Australian Ford Forums Steak Sandwich Challenge

[b2tf]

For a few weeks now I've been running a bit of a challenge between me and my Boss. Basically what we do is try out as many new cafes etc as we can, and rate them based on their ability to do true justice to what is probably the most revered of all sandwich based foods - I am talking of course about the Steak Sandwich.

After a few weeks of doing this through work, Im now throwing it open to AFF members in the hope of finding the best steak sandwich in Australia. There are of course a few rules which are outlined below:

1. Sandwich content

The steak sandwich must obviously contain steak. Other meats are permitted but no more than 2 different animals are allowed on the one sandwich (so you can have bacon as well as steak). Chicken is NOT permitted.

Mandatory inclusions are onion (preferably served right on top of the steak), lettuce, tomato and beetroot. Honorable mentions are given to sandwiches that incluce cheese.

The sandwich should ideally be served on white bread, wholemeal is permitted as is crusty etc. Rye bread, organic bread and or other breads of a hippie nature are under no circumstances permitted.

2. Sandwich garnishes

The sandwich may or may not be served with other foods such as chips etc. It is recommended you first sample the sandwich before eating other items on the plate as they may mask the true integrity of the sandwich.

3. Sandwiches and alcohol

Alcohol is permitted (in fact a good beer with the sandwich is recommended) but judges are to remain at all times sober and coherent - verdicts of sandwiches consumed whilst over the legal limit (which for this test is 0.05) will not be considered - have a kebab instead.

How to write your verdict:

The sandwich should be judged on all its merits including presentation, size, content and overall taste. Mention can be made of other inclusions ie chips or salad (however if you have salad with it, expect backlash). A sample verdict is outlined below:

Name of Cafe/Restaraunt:
Price:
Date Consumed:
Comments:
Star Rating (out of 5, 5 highest 1 lowest):

I invite all members of AFF to contribute, and let's find the Holy Grail!

[b2tf]

Name of Cafe/Restaraunt: Atrium Cafe, Edward St Wagga Wagga
Price: $8.00
Date Consumed: 18th July 2008
Comments: A well made, fresh steak sandwich. Meat was scotch fillet and had all inclusions. White toast bread foundation. Good in-bag weight and feel. Easy to eat and was consumed with Diet Coke (non-pink lid bottle).
Star Rating (out of 5, 5 highest 1 lowest): 3

[TheSneakiness]

Originally Posted by b2tf

was consumed with Diet Coke (non-pink lid bottle)

Sorry, that's an epic fail... no steak sandwich should be eaten with such a terrible beverage. ;)

[RG]

Originally Posted by Rapid_Axe

Sorry, that's an epic fail... no steak sandwich should be eaten with such a terrible beverage. ;)

True, who consumes a real mans lunch but steals his mrs drink?

Oh and Aust, since we all have camera phones I believe that photos are a must. I want to see if these sangas are all they are said to be.

[b2tf]

Originally Posted by Rapid_Axe

Sorry, that's an epic fail... no steak sandwich should be eaten with such a terrible beverage. ;)

I went with Diet Coke so as to not interrupt the true flavour of the sandwich.

[InfernoSR]

Question... does it have to be a Cafe or Restaraunt? can it be anything from a servo to a take away shop to a smoko van?

[b2tf]

Originally Posted by BLUEPRINT

Question... does it have to be a Cafe or Restaraunt? can it be anything from a servo to a take away shop to a smoko van?

can be anything however I'd suggest that one you make yourself cannot be judged without the possibility of bias.

[Peuty]

Name of Cafe/Restaraunt: Goondiwindi Town Park
Price: $2.50
Date Consumed: 12/07/2008
Comments: Was made out of chuck steak, so the meat was tough, tasteless and full of fat. Was served with three times as much coleslaw than was needed and the supplied bun had a very hard time containing the messy combination of said coleslaw and tomato sauce.
Star Rating (out of 5, 5 highest 1 lowest):1.5 the 0.5 is for the cost effectiveness of the product

[DoreSlamR]

Nice concept!

I see Peuty is off to a flyer

Would caramelised onion be allowed? I think one of the best steak sangas i've had, had caramelised onion in it. Or is that getting too fancy? lol

[StAndArdAU]

Name of Cafe/Restaraunt: Geckos Saloon Bar Karratha
Price: $14.00 IIRC
Date Consumed: 20/7/08
Comments: Foot long steak sandwich on nasty turkish bread slices, thin chewy piece of steak not big enough for the bread, the essentials and Bacon (probably the best part), Barbeque sauce. Washed down with a jug of Super Dry
Star Rating (out of 5, 5 highest 1 lowest): 2/5 - twas damn good bacon...

