8bit, 8 Droop Street, Footscray. Phone: 9687 8838
We have a few loose ends to take care of at the venue of our great party of a few nights ago.
I’d be happy to chow down right here and now.
But Bennie has other ideas: “We’ve already had African this week!”
Says Kokeb’s Helen: “I don’t blame you!”
She’s plainly envious as we troop off to 8bit.
Since the initial CTS story on Footscray’s new burger hot-spot, we’ve heard and read a lot … many happy raves, some “meh” and quite a lot of talk about protracted wait times.
I’m very interested to see what Bennie, the undoubted burger expert of the family, thinks.
We’re told the wait time will about 20 minutes.
It ends up seeming like more, but no worries … Bennie soon finds something to keep him happily occupied.
After snagging a pair of stool right there at the shake station, I’m happy, too – watching kitchen action such as this is very much the CTS equivalent of taking in some performance art.
Item 1: Cheese and bacon fries ($7).
These are almost certainly the unhealthiest things we’ve eaten this year – and that’s saying a LOT.
They’re gone in under three minutes.
Yum.
Item 2: After Burner ($9.50) with beef, tomato, red onion, lettuce, cheese, chilli sauce, calapeños, chipotle mayo.
“It’s just a burger,” says Bennie. “Grill’d is better …”
Ouch!
Based on my good-sized sample, I reckon he’s making a pretty harsh call. I really like the bite and freshness of the multi-layered lettuce and the spicy tingle of the mayo.
Item 3: Golden Axe ($9.50) with crispy fried chicken, cheese, Sriracha mayo, slaw.
Bennie rather wishes he’d had this instead.
It’s darn good and the chook really is delightfully crunchy.
The only fault I find is a lack of your actual real chicken flavour.
Some readers, both here and on the CTS FB page, have made unflattering comparisons between 8bit and a certain Latin-American joint in Sunshine.
Now, as much as we love that Sunshine emporium – and we really, really do – I’m not sure such comparisons are really valid.
They’re wholly different propositions, with different aims, staffing levels and – no doubt – rent to pay.
8bit is cool … and despite his lukewarm response, Bennie is keen to return for an outing with the “double beef, double cheese, double bacon, pickles, mustard, lettuce, 8bit sauce” Double Dragon.
See the 8bit website here.
consider the sauce 
‘8 Bit with Cheese’ plus Bacon, no Red Onion!……..can’t go wrong! 🙂
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8bit has a legion of fans and so it’s obviously doing many things right. Have to admit to being bemused at the length of time people are prepared to wait for a burger. Not inclined to wait upwards of half an hour for a fast-food meal.
Plus after trying “the place in Sunshine”, I know which way I’ll be heading next time I have a hankering for grilled meat in a bun! Very tasty, very quick and great value.
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The thing I like about 8 bit is that their vegetarian burger doesn’t taste like it’s missing something. It doesn’t taste like a meat burger that they’ve stuck a leaky mushroom in instead. But the wait times have seriously cut down on my desire to return. I hear outside of dinner time is a better time to go though.
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I don’t mind the place but I don’t think it’s worth the long wait times and all the gushing reviews on Urban Spoon.
Oh and has anyone ever been able to order their onion rings? I’ve tried five times now and each time they’re sold out. You’d think that if something constantly sells out they’d stock extra of it!
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Ate at 8bit today for the 1st time lunchtime Thursday. Took 7 mins to receive our order. Delicious.
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Hi Melissa! Yay! What did you have?
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Oh I copied you with a Golden ax! Geoff had the double dragon with bacon. We eyed off the heart attack chips with bacon and cheese but resisted! I’m not a regular burger eater but we were both very impressed.
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