Royal Stacks

A home-grown take on the best of the US burger joint, Royal Stacks makes superior burgers, fries and mac’n’ cheese croquettes, cooked fresh to order from the finest local ingredients.

Royal Stacks

Location: 470 Collins St, Melbourne, VIC 3000 Ph: (03) 9620 0296 Also at Chadstone, Brunswick, Moorabbin, Emporium Shopping Centre, Melbourne Quarter & Doncaster – See Website for Details

What began as a passion for pop culture and a fascination with the perfect burger has grown into a thriving fast food business.

The ghosts of cult US burger chains In-N-Out Burger and Shake Shack are there in the fresh, clean taste of Royal Stacks food whilst founder Dani Zeini’s love of pop culture shines through in the different store fit-outs.

Since Royal Stacks opened their first outlet on Collins Street, Melburnians have been lining up to try their burgers. And why not? Although quality burgers are their mainstay, they have been smart enough to tweak their menus to reflect local tastes. Hence, their Brunswick store on Sydney Road serves halal food and has dabbled in the sticky delights of Baklava.

And then there are their pop-ups. One of their most ambitious was turning their Collins Street shop into a Blockbuster Video store during the 20202 lockdown.

However, at the end of the day, it’s all about the burgers. Thankfully, they seem to be getting them right as EnjoyTravel.com voted Royal Stacks (specifically the Emporium branch) No. 1 on their list of the Best Burgers in the World 2022. And you really can’t do any better than that.

For a guide to our Top 15 Burger Restaurants in Melbourne, see here.

The Space

The decor and feel is surprisingly different from store to store, and yet each outlet ‘feels’ like a Royal Stacks, if that makes sense?

Whilst candy stripes of fairy floss pink and their signature royal blue appear across the board, each restaurant has its own identity.

So the Moorabbin eatery has a retro-American diner vibe, geometric details to the booths and fixtures and a podcast booth. Over at the Emporium, things are light and bright and a row of feature video games. Meanwhile, the flagship store in the CBD has a lush, living garden wall which contrasts with the moody brown leather seating.

We’re most familiar with the neat little outlet in the food court of Chadstone Shopping Centre. Here, the signature pinks, purples and blues are subtle, but still say Royal Stacks to those on the hunt for a superior burger.

Read about the Best Sandwiches in Melbourne, right here.

The Food

The Burgers

So let’s talk about those award-winning burgers.

Starting with the beef burger range, all the patties are made from 100% Australian, pasture fed cattle. Moreover, Royals Stacks promise their beef is GMO-free and that each patty is made fresh each day.

The basic burger is the Single Stack which has a juicy Patty, suitably gooey Cheese, Lettuce, Tomato, Pickles and Special Sauce, all in a toasted bun. From that starting point, you can add a patty for a Double Stack, or the Saint – which matches Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato, Raw Onion, Jalapenas & Chipotle Mayo with a couple of Patties.

Get the perfect griddle marks on your homemade burger with a Cast Iron Grill Plate.

If you are a major carnivore, then the Bacon Bacon is your kind of burger. With Double Patties, Double Bacon, Caramelised Onion, Cheddar, Mustard, Tomato Sauce and Pickles, it’s quite a mouthful.

Personally, I’m a big fan of The King. Here, the single Patty is accompanied by Tomato, Lettuce, Mustard, Special Burger Sauce and – be still my heart! – a Mac’n’Cheese Croquette. Why more places don’t add a croquette of cheesy pasta to a burger – well, to anything, really – is a mystery to me.

If red meat doesn’t do it for you, try one of the chicken burgers. The Kavorka is a gnarly beauty featuring Crispy Fried Chicken, Cheesy Sauce, Pickles, Coleslaw & Chipotle Mayo.

And veggies, you aren’t forgotten either. The Queen Bee has all the goodies from the Single Stack, only with a Homemade Chickpea Patty.

In fact, the staff at Royal Stacks are more than happy for you to swap items around in their burgers. This mean, you can have The King with a Chickpea Patty rather than beef, if you wish. Similarly, you can ditch the Cheese from the Queen Bee and make it vegan if you want to eat plant-based.

Since first publishing this post, Royal Stacks have added a ‘smashed burger’ to their menu. As soon as we’ve tried it, we’ll pass on our verdict.

Whether it’s for breakfast or lunch, we love a bagel. These are our favourite Bagels in Melbourne.

The Sides

Fries and Onion Rings sit on the menu at all of the Royal Stack restaurants.

Even better, so do those fabulous Mac’n’Cheese Croquettes.

There are also a number of Dipping Sauces, including a truly awesome Cheesymite option.

Another popular Aussie burger chain is Betty’s Burgers & Concrete Co. Read all about them here.

The Drinks

Water, Soft Drinks and thick, sweet Shakes topped with fluffy whipped Cream are the go.

See our recommendations for the Best Coffee Shops in Melbourne

Overall

They may not be the cheapest burgers in town, but they are definitely amongst the best – if not the best.

At Royal Stacks, you get great, local ingredients, prepared with just a little more care than at many other burger joints.

Currently only in Melbourne, the rest of Australia’s loss is Victoria’s gain. However, with fast food this good, it’s surely only a matter of time before Royal Stacks expands its empire across the country.

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