Jimmy Smiths, Wellington - Cheeseburger, 6/10

it sure had a lot of salad leaves

Beef burger with cheese, bacon, tomato and salad - $15

If you are after a bit of substance to your burger, or simply have an appetite, then the Jimmy Smith burger is for you.

Located in the James Smith building on the corner of Manners Mall, Jimmy Smiths is a retro cafe with a combination of coffee shop cabinet food (pies and slices), and a cooked menu.  The pricing is sharp.


We weren't quite expecting a double beef pattie but that is what arrived at our table.  It was accompanied by a solid serving of fries.

The burger also had caramelised onion, cheese and bacon and sat on a pile of mesclun salad.  It was all held together with a sesame seed bun.

While it had all the necessary ingredients, and the patties were well cooked (a nice char), it was fairly obvious that to deliver that volume, the quality of the ingredients suffered.

nestled on a bed of leaves

The patties appeared to be processed and, while tasty, were a bit mealy.  The bun was also supermarket standard and a bit bready.  The bacon was budget and didn't provide much texture.  The cheese was nondescript.  And it was all sitting on a significant bed of salad leaves.

Now having said all that, it was well put together, and had enough condiments to keep it moist and relatively flavourful  - helped by the caramelised onion.  Good char on the pattie.  Held together well and easy to eat.

It passed the taste test but was nothing to write home about.  I am guessing that Jimmy's were focusing on value for money rather than taste sensation.  On that front they didn't fail.  The burger was pleasant.  There were fries left on the plate.

substantial but with standard ingredients.  A burger for the layman.

So if you are after a solid burger and fries, and you have skipped breakfast, then Jimmy Smith is a pretty good option.  At $15 it is also pretty good value for money.  I'm sure Matty T would approve.

Editors note:  it has been a while since I tried this burger so I may have missed a few of the specifics.