Casual Dining | The Weekend Edition | What's on in Brisbane

Smashing! Pop-up burger concept Junior Classic Cheeseburger is now flipping in Woolloongabba

22 Oct 2021

It's hard to ignore a craving for burgers. The urge to sink one's teeth into a juicy handful is near impossible to ignore, so our advice is to just go with the flow. Perhaps the flow will take you to Junior Classic Cheeseburger, a new pop-up burger spot slinging sizzling bites that will have you seriously tossing up between double or triple-patty stacks. It's open every Friday, so if you're looking to step out for a fun lunch, pop this one on your list. more

Food & Drink

Graffiti-coated eatery Mr Wabi brings theatrical tipples and Asian-inspired eats to Burnett Lane

14 Oct 2021

Sips of ambrosial cocktails, bites of aromatic fare, a come-as-you-are approachability and vibes you long to recapture – that's the experience the team at Mr Wabi looks to provide. The brand-new resident of Burnett Lane in The City opened last week, introducing wanderers to its zestful Asian-inspired offering and street-art adorned interior. Seeking a new Friday night destination with a bit of verve? Keep your eyes peeled for the glow of neon-pink emanating from within Mr Wabi's lively locale. more

Food & Drink

Hamilton welcomes Verde and Sweet, a new salad and treats bar from the Petrichor & Co. team

14 Oct 2021

As much as we love to meal prep, sometimes the weekends (and weeknights) get away from us. When we're caught out with an empty fridge, it's tempting to turn towards simple takeaway to get by. Racecourse Road's new salad, cake and pantry concept Verde and Sweet is giving time-poor folks such as ourselves the opportunity to enjoy take-home sustenance that nourishes and sustains without breaking the bank. Are you underprepared for a dinner party? Too tired to cook? Didn't pack lunch today? This spot is for you. more

Food & Drink

You do make friends with salad – Botanica opens its fifth salad and sweets dispensary in Albion

14 Oct 2021

Beloved for its nourishing and mouth-watering selection of takeaway salads and grab-and-go treats, Botanica has been serving up fresh, vege-packed fare in Brisbane for nearly nine years. The boutique salad bar continues to take the city by storm, with four locations currently slinging savoury and sweet delights – with a fifth coming soon to Albion. Yep, come this Saturday October 16 northside locals will be able to lap up Botanica’s plant-based offerings and delicious confections without having to trek into town. more

Food & Drink

Pavement Whispers: tequila and tacos take centre stage at Rita’s – Teneriffe’s soon-to-open cocktail and snack spot

07 Oct 2021

The street-level strip at the base of the Australian Mercantile Land & Finance Woolstores on Vernon Terrace in Teneriffe is one of Brisbane's buzziest drinking and dining strips. By October's end, the building will welcome Rita's Tequila and Taqueria – a casually approachable cocktail-focused concept boasting some top-flight talent at the helm. Expect an imaginative take on Mexican-inspired snacks and a stellar selection of crafted concoctions – including plenty of margaritas! Here's what you can expect ... more

Food & Drink

Soul Brothers delivers bang-on burgers and stellar shakes to Nundah

30 Sep 2021

Listening to soul music and sinking one's teeth into a burger are two markedly different activities, but the act of consuming them can often stir the same sense of invigorating bliss. Soul Brothers in Nundah is a place where one can experience both forms of stimuli at the same time. Here, guests are encouraged to overload their senses by devouring a range of perfectly executed burgers, hotdogs and shakes, while grooving to iconic hits from soul luminaries like Sam Cooke, Nina Simone and Etta James. more

Food & Drink

Bringin’ the heat – say bienvenidos to the new-look cocktail spot Southbeach

23 Sep 2021

Summer is coming, folks. Soon we'll all be seeking out shady spots to soak up some rays with an icy cocktail in hand. When we want to party in the city when the heat is on, we like to do it near water – and the recently revamped Southbeach looks to be a prime spot for relaxed revelry. Boasting a blend of colourful Miami vibes and chic Palm Springs aesthetics, Southbeach has the look and feel of a breezy tropical beach club. Throw in a range of tantalising bites and specialty cocktails and you got all the makings of a heat-beating oasis. more