[b2tf]

Good to see we're off to a great start.

RE Caramelised Onion, I see no harm in allowing it unless its served in some poofy manner.

[redxm]

Originally Posted by BLUEPRINT

Question... does it have to be a Cafe or Restaraunt? can it be anything from a servo to a take away shop to a smoko van?

smoko vans and servos dont serve real food, unless you want soggy crap wrapped in foil

[RG]

Originally Posted by redxm

smoko vans and servos dont serve real food, unless you want soggy crap wrapped in foil

Not true, up here in Ballarat you can get some great food in the middle of the night from either the Hamburger Cart or the Chips and Gravy bus.

[The Yeti]

you are doing Not only the comunity but Australia a great service by conducting this servey have you applied for a grant form the govnt?

when my father and I had a workshop we conducted a simular servey on hamburgers so its great to see youve lifted the bar to the stake sandwich

I will be watching this thread with great interest and will be doing my bit as a contributer

[MNM96]

Originally Posted by b2tf

I went with Diet Coke so as to not interrupt the true flavour of the sandwich.

POOF!

[XR8 Uterous]

*cough* Update Austin!

[[Tonko]]

Name of Cafe/Restaraunt:Leo and Lisa's cafe. High St Shepparton.
Price:$5.50
Date Consumed:19/7/08
Comments:Great sanga overall, steak was fairly fatty though, and its all over the place if you try to put it down for a drink.
Star Rating (out of 5, 5 highest 1 lowest): 4, Extremely filling but the bread went soggy when i tackled the 2nd half.

[rodderz]

He had the diet coke to watch his weight, it was to counter the fat content of said steak sandwich

Havent had a good steak sanga for a while....had plenty of lamb sandwiches- just like the ad on telly on the way home from the pub. But, such a review would fall outside the rules as alcohol cannot interrupt the reviewer

[atec77]

Originally Posted by b2tf

For a few weeks now I've been running a bit of a challenge between me and my Boss. Basically what we do is try out as many new cafes etc as we can, and rate them based on their ability to do true justice to what is probably the most revered of all sandwich based foods - I am talking of course about the Steak Sandwich.

After a few weeks of doing this through work, Im now throwing it open to AFF members in the hope of finding the best steak sandwich in Australia. There are of course a few rules which are outlined below:

1. Sandwich content

The steak sandwich must obviously contain steak. Other meats are permitted but no more than 2 different animals are allowed on the one sandwich (so you can have bacon as well as steak). Chicken is NOT permitted.

Mandatory inclusions are onion (preferably served right on top of the steak), lettuce, tomato and beetroot. Honorable mentions are given to sandwiches that incluce cheese.

The sandwich should ideally be served on white bread, wholemeal is permitted as is crusty etc. Rye bread, organic bread and or other breads of a hippie nature are under no circumstances permitted.

2. Sandwich garnishes

The sandwich may or may not be served with other foods such as chips etc. It is recommended you first sample the sandwich before eating other items on the plate as they may mask the true integrity of the sandwich.

3. Sandwiches and alcohol

Alcohol is permitted (in fact a good beer with the sandwich is recommended) but judges are to remain at all times sober and coherent - verdicts of sandwiches consumed whilst over the legal limit (which for this test is 0.05) will not be considered - have a kebab instead.

How to write your verdict:

The sandwich should be judged on all its merits including presentation, size, content and overall taste. Mention can be made of other inclusions ie chips or salad (however if you have salad with it, expect backlash). A sample verdict is outlined below:

Name of Cafe/Restaraunt:
Price:
Date Consumed:
Comments:
Star Rating (out of 5, 5 highest 1 lowest):

I invite all members of AFF to contribute, and let's find the Holy Grail!

I defy anyone to finish the steak sanger they make here...

http://extraonline.com.au/stories/story/12558.html
I managed about 2/3 and I can eat most anything without a blink (F%^&*N near killed me and the effects went on for two days
I rate it as effective good value due to the dual effects of being more than one can eat and a wonderful laxative .

