Chuck Wagon - Just As I Remember It

Chuck Wagon - 175 O'Connell Street North Adelaide

It had been awhile between Chuck Wagon visits, so one Sunday I (Amanda) grabbed a few of my girlfriends together to indulge in a hearty burger session. You can read Nathan's previous review here.We arrived at 1pm and were surprised to see the place completely full besides one table in the back corner which we made a mad dash to!  The place was buzzing within the funky decor filled with both young and old. We were brought menus promptly and instantly our mouths watered reading the extensive list of awesome sounding American style burgers, hotdogs, fries, sides and desserts.

JD BBQ Brisket Fries $14 (front left), Fried American Pickle $5 (front right), Mozzarella Pinwheels $5 (back)

For starters we decided to share the 'JD BBQ Brisket Fries' (large) which consists of shoestring fries topped with double hickory smoked and braised Point End Brisket, covered in Jack Daniels BBQ sauce, coleslaw and melted cheddar cheese sauce (a gluten free dish which makes us feel slightly healthy!!). We also ordered the 'Fried American Pickle' with creamy house mayo and the 'Mozzarella Pinwheels' which are fried mozzarella balls served with Chuck’s special buffalo wing sauce.  There were no complaints around this table, only sounds of complete enjoyment as we all dug in again and again and again! 

The shoestring fries used had a nice soft centre and crisp outer which stayed mostly crisp even when covered in the tasty BBQ and cheese sauce.  The brisket was juicy and well-seasoned and the coleslaw added a wonderful freshness to the otherwise decadent dish. To say I love pickles is quite the understatement, so biting into this juicy fried pickle with a crunchy batter outer  dipped in the creamy dreamy mayo was nothing short of heavenly! The crunchy crumbed outer of the mozzarella ball dipped in the slightly spicy buffalo wing sauce and gooey soft cheese centre completed the starters magnificently.

The Green Machine $14

For main a friend & I decided to go halves in two different burgers as we couldn't decide on just one! The burger menu is insane with 14 delectable sounding burgers to choose from. We selected ‘The Green Machine’ without red onion and the ‘Polo Loco’. Chuck Wagon allows you to customize your own burger or swap out ingredients without any fuss which makes me like this place even more. I started with the Green Machine biting into a divine tasting burger filled with a 160g sized chuck patty, smashed avocado, 2 pieces of bacon, lettuce, tomato and house mayo on a toasted sweet bun.  This whole combination is a winner. The bun is soft and sweet, the chuck patty is cooked perfectly with a light pink centre, the bacon added a salty crunch and the avocado, tomato and lettuce provided that perfect fresh healthiness to cut though the heavier protein and carbs.

Polo Loco $13

Once my half of the ‘Green Machine’ is devoured, I eagerly grabbed my half of the ‘Polo Loco’ burger and dived into the double crusted chicken breast fillet smothered in Chuck’s special buffalo wing sauce, coleslaw, tomato and cheddar cheese sauce on a toasted sweet bun.  There is an unexpected spice to this chicken burger which is a bonus for me but might not be so well received by someone who isn't a fan of bit of spice. The chicken fillet is juicy and has a great outer crust. The coleslaw is creamy, well-seasoned and pairs well with the chicken and soft bun. I was definitely sad when the burgers were demolished!

Super Fudgy Nutella Brownie $10

You would think by now that we would be full but after having a look at the dessert menu we just couldn't say no! We select (with the help of the waitress) the ‘Super Fudgy Nutella Brownie’ to share.  It arrives looking just how an American brownie should with lots of cream, ice cream, strawberry, chocolate sauce and peanut m&m's.  I found that the nutella brownie did have a fudge like texture in parts but I also found parts to be a little dry from over baking.  The peanut m&m's added great crunch, the chocolate sauce and cream helped with the dry parts and the vanilla ice cream was your supermarket average. I would have loved to have seen a creamier vanilla bean style ice cream with this brownie.

Overall our Chuck Wagon experience hit the burger & grease craving spot! And surprisingly all 4 of us left not feeling overly full and weighed down by all the decadent food we consumed. We left feeling satisfied and energized which I think is a sign of the good quality ingredients used.

Needless to say I'm already planning my return and it may even be to try out their amazing sounding breakfast menu.

Vegetarian/Vegan Friendly: One vegetarian burger & a number of starters & sides

Child Friendly: Definitely, they even have a good looking kids menu

Ambiance: 4/5 - Funky & colourful decor, easy going and fun

Service: 4/5 - Friendly and casual table service

Food: 9/10 - Finger licking good!

In total OTCB gives Chuck Wagon 17/20 chops on The Chopping Board