Only months after opening its doors on the corner of Smith and Gertrude, Fitzroy’s Mr. Scruff’s is delighting locals and visitors alike with good vibes, good tunes and food and drink specials daily.
Despite its short tenure, Mr Scruff’s is ever-evolving; with a new burger on the menu every week for the “Chewsday Special” and the recent addition of sexy red leather booths to their fit-out, giving their establishment a hint of Americano and rising further among their peers in the “pub-grub” and “local watering hole” stakes.
There are a number of incredibly tasty snacks on the menu, but don’t come here looking for a salad because you’re going to be sorely disappointed.
Mr Scruff’s highlights include the tasty beef burger with “special sauce”, which reminds us of a high-end Big Mac with a soft brioche bun, juicy beef pattie, pickles, onion, lettuce and a magical sauce that dreams are made of. Make it a double and add crispy bacon and you will be in Elvis-style indulgent heaven.
Adding to their burger clout is Mr Scruff’s rather unique “Chewsday Special”, which sees guest “burger bloggers” create ridiculous towering burgers of their own for Scruffs customers every Tuesday. This has included burgers being stuffed with ham and cheese croquettes, Texan chilli, peanut butter, more bacon… the list of outrageous burger additions goes on and hopefully will never end.
Another joy to behold is Mr Scruffs’ poutine: thick-cut fries with gravy, cheese and crispy bacon. And if that isn’t enough to render you completely comatose, the Austin Midnight sandwich with beef brisket, cheddar, pickles, mustard, mayo and pickled red onion is an incredibly delicious combo.
If you’re looking for meals on the slightly lighter side, the soft-shell crab tacos are a delight, along with the red-roasted pork belly and Peking duck gua bao (the pork variety of which could stand up to any our bao-crazy city has to offer). Lighter still, the zucchini haloumi souvlaki makes for a satisfying vegetarian fix.
For something sweet it’s all about the donut sandwich: a cinnamon donut with Tim-Tam ice cream, or the salted caramel waffle with butterscotch, vanilla ice cream and banana chip crumb.
To wash it all down are a host of cocktails to while the night away with, which include three versions of the Bloody Mary, a hot chocolate cocktail, and the “Sup’Was’Sup” – with raspberry liqueur, coconut rum, triple sec and ruby grapefruit juice.
In this age of quinoa and coconut oil, it’s nice to see a pub unapologetically giving the punters exactly what they want – super tasty burgers and booze. A visit to Mr Scruff’s is the perfect way to die early, but die happy.
MR SCRUFFS
60 Smith Street, Collingwood
(03) 9995 3881
mrscruffs.com.au
facebook.com/mrscruffsbar