Wrap your mitts around a Philly cheesesteak sandwich from Junior’s Deli
There are some culinary creations that make us go weak at the knees. You know the ones – the kind that make your mouth involuntarily start salivating and eyes glisten in anticipation of that first glorious bite. For us, a grilled cheese toastie with just the right amount of ooze and a ridiculously succulent Philly cheesesteak sandwich are well and truly up there on the impossible-to-resist list. If you too possess a penchant for sensational sandwiches and other such deli delights, go ahead and prepare thy taste buds for Junior’s Deli in Mudgeeraba – it’s a feast for all of your senses.
Some parents are required to hide the cookie jar from their snack-obsessed offspring. John Draper’s parents, on the other hand, were more inclined to hide the pickle jar. John’s love for the salty snack runs so deep that it’s become one of the core menu items at his newly opened Junior’s Deli in Mudgeeraba. Hidden in plain sight along Railway Street, the quaint 32-seater is an ode to American-style fare with a fresh twist. Having grown up in and around restaurants his whole life, it wasn’t entirely surprising when John went into the hospitality game at a young age. What was perhaps a little less expected, however, was that he moved to Germany for eight years to helm the kitchen for a company called The Bird, which operated a string of New York-style bars and restaurants around Hamburg and Berlin and ended up falling head over heels in love with American cuisine, specifically steak, burgers and barbecue. Upon returning to Australia in 2018, John missed the kind of food he’d grown so fond of and, in 2022, decided to share his culinary infatuation and create Junior’s Deli.
When you think of American cuisine, it’s probably likely you’re picturing fried everything. Junior’s Deli’s menu walks the line between fresh and fried. Sure, there are a few fried sides (pickles and fries), but there’s also a succinct scattering of deliciously fresh sangas, such as the Deli Sandwich, which is layered with a generous portion of leg ham, mortadella, sopressa, cos lettuce, tomato, red onion, dill pickles, provolone, mayo and house dressing on a soft baguette. The Philly cheesesteak is another one of John’s specialty selections and is made using sliced rib fillet. Those who prefer to go a little rogue can order the grilled cheese as a base and then pimp your sandwich with ingredients such as pickled jalapeno, house-made pickles and various cured meats. There’s also a clutch of breakfast options alongside a couple of burgers including the Bacon Blue Cheese Burger, which is John’s personal favourite. Everything on the menu is made-to-order, so while it isn’t ‘fast food’ in the literal sense, you can pull up a stool and sip an American-diner-style cup of black batch brew from Therefore Coffee Roasters that is guaranteed to make you feel like you’ve stepped out of an episode of ‘Seinfeld’.
Junior’s Deli is now open. Roll over to our Stumble Guide for opening times.
The Stumble Guide is our comprehensive Gold Coast dining guide with more than 870 places to eat, drink, shop and play.