[schnoods]

Name of Cafe/Restaraunt: The Bent Chip, Bent street Safety bay WA
Price: $7.50
Date Consumed:18th July 2008
Comments: Great tasting, I ordered the kitchen sink (the lot) had pineapple, good feeling not overdone with sauce. Steak was around 1/2 an inch thick, tender but still needed force to bit through, Salad was good, bread was a nice homemade style roll.
Star Rating (out of 5, 5 highest 1 lowest): I gave it 4 out of 5, was terrific value for money, the let down perhaps was size, but again im a big bloke. Also the steak was cooked to perfection, yet with the first bit the yoke from the egg was in my hand, I will be going back soon though and getting another burger.

[b2tf]

Name of Cafe/Restaraunt: Victoria Hotel Wagga Wagga
Price: $8.00
Date Consumed: 19th July 2008
Comments: Pub counter meal steak sandwich served with chips. Sandwich was semi-cold when it arrived at the table, they had also used those processed cheese slices. Very little content in the sandwich however one person on the table ordered one with no salad - and got what looked like a runover budgie between some bits of bread.
Star Rating (out of 5, 5 highest 1 lowest): 2 - disappointed but not totally disgusted. Pics to come.

[RG]

Are we allowed to backdate and refer to previous experiences?

[b2tf]

Originally Posted by Russell

Are we allowed to backdate and refer to previous experiences?

Yes, yes we can.

[RG]

Originally Posted by b2tf

Yes, yes we can.

Great, here we go then.

Name of Cafe/Restaraunt: Pinnacle Cafe Altona North.
Price: $5.50
Date Consumed:Mid 07
Comments: Sandwich steak used with the simple tried and true toasted white bread, but not your average loaf - BIG STUFF - holding the beast together. Choice of fillings, naturally egg, lettuce, beetroot, tomato sauce and various other items were chosen. This is a real meal for a hungry man.
Star Rating (out of 5, 5 highest 1 lowest):4.5, the only reason it doesn't get a 5 is that it can get messy if attempted by the unskillful.

[b2tf]

Russ that sounds almost worth the drive!

[RG]

Originally Posted by b2tf

Russ that sounds almost worth the drive!

Oh believe me it is, I used to work in an Industrial area, if you don't give forlies and truckies a decent meal there you don't survive.

[DJM83]

Might have to sample afew up here and give my verdict, havnt had one for a while.

[Peuty]

Name of Cafe/Restaraunt: HOT FOOD AND SNACKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Hot food stand at the Ipswich 400 today at Willowbank)
Price: $7.50
Date Consumed: 20/07/2008
Comments:Was the only real choice of food at the V8 Supercars today, so i took the plunge and bought one. Steak was allegedly "premium", but was nothing more than a piece of typical carnival steak, which tasted like gym mats. Was served dripping with the usual selsction of sauce, tomato, beetroot and lettuce. Thankfully no coleslaw this time. Bread was stale.
Star Rating (out of 5, 5 highest 1 lowest):0.5 - Dearer does not always mean better.

[BIGJB]

Originally Posted by Peuty

Name of Cafe/Restaraunt: HOT FOOD AND SNACKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Hot food stand at the Ipswich 400 today at Willowbank)
Price: $7.50
Date Consumed: 20/07/2008
Comments:Was the only real choice of food at the V8 Supercars today, so i took the plunge and bought one. Steak was allegedly "premium", but was nothing more than a piece of typical carnival steak, which tasted like gym mats. Was served dripping with the usual selsction of sauce, tomato, beetroot and lettuce. Thankfully no coleslaw this time. Bread was stale.
Star Rating (out of 5, 5 highest 1 lowest):0.5 - Dearer does not always mean better.

$7.50 for a cold steak sanga and $9 for a hot Bundy..... how ripped off can a person feel...lol

[TheSneakiness]

Originally Posted by Peuty

Name of Cafe/Restaraunt: HOT FOOD AND SNACKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Hot food stand at the Ipswich 400 today at Willowbank)
Price: $7.50
Date Consumed: 20/07/2008
Comments:Was the only real choice of food at the V8 Supercars today, so i took the plunge and bought one. Steak was allegedly "premium", but was nothing more than a piece of typical carnival steak, which tasted like gym mats. Was served dripping with the usual selsction of sauce, tomato, beetroot and lettuce. Thankfully no coleslaw this time. Bread was stale.
Star Rating (out of 5, 5 highest 1 lowest):0.5 - Dearer does not always mean better.

Lol, sounds exactly like the one you get over at the drag strip...

I wonder why that is.