black and looks really cool. So it's got like an indoor dining area and then like they've kinda got like a front area that's like outside but undercover. And then they have this like whole area down the side that feels like it maybe used to be a driveway to get down the back and they've kind of like put up shade cloths and they've like punched a hole out of the wall so you can like go to the bar from the outside. Like you can kinda access the bar there. Um, and yeah, they've just got like, yeah, heaps of seating. They've got like low seating and then they've got like bar stool kinds of things and they've got like big tables for groups.
Jaz (17:15):
Mm-Hmm.
Jess (17:16):
Uh, so it's, it's pretty decently sized. Like when you look at it you go, that's pretty small, but they've managed to like fit a whole bunch of space. And then they, they got the, like the building that's kind of, it's the same building but like I guess the shop adjacent to it. They took over that at some point and made that a bottle shop and it's like, it's the kind of bottle shop that has all the, you know, like the more crafty sort of beer. So it's not like the one where you go to get your XXXX [Four X] or something. I dunno.
Jaz (17:41):
Yeah.
Jess (17:41):
It's the one where you go and you spend a bit more, but you get like the limited releases of all these experimental beers from all the brewers around Brisbane and Australia.
Jaz (17:51):
The peanut butter, chocolate stout.
Jess (17:54):
A hundred percent.
Jaz (17:55):
In pretty um, you know, like handcrafted or designed cans.
Jess (18:00):
Exactly, yeah. Like the cans where it's like this sticker that they've put on it that fits really well, but because that's like not efficient to like actually have it printed on the can because it was a limited release. So they've just designed this nice sticker that goes on it.
Jaz (18:12):
Very cool. Very cool. And so, uh, will you be, do you go in to try different stuff or whatever's happening in season or do you have your go-to food and drink when you visit?
Jess (18:24):
Uh, so drink drink wise, pretty much like every single time I like look at the, they've got like a big chalkboard with the current taps and everything, so I'm always looking to see if there's something new on there. 'cause they always have really just interesting and exciting stuff and I'm like, yep, I'm trying that one. If it's like a really hot day, some days I just feel like a lager, then they kind of have like the Young Henry's Natural Lager is kind of like a staple on there. So that tends to be a pretty good go-to, but yeah, generally I just wanna try new stuff. Like it's one of the reasons I go there is is all the new stuff, the menu, they kind of rotate seasonally I guess. So like every so often it changes. But there are a few kind of staples on there. So they have this burger called the Pickler. Uh, they have a vegan Pickler version of it as well. It's just a, just a good burger that's got some pickles on there that tends to be a staple. They do a really good poutine, which is like, you know, the chips with the cheese curd, uh, and the gravy. And they do like with the proper cheese curds, like it's like some places they'll say, oh, they've got a poutine. And then it's like, I don't know, it's mozzarella that's been grated or something. And it's like, okay this is, you know, cheese and gravy and fries, but like you want that actual little cheese curd.
Jaz (19:33):
You have the elements but this is not poutine. Yeah, .
Jess (19:36):
Yeah. Exactly.
Jaz (19:38):
I'm chuckling to myself because before Nashville, Tim and I went via Canada and I don't if he's told you this story, but we went to the Vancouver markets.
Jess (19:46):
Okay.
Jaz (19:47):
And so Vancouver's like the other side of the country. It's not really where there's, it still has French food influence, but it's not like the home of poutine kind of thing.
Jess (19:57):
Yeah.
Jaz (19:57):
And I just posted a picture of us at Vancouver Markets where Tim was eating whatever, and I had poutine and some random account. Clearly every time poutine gets mentioned, you know, critiques, whatever has been posted. And they had taken my picture zoomed in on it and written something like, this is not poutine. Um, what was it? It was like, um, poutine is not lasagna. Infringement. And it was like and I felt like I felt really kind of violated that that's how the, the kind of posted been taken and, and reposted.
Jess (20:35):
Yeah.
Jaz (20:36):
But then I was like, oh actually this is heckin funny and engaged with this person back and forth and like went through their account and could see like they're committed to the game and they...
Jess (20:44):
Yeah.
Jaz (20:45):
Like yeah. Infringement. It was very, all of it was very like, um, legal terminology.
Jess (20:51):
Yes.
Jaz (20:51):
Every time that we're critiquing stuff, it was so funny. Oh my gosh. Okay. So we, we have no infringements at this place. They get the Kurds, it's not lasagna.