Food & Drink

Buone notizie! Italian Street Kitchen by Isabella has expanded to West Village

16 Sep 2021

It seems like West Village adds a new element to its blossoming dining offering almost every month. In 2021 alone the West End lifestyle precinct has welcomed the arrivals of Beirut Bazaar, Cheeky Poké Bar, Harris Farm Markets, Betty's Burgers and Ichiban Sushi – and the procession is set to continue right up until year's end. Italian Street Kitchen fired up the pizza oven at its brand-new West Village location last week, quickly snaring the senses of locals and curious wanderers with its menu of regional Italian delights and aperitivo-style sips. The spacious eatery and bar is 'la ciliegina sulla torta' ('the icing on the cake') for West Village's hospitality roster – adding a dash of relaxed piazza-style dining to one of Brisbane's booming hubs. more

The Locals Next week:

Food & Drink

The Canvas Club crew unveils Mr Badger’s, Woolloongabba’s new deli, sandwich and pizza bar

02 Sep 2021

It's a great time to be a Woolloongabba resident. In the past 12 months the inner-south suburb has welcomed the likes of Little G, Easy Times Brewing Co., Butterfly and Mac From Way Back to its cadre of eateries – cementing the Logan Road cul-de-sac and its immediate surrounds as a hub of diverse dining options. The crew behind two of the strip's most beloved watering holes, Canvas Club and Electric Avenue, is tripling its presence in the area this Friday September 4 with the opening of brand-new family-friendly deli and bar Mr Badger's. Taking a charming throwback approach to hospitality, Mr Badger's will be slinging a menu of stacked sandwiches, grab-and-go pastries, plates of gourmet cheese and meats, Detroit-style pizzas, and bottled cocktails – all while paying tribute to the area's legacy as a tramway nexus via a seriously creative interior decor. more

Food & Drink

Sandgate welcomes the arrival of community-focused local Bluenose Betty

02 Sep 2021

On paper, it's easy to list what makes a solid suburban watering hole. Great drinks are a must and a solid food menu is also essential. The ambience has to be on point, with a decor that is stylish but approachable. Oh, and the staff has to be friendly, too – that's non-negotiable. Although this set of criteria is easy to list, nailing each and every one of them is more of an art, rather than a science. The crew behind new Sandgate drinkery Bluenose Betty seem to have struck a perfect balance, offering the right mix of essential and intangible qualities – quickly become a community favourite. Read on to see how they did it ... more

Food & Drink

Enzo y Ollie brings birria, burritos and frozen margaritas to Caxton Street

02 Sep 2021

Birria tacos – have you heard of them? These crispy morsels have become a hot-ticket dish in Australia thanks to a surge in popularity online. Despite the buzz surrounding birria (which is technically a soup – don't worry, we'll explain), there are only a few spots in Brisbane where you can get your hands on some. Enzo y Ollie – a new Petrie Terrace eatery that recently opened on Caxton Street – is the latest to boast the crunchy and dippable riff on the taco on its menu. Throw in a host of other Mexican- and Colombian-inspired eats, a bunch of zingy margaritas and a spacious beer garden perfect for revelry, and you've got plenty of reasons (including birria, of course) to visit. more

Food & Drink

Pavement Whispers: Dos Manos to fuse Japanese and Mexican flavours at exciting pan-Pacific eatery

02 Sep 2021

Newstead's percolating dining scene will score another entrant next Monday September 6 – one bringing together the best aspects of two of the world's most beloved cuisines. Dos Manos (Spanish for two hands) will be ingeniously harmonising Japanese and Mexican cuisine at its soon-to-open bar and eatery on Reddacliff Street. If you love tacos and tataki in equal measure, this is one opening worth marking in your calendar. more

Food & Drink

Low and Slow Meat Co. unveils it smokin’-hot Morningside barbecue mecca

26 Aug 2021

Whether you're new to the grilling game or are a practiced hand at pit-mastery, having the right gear and the right ingredients is essential to the art of barbecue. Self-described meat-and-heat trader Low and Slow Meat Co. is positioning itself as a go-to repository for all things smoke, fire and sizzle with its brand-new gourmet butcher shop and specialty store in Morningside. This all-in-one emporium is stocking everything from quality meats and rubs to fixings and equipment, with plans in the works for a Low and Slow-branded eatery to come. Take a gander inside ... more

