Went down to Grill’d last week to use my Table 52 card and apparently MS and I were the first people to use ours!  I have avoided Grill’d up until this point mostly due to the fact that I try not to actively encourage myself to eat burgers (despite the content of my next and as yet unwritten post) and also because I tend to think that the burgers are just a little bit expensive at Grill’d.  Not when it’s two for one burgers of course.  Grill’d has a pretty large menu and most if not all of the burgers sound super delicious which made my decision a little difficult.  Long after MS had pinpointed exactly which burger he wanted I was still umming and ahhing.  MS chose the Front Bar Steak Sandwich – Grilled Scotch Fillet, Free Range Egg, Rocket, Tomato, Spanish Onion, Mustard, Beetroot Relish and Herbed Mayo on Ciabatta (AU$16.50).  I was still tossing up between the ‘Baa Baa’ Burger – Grilled Lamb Pattie with Roasted Peppers, Tzatziki, Salad and Relish (AU$13.50) and the Mustard and Pickled – Grilled 100% Lean Beef, Dijon Mustard, Dill Pickle, Tasty Cheese, Salad and Relish (AU$12.50).  In the end I went with the Mustard and Pickled because I just love pickles.  My mum even caught me eating them out of the jar in her fridge the other day and wondered if I was pregnant.  No.  I am not pregnant.  Moving on…

I asked the owner if I could have rocket instead of lettuce on my burger (not a fan of iceberg lettuce because it tastes like leaves – go figure), while MS asked if he could have the Beetroot Relish removed from his burger and I ummed and ahhed about which type of roll I wanted – Panini or Traditional.  None of this was a problem for the friendly man behind the counter who waited patiently while we (I) made up our mind.  He even gave us a taste of the Beetroot Relish to see if he could sway MS into having it on his Steak Sandwich.  He was fighting a losing battle but it was worth a try.  We took a seat and our burgers arrived not long afterwards.  I’m not going to ramble on and on about my burger but it was goooood.  Crispy bun, nice amount of filling, not too much sauce running down my hands and a good size – not too big, not too little.  I really enjoyed my burger and so did MS and it cost us all of about AU$16.50.  How good is that?

Front Bar Steak Sandwich – Grilled Scotch Fillet, Free Range Egg, Rocket, Tomato, Spanish Onion, Mustard, Beetroot Relish and Herbed Mayo on Ciabatta (AU$16.50)

Mustard and Pickled – Grilled 100% Lean Beef, Dijon Mustard, Dill Pickle, Tasty Cheese, Salad and Relish (AU$12.50)

We had a really tasty and relatively healthy lunch at Grill’d and were really impressed by the friendly, ‘of course we can do that for you’ service that we received, not to mention their monthly donations to community groups (see note below).  The burgers at Grill’d are so much tastier and healthier than the alternative fast food burger establishment on the Esplanade (not naming anyone) and probably not far off the price.  I may have used up my 2-4-1 Table 52 Card but I enjoyed my burger so much that I will go back, pay full price and actively encourage myself to eat another burger at Grill’d no worries.

Community Donation Program @ Grill’d (sorry about the dodgy photo)

PS:  Grill’d also has a community donation program which means that every month they donate $500 to the local community.  Everytime you buy a Grill’d burger you get a token that you can put in one of three jars representing three different community groups that have been selected for that month.  This donation program is supported by every Grill’d in the country which is a pretty fantastic idea and also Grill’d way of ‘giving back to the community’.  Good on you guys!

Grill’d Cairns

77 The Esplanade

Ph: (07) 4041 4200

Website: www.grilld.com.au

Opening Hours: Sun – Thur 11am – 10pm, Fri – Sat 11am – 10.30pm