Leonards House of Love

Great burgers!

Awesome burgers, bar and bevs.
This is the best place for a burger along Chapel st, just beating Parlour Diner for me.
Just perfectly cooked patties. The fried chicken is pretty amazing as well. Service is quick and friendly even when busy. $ 10 for the standard cheeseburger is a little cheaper than the other burger places around so its completely worth it.
The bar is great with the usual stuff you’d expect, though couple of beverages like Apple Pie Moonshine for that America feel, which aren’t usually spotted in Melbourne. This place is definitely aiming for that and if you’ve ever been to Austin, Texas this is exactly the sort of bar they have, which is why I love it so much and has become my new favourite place around the Chapel St area.
The beer garden is nice to have in an area that doesn’t have as many as the north side of town, and a pool table that only costs $ 2 is always good to have for some fun.
Seems to attract a bit of an all-​sorts crowd which is a good change from a lot of the bars of the area.
New favourite bar and glad it’s around the corner from work! Love it.

I was walking down Garden Street in South Yarra this morning and noticed that Tryst was gone. As I tend to spend most of my life in an oblivious haze this could have occurred last week or last year — I have no idea. The thing is, there’s now another place where Tryst used to be called Leonard’s House of Love.
It was about 10.30 but there was already a guy moving furniture around the little beer garden so I asked him what sort of food they served. He replied «roadhouse». «Like burgers?» I hazarded a guess. «One of the best burgers in Melbourne,» he replied confidently. Obviously I couldn’t let a statement like that go unchallenged, so I went back there for lunch.
Leonard’s does, in fact, remind me of an American roadhouse with its wooden bar and stools bolted to the floor, stripped brick walls and wooden floor. They were playing ZZ Top when I walked in, so one tick already. I ordered a cocktail called Honey Bones Pineapplehead which was made from rye whisky, lemon, honey and pineapple juice and sipped it at one if the tables outside while I perused the menu.
Not a huge choice; fried chicken, fries, a couple of vego options, and of course burgers. They have one called the Tug Boat which was made with fish and seaweed tartare which sounded interesting, but I was feeling traditional so just ordered the cheeseburger. This comprised a beef brisket and short rib patty, onion, lettuce, «special» sauce, and cheese obviously.
The burger arrived in a little cardboard box and was really good. The patty was rare — still pink in the middle like a god burger should be. The special sauce taste like mustard flavoured Mayo, and was also really tasty. For $ 10, it’s on a par price-​wise with Urban Burger, but a lot better in my opinion and with loads more atmosphere. One of the best burgers in Melbourne? Definitely.