As a "shire girl" born & bred I've grown up on the burgers from Paul's Famous.
I consider myself very fortunate to have this famous burger joint right on my doorstep.
People travel from all over Sydney, & honesty, no word of a lie, I have friends overseas that have heard of Paul's. Their burgers are my favourite burgers of all time.
I first went to Paul's as a kid when it was the simple walk up window burger joint in Sylvania at the foot of Tom Ugly's bridge, run by the Zerefos family. I'd go with my dad to watch them flip burgers on a night when cooking was off the menu at home & Paul's was a clear run favourite for some takeaway. I'd stand up on a little box at the counter (so I could see over it & watch them on the grill)
It was with great delight that I'd watch the friendly banter amongst the family who all worked together, including Helen Zerefos, the opera singer. It was always quite cool to see Helen there looking glamorous, with pictures of her successful singing career proudly displayed on the wall by her parents.
The hours were short at Paul's, unlike the queue's, with short opening hours at this time it was very popular when the shop was open. Over time the shop expanded into the now location adjacent to where the small burger window once was. As time passed the business was sold, & is no longer run by the Zerefos family, but the great tasting burgers & favourites they created are still there for all to enjoy & just as great.
Not only are Paul's famous for their burgers, they are well known for their Pineapple Crush. A drink made on pineapple pulp, & is sweet & delicious. Buy it by the cup for a a 2L bottle to take home with your burgers. There's also a fine selection of old school milkshakes too.
I think the chips at Paul's are amongst the best to be found in the shire, coming out piping hot & crunchy, & just right, sprinkled with chicken salt & you'll find there's a fight on to get that last chip.
The burgers are second to none. My go to standard order is the "Special with Cheese". A regular burger with the addition of Bacon, a friend egg, & cheese. A choice of sauce, & have to say the Paul's "special" sauce is hard to pass by, mustard, mayo & garlic based sauce. Tasty stuff!
If you feel like taking your burger to the next level you could always wonder "the works" this is the special with everything plus pineapple. A great big homestyle burger with the lot.
They have found a winning old school recipe here at Paul's & have been smart enough not to change it. The sesame seed bun is lightly toasted, & topped with fresh tomato, lettuce, & onions, the meat patties is oh so delicious, soft & moist & something I crave.
There have been a few additions to the menu with time & the new owners (which aren't so new anymore) I've tried the chilli chicken burger which is rather awesome, with a juicy chicken fillet cooked to perfection, why would you go to oporto's when you can have this.
Paul's Hamburgers have been feeding folks in the shire since 1957, & is a firm favourite amongst my family & friends. I've grown up on them, they're the vegemite of the Sutherland Shire. If you've never tried one & always meant to, I'm here to tell you they're worth the drive, worth the wait & you'll savour every last bite! (well I do)
Be sure to check out their website for the opening hours as they can be a little tricky. They're very popular on a weekend, & it's nothing unusual to drive past on a sunny Sunday & see a line down the street. They're worth the wait. there's ample seating outside, or you can takeaway. They package the burgers up as they always have, wrapped in paper & hand written on the outside of what's what, & all packed up in a paper bag to go. Precious cargo that won't last long & will leave you planning your next visit to Paul's. read more