Kim Thanh Hot Bread | Brisbane's best banh mi — Casual Dining

Food & Drink

The round-up: bite into some of Brisbane’s best banh mi

19 Aug 2021

When it comes to sandwiches, we are connoisseurs. As long as there’s bread and some kind of filling, we’re interested. No sandwich gets us as excited as banh mi, though, and we’d hazard a guess we’re not the only ones. In an age where people are pushing the boundaries of food fusion, banh mi is an established and culturally rich blend. The meeting of French and Vietnamese cuisines has resulted in what could be the best sandwich in the world, and when you get a glimpse of the crusty baguette filled to bursting point with scrumptious ingredients you’d be hard-pressed to disagree. Brisbane’s got a booming banh mi scene. Want proof? Check out this list and see what all of the fuss is about. more

Food & Drink

Cuisines combine at Coorparoo’s smart kitchen hub Chef Collective

12 Aug 2021

The ongoing pandemic has changed the way upstart hospitality businesses operate. In the age of surprise lockdowns and restrictions on dine-in venues, cloud kitchens – that is, food-centric outlets that operate solely through takeaway and delivery – are becoming more common, especially for new entrants to the industry. Chef Collective is a Coorparoo-based compound that is incubating a range of upstart foodie concepts, from fried-chicken vendors and dumpling dispensaries to grab-and-go Greek eats and takeaway Thai. Here's what's on offer ... more

Food & Drink

Wholly Crumpets opens a crumpet and coffee cafe in Bulimba

05 Aug 2021

There's something about the humble crumpet that we'll always treasure. While more grown-up breakfast carbs like bagels or artisanal sourdoughs tickle our sophisticated adult sensibilities, the thought of the golden and bubbly crumpets of our youth still hold a special place. The crew behind Wholly Crumpets is changing the dialogue around the toasted delight, transforming it from a nostalgia-inducing artefact into a popular cafe staple. Speaking of cafes, Wholly Crumpets has opened one of its own in Bulimba, serving its brand of delightfully dense discs crowned with an assortment of tasty toppings. more

Food & Drink

Celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal has teamed up with Grill’d to create a range of plant-based burgers

05 Aug 2021

For those not overly familiar, Heston Blumenthal is an English culinary whiz famed for his creative style of cookery. Curious gastronomers travel far and wide to get a taste of Heston's flavourful fare but with travelling no longer an option, inquisitive feasters have been forced to follow the age-old rule of 'look, but don't touch'. Until now, that is. Starting this week, you can get a taste of Heston's delicious creations without the pricey plane ticket as the burger-loving brainiacs at Grill'd have teamed up with the celebrity chef to create a lip-smacking line-up of plant-based burgers. more

Food & Drink

Banh Mi Factory is now slinging Vietnamese street food in a Newstead back street

29 Jul 2021

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of sinking one’s teeth into the flaky crust of a bang-on banh mi, and few joints do the delicacy justice as well as Banh Mi Factory. The market-born Vietnamese street-food concept went legit in December 2019, snagging tastebuds of northside locals with its first bricks-and-mortar dispensary in Zillmere. Now the family-run business has expanded, opening a hole-in-the-wall dispensary on a side street in Newstead's fringe. Here the banh mis are fresh and flaky, stuffed with perfectly chargrilled proteins and served alongside noodle and rice bowls, snacks, sweet treats and authentic Vietnamese coffee. more

Food & Drink

Art, music and food collide at King Street’s inclusive new hub Space & Co.

22 Jul 2021

As we gradually pry ourselves from the grip of the pandemic, it's becoming more and more apparent that what we seek in a night out has changed. While dinner and drinks is something we'll never do away with, the urge for a more sensory experience is rising. People want a ticket to something! Space & Co., a newly open multifaceted destination on King Street, is bringing music, visual art, drinks (both boozy and alcohol-free kinds), Japanese and Korean-inspired street food and inclusive vibes together under one roof. In a time where Brisbane's art and hospitality scenes are trying to hone in on a new normal, Space & Co. is blazing a path forward with an all-in-one approach. Read on for a look inside ... more

Food & Drink

Unbearable Bagels – the new grab-and-go step-sibling of Zero Fox – opens in Teneriffe

22 Jul 2021

There's been a bit of a stir taking place down on Vernon Terrace, Teneriffe's leafy main drag. Clusters of carb-loving locals can be seen swarming the entrance to Unbearable Bagels, a new attitude-laden bagel-slinging concept that opened on Monday July 19. The brainchild of a hospitality crew that has made a name for itself by doing things a little bit differently, here loaded bagels (stuffed with drool-worthy ingredients or slathered in a simple schmear) and black coffee are a specialty – and the crowds are already loving it. more