Holt Street home to new American style joint, Brooklyn Depot
I take the full syringe and give it a little tap. This will be a first for me. Of course there’s doubt in mind. What if I become addicted? I take a deep breath, push my thumb down and inject the spicy red sauce into my Brooklyn Depot Burger. There’s no turning back.
It’s called the Fuhgeddaboudit ($15), the monthly special on an already exciting list of burgers at this new American inspired diner. Between two fluffy buns, a grass fed beef patty is layered with sloppy but delicious beef chilli, American style cheese, onion rings and chilli relish. Your choice of hot sauce (mild, medium, hot or Fuhgeddaboutit) is served in a tiny plastic syringe sticking out of the burger. It’s a visual feast and a little overwhelming at first. This is no one-hand operation. It’s not pretty, clean or elegant to eat but it’s full of flavour with a slight sweetness from the relish.
The Outta Towner ($14) is slightly more manageable without the joy of beef chilli dripping down your hands. But double meat is still present with a beef patty plus thinly sliced premium steak along with provolone cheese, roasted green peppers, caramelised onions and cheese sauce.
Fries are a must with burgers but like everything at Brooklyn Depot they can be “Brooklynised”. Take those plain fries and add bacon, onion rings, cheese sauce and frickles (battered and fried pickles) and you have what they call Garbage Fries ($10). They’re perfect for sharing and especially great if you’re nursing a hangover. They also do a mean Bloody Mary, with a mini syringe full of DIY chilli to spice as you please.
There’s more than just burgers and fries at Brooklyn Depot with hot dogs, salads, mac and cheese, fried chicken, BBQ pork ribs and ice cream sandwiches all making an appearance. Pretty much everything you’d expect to find on the streets of Brooklyn or in a typical American sports bar.
Keeping with the theme are big screens playing American basketball games and eating competitions. As you enter Brooklyn Depot there’s a full wall mural of cliche American icons- the Statue of Liberty, a yellow cab and a giant burger. The front of the restaurant is filled with high tables and a little window for take-aways. All the chefs are wearing backwards caps and bopping their heads along to hip hop music. Head towards the back where cosy booths and more intimate tables are near the well stocked bar.
Brooklyn Depot offers a list of drinks including American and Australian beers, wine, cocktails and spirits. For me though, it’s all about the Depot Shakes ($8). For an extra $4 you can pimp that shake with a shot of alcohol. The My Man shake is like a McFlurry on steroids made with Hershey’s chocolate sauce, ice cream, crushed Oreos and spiked with Mozart black liqueur.
The first Brooklyn Depot opened on the Gold Coast in April 2015. After much success co-owner Michael Rose and his team were eager to bring the concept to Sydney. Located in a former printing shop on Holt Street they’re in a hot location surrounded by great bars and restaurants. I predict this new venue will have plenty of addicts in no time.
Brooklyn Depot
65 Holt Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010
Open 7 days a week – 11am ‘til late
www.brooklyndepot.com.au/