The wagyu burger to beat any lockdown blues

Everyone from the local pub to fine dining restaurants are rolling out burgers these days. So when you taste one that’s this spectacular you have to tell everyone about it, and this southeast Queensland cafe’s is definitely worth shouting about.

“My god that’s a good burger,” I declare, handing it over – rather reluctantly – to my friend for a taste.

“I love the bun and that tomato relish on the bottom – it really makes it,” he says, analysing each bite of the wagyu creation ($19) encompassing a plain but juicy beef pattie, fresh tomato slices, baby spinach, smoky bacon, a good glug of garlic aioli and barely melted aged cheddar on a toasted, just-sweet, buttery bun.

In a culinary landscape where everyone from the local pub to fine dining restaurants are rolling out burgers, Elk Espresso at Broadbeach on the Gold Coast is nailing it with this classic rendition served with a side of shoestring fries.

The wagyu burger at Elk Espresso, Broadbeach. Picture: Brooke Darling

And it’s this skill and ability to master the basics that feeds the award-winning cafe’s signature inventive and trendsetting breakfast creations. Changing every three months to make the most of each season’s finest fresh and locally sourced produce, the out-of-the-box menus at Elk have given the eatery cult status in Queensland.

There’s the always photogenic panna cotta – this winter a banana and maple version served with house-made granola, fresh fruit and blackberry yoghurt; the waffle, which this time takes on a sweet-savoury profile combining buttermilk fried chicken with salted caramel bourbon ice cream; and a breakfast pasta dish of some sort – currently a gnocchi shakshuka.

The peach cobbler French toast at Elk Espresso. Picture: Brooke Darling

The breakfast menu stops at midday, but some of the specialties roll into the lunchtime offering of salads, burgers and more, such as the peach cobbler French toast. While the “breaky bowl” undergoes a few tweaks to become a “winter salad” ($17) after 12pm, packing in brown rice, chunks of charry zucchini, cubed butternut pumpkin, XO-glazed brussels sprouts, which have been fried until blackened and crispy, rocket, creamy feta, pepitas and a beyond generous scattering of Moroccan-spiced roasted macadamias. There’s also the option to add proteins such as grilled chicken or salmon. It’s the deliciously healthy antithesis to the cafe’s stupidly good white chocolate and Oreo milkshake ($9.50), so thick with cookie crumbs and vanilla ice cream it’s like slurping up cement.

The greenery-filled inside dining space at Elk Espresso. Picture: Brooke Darling

My friend also raves about the new Biscoff hot chocolate ($7), with the popular caramelised cinnamon shortcrust biscuit blended into a sugary, almost chai-like milky mix. Elk is also loved for its coffee, with the strikingly strong, jolt-inducing brews using beans from Proud Mary Coffee Roasters for their house blend; whereas alternative brew methods are made with beans from a rotating list of Australian roasters. A tight list of cocktails, wine and Stone & Wood beers are available too; plus booze hounds can celebrate brunch from 10am-2pm daily with bottomless mimosas for an hour for $39 including a meal.

Although the food is always the focus at Elk, it’s the expertly efficient service team taking on the supporting role that enable it to shine as brightly as it does.

So whether you’re lucky enough to score a table outside with glimpses of the ocean, or settle into the charmingly buzzy, mint green interior space with its hanging plants and elk mural, this cafe provides year-round appeal.

ELK ESPRESSO

Shop G044, Oasis Shopping Centre, Broadbeach

elkespresso.net

Open 5.45am-4pm (kitchen closes at 3pm)

VERDICT - Scores out of 5

Food 4.5

Ambience 4

Service 4.5

Value 4

Overall 4.5