t seems Melbourne is obsessed with American food at the moment and having just returned from a trip to New York I’m right on board. I’m not talking about greasy, lacklustre fast food. I’m talking first class burgers, hotdogs and fries made with quality ingredients and piled high with toppings. Speakeasy on Chapel Street is well onto this trend, converting their restaurant into a New York style burger bar every Sunday afternoon.

At 3pm every Sunday, the front section of the restaurant is closed, the front doors are locked – so you can only enter via the back laneway – and the party is pushed out onto their sun-drenched deck. Add a DJ, turn on the grill on and voila, Speakeasy has become New York Cats Burger Bar.

The boys in the kitchen have embraced the new menu with three simple categories: burgers, dogs and chips. Think hand cut chips, house made buns and all the extras you can imagine. The Beyonce Booty Burger with wagyu beef, Swiss cheese, tomato, bacon, onion, lettuce and BBQ sauce is a popular choice as is the Silly String Dog.

With the sun shining and the beers flowing, it’s not a bad way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

New York Cats
359 Chapel St, Prahran (behind Speakeasy)

Hours
Sun 3pm–late