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Just Open: Ze Pickle, Surry Hills

Callan Boys
Callan Boys

The heart-stopping Triple Loco and Chee-Ze burgers at Ze Pickle, Surry Hills.
The heart-stopping Triple Loco and Chee-Ze burgers at Ze Pickle, Surry Hills.Christopher Pearce

A Doughnut Time doughnut, a slice of Nutella-smoked bacon and a burger walk into a bar. The trio combine forces and the internet explodes. This holy trinity of trending isn't a joke or a drill; it's now happening in Surry Hills with cult Queensland burger joint Ze Pickle opening its first Sydney location.

"We've been looking to open in Sydney for the last two years," says co-owner Aaron Wilson. "We've come close to landing a few sites, but they've fallen through at the last minute. This Foveaux Street site is a blessing. We've knocked a wall out and now the space looks awesome."

The first Ze Pickle opened at Burleigh Heads on the Gold Coast in 2012 and launched a Brisbane site in October. It caused a social media storm in the sunshine state when a Doughnut Time collaboration burger debuted on the menu in January. And now Sydneysiders get their bite of a hand-pressed wagyu pattie, Nutella-smoked bacon and double cheese squished between a grilled and glazed doughnut.

Pac-Man wall art at the Ze Pickle's first Sydney store.
Pac-Man wall art at the Ze Pickle's first Sydney store.Christopher Pearce
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Hardcore burger boffins will want to display their gorging skills by finishing Ze Pickle's Triple Loco ($36). That's three wagyu patties, three slices of cheese, three helpings of smoked maple bacon, pulled pork, smoked jalapenos, lettuce and coleslaw. It's made even more ridiculous by layering the ingredients between grilled cheese sandwiches instead of buns.

"We sell about 20 a day to guys and girls at the Queensland stores," says Wilson. "Most people get through it. Some of them might leave a single pattie, but that's about it."

However, Wilson says he hasn't seen anyone slay the burger beast known as the STFU. The off-menu creation is a Triple Loco pumped up with more meat and cheese plus fried onion, fried chicken, oak-smoked brisket and a third grilled cheese sandwich. If you decide to tackle the monster, it'll cost you $60, although Wilson points out it's not a challenge: "it's just a big feed."

Don't tell your doctor about Ze Pickle's Nutella-smoked bacon burger with doughnuts.
Don't tell your doctor about Ze Pickle's Nutella-smoked bacon burger with doughnuts.Adam Pinzone

Contextually smaller Ze Pickle offerings include the Chee-Ze ($15) with wagyu, Jack cheese, iceberg lettuce, tomato, pickles, and ketchup and the Southern Hick ($16.50) loaded with fried chicken, maple-smoked bacon, cheese, lettuce and tomato.

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Ze Pickle also has 12 unique taps that will feature local Sydney beers and a few Queensland labels harder to find in NSW, such as Green Beacon, Newstead, Black Hops and hopefully Balter Brewing, just launched by Mick Fanning and a few of his pro-surfer mates.

Sydney's love of burgers and beer just got a whole lot bigger.

Open Tue-Thurs 5pm-late; Fri-Sun noon-late

6/17-51 Foveaux Street, Surry Hills, zepickle.com

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Callan BoysCallan Boys is editor of SMH Good Food Guide, restaurant critic for Good Weekend and Good Food writer.

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