Overview
When Yakamoz, a Mediterranean restaurant in Brunswick East, offered a double cheeseburger as a lunch special one random Sunday, the owner and chef could not have anticipated what would come next. The burger took on a life of its own, evolving into a separate business, attracting viral fame, and becoming one of 2025’s most sought-after food items. Charrd now sells hundreds (and hundreds, and hundreds) of burgers each day.
Owner Ogulcan ‘OJ’ Atay and head chef Cagri Ergin of Yakamoz have worked tirelessly for the last few years to build up their much-loved restaurant on Lygon Street. Yakamoz is Mediterranean food without boundaries or limitations. The restaurant’s dishes are intended to transcend national borders and focus on ingredients found across the Mediterranean.
Cold and hot meze spans from hummus with green harissa, to muhamarra with feta and almonds, Turkish chicken wings, to haloumi with brown butter, honey and walnuts, and charcoal lamb and chicken shish with zhough. There’s woodfired rigatoni puttanesca, charcoal lamb cutlets and market fish with beurre blanc, but the true star of the show is the woodfired pide. It’s hard to do justice to the charry goodness of the pide breads with words alone. Topped with the likes of spiced beef with tomato and onion, three cheeses with grape molasses and mushrooms with caramelised onions, add an egg and experience smoky, salty, creamy goodness.
However, from the moment the double cheeseburger first appeared, it became one of the most sought-after items at Yakamoz, with customers disappointed they could only get their hands on it on Sundays. So OJ and Cagri took matters into their own hands and opened Charrd, a tiny take-out window at the back of Yakamoz, down St Phillip Street, dedicated to the famous burger.
And they don’t muck around at Charrd. There are just two burgers on the menu, available in single or double, and there are no additions. There are also no seats and no vegetarian options available (for now). But has that deterred hordes of Melburnians lining up for unthinkable amounts of time to try one? Also no.
We’re not sure if it’s the charcoal-grilled patties, the chilli jam, or perhaps the truffle mayo, but there is something buzzy about these burgers that has created a hype that we haven’t seen in some time. So go on, if you haven’t yet, join the queue.
Images: Supplied.
Dining and Cooking