After some pesky delays, Sue’s Burgers & Shakes finally opened its hotly anticipated new site at South City Square on Friday February 23. For most of the day, a queue snaked its way from the entry, which the team estimated at one point grew to 50 prospective patrons deep.
The fact that the team was running an introductory offer of a free cheeseburger with every order may have had something to do with it, but – judging by the rapturous reception – there was always a high chance that folks would turn out in droves for one of Sue’s widely praised feeds.
“That was the biggest open we’ve done,” admits Peter Jacobi who – alongside his brother Ross – heads up Jacobi Hospitality Group, the business behind Sue’s and the brothers’ other cult-fave concept, WingFix. Conceived initially as a way to push WingFix’s increasingly popular burger menu into the spotlight, Sue’s has blossomed into a patty-flipping powerhouse in its own right, climbing up the ranks of many discerning burger purists.
“We found a big demand for the style of burgers that we do – we really wanted to build on that,” says Peter. “By taking wings out of the equation, we can do a lot of the stuff that we do with the WingFix burgers, but at a higher level.”
More than two years on from the opening of its first nostalgia-packed diner-style venue at Westfield Carindale, the team has finally lifted the cloche on its second – a vibrant retro nosh house positioned in a plum spot beneath the Angelika Film Centre.
Where previously Peter and Ross had to work with the Carindale site’s existing fixtures, fittings and layout, at Woolloongabba they’ve been given the opportunity to build a location that was more in line with what they had envisioned for the Sue’s concept at the beginning. The Design Creative has helped devise a shapely interior look that leans into the curviness common in 1950s-era diners. Inside you’ll spy black-and-white checkered tiles, leather booths shielded by fluted glass, white tabletops with stainless-steel trims, red-leather seats and neon lights casting purplish hues onto blush-pink walls.
For Peter and Ross, the experiential nature of their venues is crucial to their success. “People can go anywhere nowadays to eat a burger or to eat some wings,” says Peter. “With our venues, we want to combine an experience with the food quality, whether it be at WingFix – where you get transported to an American dive wing bar with LA-inspired street art – or like when you step into Sue’s, you get transported back in time to a retro 50s diner with super high-quality American-inspired diner food.”
That said, there’s no denying that the Sue’s Burgers & Shakes menu is packed with some seriously drool-worthy options. Naturally the fun starts with burgers (all served on butter-toasted buns), led by the Sue’s Classic (a cheeseburger with a patty boasting a blend of freshly ground sirloin cap and chuck steak), the Glazy Susan (a beefy number that sees patty, crispy bacon and American cheese sandwiched between a Biscoff-glazed milk bun) and the Sue’s Southern fried-chicken burger. There’s also now a Philly cheesesteak – a viral limited-edition special that has evolved into a popular permanent fixture of the menu.
Sides like fries (including six kind of loaded options), mozzarella sticks, popcorn chicken bites and onion rings will help fill any gaps, but be sure to save room for a shake. The Sue’s crew has expanded its range of signature thickshakes, infused with the likes of Oreo, Nutella, Malteser, Aero Mint and Crunchie honeycomb. Peter and Ross have plans to expand the range further in the future, including adding cocktails to the beverage menu in addition to bolstering the dessert offering.
Sue’s Burgers & Shakes at South City Square is now open to the public – head to the Stumble Guide for operating hours and menu details.
