The Rustic Fig Café has been a long-time Lebanese hidden gem in Adelaide’s South-East. It is now rebranding and transforming into Between the Buns Burger Bar – a new gourmet burger destination with a Lebanese twist.
As Rustic Fig accepted its last orders on Saturday 28 May, and today (Wednesday 1 June) is the first day as Between the Buns!
Owner Naji and Erica have been in the foodie scene for a while now and were known for some tasty Lebanese foods like Naji’s fresh falafel and delicious hummus – all made in house. Their grilled Haloumi, eggplant bake, fig syrup, and lamb with black cherry sauce were also undeniable favourites.
“My husband is the cook behind it all. Not me, I’m the chatty one at the front!” shared Erica. “My husband is Lebanese and when we came here 7 years ago, and he wanted to set up his own café, he wasn’t 100% sure if he was going to make it purely Lebanese. But it morphed that way.”
“The menu was getting bigger and bigger and when COVID hit, there was a lot of expense running a big menu. Ingredients were also getting scarce. My husband makes everything from scratch, so it was an incredible amount of work for one human to do!” she said.
After living in Los Angeles for eight years, Naji fell in love with all things “burger” and the American diner scene. Blending Rustic Fig’s homey vibe, delicious flavours from Naji’s homeland of Lebanon, and this new burger adventure – Between the Buns Burger Bar was born.
“But my husband’s other passion was burgers and diners, so we decided to make a change! We’re still doing our falafel because we’re sort of became famous for it. We make it ourselves and cook fresh to order. That will be our vegan option – the falafel burger. We’re also still doing our hummus and our chicken tawook (garlic chicken). We’re still also doing that but in burger form!” Erica continued.
“When we first met 27 years ago, he said he wanted to open a burger. 27 years later and we’re here. A sign to never give up on your dreams!”
The new menu features some great traditional and gourmet options, including a chilli cheese burger and a Mozzarella burger – the latter of which features a crumbed and fried mozzarella patty, beer battered onion rings, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and their house burger sauce.
Vegan and gluten free friends will also not leave hungry, as Between the Buns is offering Bunless Burger Bowls at no extra charge.
Naji and Erica will continue to serve wine, offering piccolo-sized bottles in red, white, sparkling red, and sparkling white.
For something non-alcoholic, the new burger bar has also launched a few new milkshake flavours, including Oreo cookie and Tim Tam shakes.
To follow along with Naji and Erica’s burger journey, follow Between the Buns Burger Bar online, on Facebook and on Instagram.
Between the Buns Burger Bar is located at 370E Kensington Road, Erindale 5066.
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