Perth Voice Interactive

IT was perhaps my lowest moment of 2023 – watching Brendan Fevola in the semi-final of The Masked Singer.

It was reminiscent of the scene in 2001: A Space Odyssey where the primates touch the monolith and learn how to use a bone to whack things.

I needed a pick-me up, and in times of need cheeseburgers have always been there – a sort of throwback to the care-free days of the 1950s when folk drove gas guzzling Cadillacs, Elvis filled the airwaves and Hollywood was in its pomp. I decided to try Upperhand in Leederville – located in a narrow shopfront beside Fibber McGee’s on Newcastle Street.

Their flagship eatery/small bar in Swanbourne had got positive reviews, so I was keen to check out their second outlet.

A few weeks out from Christmas, Leedy was buzzing with people on work nights out and others escaping the ‘silly season’ with a glass of wine and some nibbles. The pavement alfresco at the corner of Oxford and Newcastle Streets was particularly busy and had the lively buzz of a European city. 

There was alfresco seating at Upperhand, but I decided to sit inside and get a feel for the interior.

The best way to describe it is blue – courtesy of the large blue neon sign on wall and the dark blue paint on the walls.

With that glowing blue neon, it felt like a scene from Tron, minus Jeff Bridges and all the special effects.

The menu had a compact range of beef, chicken and vegan/veggie burgers including the double chilli cheeseburger, asian chicken and the gone green. There was also a range of loaded fries, some sides and a kids menu.

The joint was licensed and sold a pint of Upperhand lager for just $5 and there was various specials like $5 cheeseburgers on Wednesdays and $0.99 wings on Sundays.

They had just extended their kids eat free to both Monday and Tuesday, so it’s a good time to head there if you have young ‘uns. Unfortunately they had ran out of chicken burgers on Monday night, so my wife “Special K” went for the traditional cheeseburger instead ($11).

“It’s got a lovely soft brioche bun and the patty is well cooked,” she said.

“There’s a nice mix of cheese, onion and pickles, and you can pick it up without everything falling out the sides.

“My only complaint – it’s not very big, but at $11 it’s probably good value and best suited for lunch.”

I don’t like kitchen sink burgers crammed with everything under the sun that disintegrate on the first bite, so I appreciated the simplicity of my Upperhand (single $17).

It was well executed, but I would have liked a litle pink trace in the middle of the patty.

The toppings were fresh and enjoyable, but I struggled to see what the difference was between this and the cheeseburger.

I was looking forward to the loaded Peking Duck Fries ($22). There was a decent amount of BBQ roast duck on there, but surprisingly it was cold, which meant the shoestring fries underneath cooled down quickly.

The fries were a bit of a dissapointment and tasted like frozen chips from the supermarket.

The sticky duck sauce was moreish and when combined with a mouthful of fries, spring onion and fried shallots, it became an indulgent treat. However for $22, I was expecting a bit more.

My son wolfed down his kids cheeseburger ($10 or free on a Monday/Tuesday) with no complaints, but my daughter struggled with her kids poppers ($11) as the fried chicken, dusted in house spices, was tough. She enjoyed the creamy house sauce though and it sort of saved the day.

In a congested burger bar market, Upperhand didn’t set the heather on fire. 

However some of the burgers were well priced and it had a good range of offers, so it’s a decent shout for a low-cost bite to eat when hitting the shops and pubs in Leederville.

Upperhand burgers
Leederville
743 Newcastle Street
upperhandburgers.com.au

by STEPHEN POLLOCK