Gold Coast dining: Coolangatta’s top six places to eat and drink

Coolangatta is home to burgers with mushrooms for buns, Mexican that meets California, plus a bakery serving baked carbs at midnight. Check out our top six places to eat in Coolie.

Before you head into New South Wales, enjoy your last bite of food sprinkled with the sea salt you never asked for. Coolangatta is home to burgers with mushrooms for buns, Mexican that jumps the border to California, plus a bakery that understands your cravings for baked carbs at midnight when you’ve been left on read. Oh, and there’s jalapeño poppers!

Greenhouse Canteen and Bar

1/140 Griffith St, Coolangatta

The jackfruit enchilada at Greenhouse Canteen & Bar, Coolangatta.

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Greenhouse Canteen and Bar owner Natalie Evans says the food is all the modern Australian dishes you love, just plant-based. “Our main goal with our menu is to have a nostalgic feel to it,” she says. “We don’t want people to feel nervous. We try and make food that feels familiar and comfortable.” The jackfruit enchilada is a hit with regulars, as is the beetroot burger with two tempura mushrooms for a bun. Natalie says Greenhouse will soon drop a winter menu featuring vegetable stews, ayurvedic dishes and creamy polenta mash.

Eddie’s Grub House

171 Griffith St, Coolangatta

Eddie's Grub House burger for Best of the Gold Coast

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Is there anything more joyous than ordering a burger at a restaurant and seeing it arrive beside a stack of golden chips? Eddie’s Grub House co-owner Samuel Cleary knows every good burger needs its crispy companion. “All of our burgers come with chips, as they should, so free fries for everyone,” Samuel says. “Our most popular is the chicken burger, called King of The Roost, which has southern fried chicken tenders, lettuce, red onion and chipotle mayo. The best bit about our burgers is the bun, it’s a soft and light so you can keep drinking beers.”

Beach Burrito Company

72/80 Marine Parade, Coolangatta

Bad Mexican is NACHO problem at Beach Burrito Bar. Picture: Braden Fastier

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It seems Australian beach culture and Mexican food is a match made in heaven. Beach Burrito Company’s laid back coastal vibes make a fantastic setting for kicking back with some freshly made Mexican. “Our Mexican food is more like Californian street food, taking classic flavour combinations and mixing them up with an American and Californian twist,” manager Luke Edwards says. For a dish sure to start a fuego in your belly, try the jalapeño poppers — lightly crumbed and flash fried peppers filled with cream cheese and served alongside chipotle aioli.

Kirra Beach Bakery

11/48 Musgrave St, Coolangatta

Mmmm … carbs from Kirra Beach Bakery.

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Shift workers can’t get enough of the Kirra Beach Bakery, opening up at all kinds of odd hours to serve the weary midnight snackers. “Whenever the boys are in the back baking they open up the front, too,” owner Michelle Herd says. “The boys open at 11pm at night. There’s police, ambulance, security, road workers … there’s always people coming through.” Michelle says the shop is known for its pies, tarts and slices, offering traditional fare made fresh on site everyday.

The Jungle Mexican Cantina

52/50-58 Marine Parade, Coolangatta

The Jungle Mexican Cantina In Coolangatta. Photo: Steve Holland

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You bring the drinks, The Jungle Mexican Cantina takes care of the food. Owner Craig Scadden says his Mexican restaurant holds up an underrated practice of BYO so the customer gets more value for money. The Jungle Mexican offers southern California-style dishes that are baked, not fried, and has been serving the community for more than 34 years. “One of the things I learned from the restaurant industry is people like it to be consistent,” Craig says.

Bread’N’Butter

76 Musgrave St, Coolangatta

Kirra beach food institution Bread n Butter reopened in September last year. Picture Glenn Hampson

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Bread N Butter broke hearts when it closed in 2016, but like any romance story, when they come back, it’s meant to be. The Italian and Spanish pizza and tapas restaurant reopened again in the same Kirra Beach spot in September last year and customers have been quick to forgive and forget that they went without its pizzas for so long. Bread N Butter offers a mix of traditional Italian-style and Australian-influenced pizzas baked in its Marana stone oven, imported from Verona. The staff say every pizza is made with love, with the margarita, supreme and weekly specials often the most popular picks for customers.