The Bottle of Milk

WHERE AND WHAT

The Bottle of Milk is the best thing going on Lorne's Mountjoy Parade, the bustling heart of the super-sized seaside town. Opened in 2008 by a couple of local lads who had already bestowed nearby Pizza Pizza on a grateful populace, BoM is a simple burger joint that makes burgers better. With right-on values including organic produce and a laid-back surfer-dude vibe, it ticks enough boxes to take out the Lorne eatery popularity contest.

WHERE TO SIT

A pair of august, church-like timber doors crown Lorne's burger temple, which sits opposite the reserve and the million-dollar ocean views. Order and pay at the counter (cash only, folks), take your number on a stick and choose your seat - inside with recycled seats on polished concrete floors or (the most popular option) outside at the wooden picnic benches under broad umbrellas.

WHEN TO GO

Daily 8am-8pm; changing in a few weeks to Mon-Thurs, 8am-3pm; Fri-Sat 8am-8pm; Sun 8am-5pm. Call ahead to check.

DRINK

There's no liquor licence but a help-yourself fridge is stocked with Parker's organic juices and Hepburn sparkling mineral water. Coffee is by Seven Seeds.

EAT

Reading the Bottle of Milk menu is a dizzying immersion into burger lore. Thirteen beef burgers, four vegetarian versions - you want lentil or tofu? - and four chicken burgers, plus the all-important breakfast burger. The fine print is important: the meat is organic - the beef is from Pennyroyal - as are the support cast of salad veg and pickles (when possible, they say) and the mayos and sauces are mostly made in-house. The biggest burger is the ''original NYC'' with its excellent, filler-free double patty laced with two slices of melting cheese, a piquant mayo, their tomato relish, caramelised onion and Dijon mustard with a couple of crunchy gherkins riding shotgun. The bun deserves a special mention - organic sourdough from Geelong's specialty baker La Madre, it stands firm against the lapping sauce tide. The ''bingo bango'' goes slightly south-east Asian with a grilled chicken breast, coriander and sweetish chilli paste. The chips are of a flat, hefty persuasion. Sweet pastries are on the counter: a sticky, sultana-studded escargot might have been past its prime, but the warmed La Madre banana bread is excellent with slabs of butter.

WHO'S THERE

Every Lorne local who's ever jumped on a board; the kids from the Altona surf lifesaving club; snap-happy tourists.

WHY BOTHER?

Great burgers, great attitude.