Jess (21:01):
Yes. I, I believe it probably wouldn't be an infringement. I mean I'm not, I'm not a lawyer , a poutine lawyer. . Yeah. I think it's pretty legit. I think like it comes with bacon by default. I don't know if that's, I don't think that was legit like a standard in, in Canada when I went there. My partner's vegetarian though, so we normally get it without the bacon. Um, and still amazing. Potentially better. I don't know, I kind of like focusing more on the cheese curds and the gravy. So Yeah.
Jaz (21:32):
When they, when they do the vegan version of the burger that you mentioned, is it like a, um, like a imitation meat or do they change it to some other kind of patty?
Jess (21:43):
Uh, so it is, uh, I think they might use the vEEF ones. I can't remember. It's, it's one of the imitation meat ones, which I prefer. So like before all these kind of things like vEEF and Impossible came out. I hated vegetarian burgers. I just called them like mush burgers 'cause like the texture of the patties was just soft and squishy. It was like the same texture as as the bun.
Jaz (22:05):
Yeah. Yeah. Like especially when we're talking about um, like a, a vegetable based patty. Right.
Jess (22:11):
Yeah. It's just like kind of potato and stuff and like no matter how hard they try, they can't get that like that. I don't know. There's something when you have the patty where like you kind of bite into it and then there's this bit of resistance 'cause it's kind of springy on the outside and then it, like your teeth break through it and then all the like salty flavor comes out.
Jaz (22:29):
I feel that.
Jess (22:29):
And I feel like that's pretty important in a burger. And so yeah, there's, they do whatever patties they use are like to me the good kind. I know some people probably would go, oh, the imitation meat ones are the bad kind and they like the, the ones I call the mush patties, but , I don't know
Jaz (22:44):
It's all personal. Personal choice.
Jess (22:46):
Exactly. Each to their own.
Jaz (22:47):
Because some places will only do... Yeah. Some kind of like chickpea or potato based with, you know, corn and peas, that kind of patty.
Jess (22:54):
Yeah.
Jaz (22:54):
And I have a similar response to you to those.
Jess (22:58):
Mm-Hmm. .
Jess (22:59):
Um, and they, they can be good but if I'm going somewhere and they have like a beef burger and they have a, a vegan version. I'd prefer a kind of imitation beef. Compared to a mushroom burger as well.
Jess (23:14):
Agreed.
Jaz (23:14):
And again, they can be very good but yeah, it's that like cheeseburger, like if you're going for a cheeseburger vibe that there can be really good vegan versions of that.
Jess (23:23):
Yeah. They're getting so good now. So yeah. I'll often have, have that option as well. I'm, I'm not veggie or vegan but like they're so tasty that I will eat them as well.
Jaz (23:32):
It's like the off week of you've just been to Big Roddy's the week before. You've had all the meat fill...
Jess (23:40):
Yeah, overload. .
Jaz (23:41):
...and then it, life is about balance. Jess. Yeah.
Jess (23:45):
Yep. And like just on Big Roddy's, 'cause like their burger was the, like their veggie option is like a, is a mushroom one and I've had mushroom burgers and never like them but big Roddy's one, there's something about the way he does it that it's much more like a chicken, like a fried chicken burger. 'cause it's got like a really good crust and then the mushroom inside is kind of like juicy in the same way the chicken is. So it's like crunchy on the outside and then the, the chicken's kinda like, you know, like brined and all that.
Jaz (24:10):
Yeah.
Jess (24:10):
And I feel like you actually captured the things that make the fried chicken burger good with the mushroom one. It's probably the only mushroom burger that I actually like and think is actually quite exceptional. .
Jaz (24:21):
Yeah. I reckon you've probably, um, nailed it with the having that crumb to keep the juiciness in because otherwise you get a, a mushroom burger and mushrooms hold a lot of moisture.
Jess (24:32):
Yeah.
Jaz (24:32):
And then it goes through everything.
Jess (24:34):
Yeah.
Jaz (24:34):
And your bun is like slightly gray brown and...
Jess (24:37):
Yeah. .
Jaz (24:38):
...and then everything's kind of soggy. Yeah. Okay. Oh, I mean both places sound really good.
Jess (24:45):
They're both, yeah, they're just, I don't know. Definitely my favorite two places.
Jaz (24:50):
Mm. I love it. Um, I'm very keen for you to show Tim and I and Emmy when we come and visit.
Jess (24:56):
Yes. Yes.
Jaz (24:56):
Really appreciate your time Jess. Thanks so much.
Jess (24:59):
You are very, very welcome. I hope people go there. They're both like locally owned. They need your support and it's well worth going there.
Jaz (25:04):
Yeah, check 'em out.