Burger sides worth ordering at Village Pie

Tucked into Marysville, Washington, The Village Restaurant & Lounge is the kind of homestyle kitchen that treats a burger with care. All-day breakfast, fresh daily soups, handcrafted wings, and family-friendly comfort food anchor a menu that feels like a long Sunday afternoon, even when you're far from home. Australians love a proper burger nearly as much as a footy watch, and Village Pie takes both seriously.

Pairing sides well turns a regular order into something worth lingering over. You can stay classic with chips, branch into something green and crunchy, or go full American lounge with loaded wings on the side. A smoky patty behaves very differently next to crisp slaw than it does beside a creamy cup of soup.

Australians passing through the Pacific Northwest will find choices that feel familiar and a little adventurous. Sydney diners chasing US diner culture, Melburnians hunting late-night comfort, and Brisbanites longing for a long-lunch plate will all find something to lean into. The dishes come from a kitchen that runs a full catering arm — for weddings, corporate functions, or family gatherings, the Village Pie buffet service handles events with the same care as the dining room.

When it comes to picking the best sides to upgrade your burger at Village Pie, the kitchen leaves plenty of room to play. Have a browse of the Village Pie menu to see the full scope, then build a plate you actually want to finish.

Crispy companions that complement a burger

Chips are the obvious start, but the kitchen treats them as more than a ketchup vehicle. Hand-cut fries, waffle fries, and seasoned curly fries each behave differently against a beefy patty. Crinkle fries give sharp edges that catch sauce, while garlic-parm chips push the whole plate into richer territory.

If you're chasing that pub-style crunch familiar from a Melbourne laneway bar, go straight for the seasoned chips. They hold up next to a creamy cheeseburger without going soggy, even when stacked high. In Perth or Sydney, you'd pay a premium for that texture at a local gastropub.

Onion rings offer a sweet-savoury snap against a smoky BBQ burger. Loaded fries — bacon, cheese, scallions, a drizzle — double down on indulgence. The kitchen sometimes pairs seasonal vegetables in tempura form, which makes a great textural counterpoint to a soft brioche bun.

Fresh and bright sides to balance the plate

A burger doesn't always need another fried thing beside it. A simple side salad with vinaigrette clears the palate between bites, especially when the patty carries cheese and aioli. Coleslaw, done the American way with a creamy dressing, brings tang and crunch together.

Australians used to a fresh brunch plate in Brisbane or Adelaide will find a crunchy slaw feels right at home next to almost anything. The kitchen's house-made dressings lean bright rather than heavy, so they refresh the meal rather than weigh it down. A cup of seasonal fruit suits early-in-the-day diners chasing a breakfast burger — the kind of plate built around a Sydney long-lunch feel.

For something more substantial, look for a Caesar variation or a wedge with smoky bits and blue cheese drizzle. These pair well with a mushroom or plant-based patty, where the burger already brings earthy flavour. Crisp greens also pair with a glass from the lounge list, keeping things easygoing if you're settling in for a long arvo of drinks.

Wings, sliders, and bold sharables

Village Pie's handcrafted wings make a confident sidekick to a single burger order. Tossed in buffalo, sticky BBQ, or garlic-parm glaze, they bring bold flavour and a finger-food energy that suits a casual lounge night. Game-night crowds tend to order a couple of burgers and a basket of wings to share.

While sliders work as a side only loosely, a couple of mini bites on the side turn a regular burger into a sampler plate. Especially when variety is the goal, mixing a classic beef slider with a chicken one keeps things interesting. It's a tactic popular in Australian pub chains, where parma nights often feature small slider-style add-ons.

If you want to mix up your wing order, these house sauces cover the usual flavour moods:

For dessert, the kitchen's cabinet occasionally features Italian-leaning treats like cannoli and amaretti bites, giving a light, crunchy finish. They travel well for takeaway if you're heading back to a holiday rental.

Soups and savory starts that pair with burgers

Soup and burger sounds unusual until you've tried it on a chilly afternoon. The soups menu rotates through hearty options like chicken and dumplings, loaded baked potato, and seasonal vegetable blends. Each one is built to warm and ground a plate that already includes a richer main.

Australians used to a winter warmer will recognise the comfort factor. Think of the slow-simmered pots you'd order at a country pub outside Hobart on a cold day. The broths are built from scratch, so the depth carries through a long meal. It suits a Tassie winter afternoon perfectly.

A small cup of soup before a burger also helps with pacing. Here's how the usual soup options stack up beside different burgers.

Soup Pairs best with Texture Flavour profile
Chicken & dumplings Classic cheeseburger Hearty, brothy Savoury, comforting
Loaded baked potato BBQ bacon burger Thick, creamy Rich, smoky
Beef & barley Western burger Chunky, deep Hearty, beefy
Seasonal vegetable Mushroom or plant-based burger Light, brothy Earthy, fresh
Tomato basil Spicy chicken burger Smooth, warm Bright, tangy

If you'd like to bring that comfort to a larger gathering, the kitchen's catering arm offers the same scratch-made approach at scale. Soups get ladled alongside sliders and wings for community functions and family-style events.

Building your perfect burger plate

Choosing the right side comes down to the kind of plate you want to assemble. Some nights call for indulgence, others for balance, and a few call for both. As a rule, lean into fried, cheesy, sauce-heavy sides on heavier plates and reach for something bright or soupy when the burger is already loaded.

Some combinations worth trying:

Mixing textures across the plate — a soft brioche bun against crisp slaw and creamy soup — turns a regular lunch into something memorable. Diners who like exploring chef menus often pair cross-cuisine sides with classic mains, and the same logic works beautifully here.

Swing by The Village Restaurant & Lounge, settle into the lounge, and let the kitchen turn your next order into a plate worth lingering over.