At a glance, you’d be forgiven for confusing Boneshaker with cult American burger chain Shake Shack. They may share some design elements, but that’s where the similarities end.
As far as produce goes, “They don't have what we have here,” says co-owner Elena Mullis. “We’re taking the indulgence of American food and mixing it with the quality and integrity of South Australian produce.”
Mullis’s chef, partner and co-owner, Billy Petropoulos, spent seven years working in kitchens overseas – in part with Australian chef Bill Granger – while growing his freelance culinary consultancy business. Most recently he’s worked at Cibo Locale and as a chef at Karma and Crow.
The pair’s new venture, Boneshaker, sits on a 2500-square-metre former hardware store site on Marion Road. It’s inside the just-opened Pumpt complex – an indoor BMX, mountain bike, scooter and skate park. The first pedal-powered bicycle in the 1800s was called the “boneshaker”, so it’s a fitting name. “The tyres had no rubber,” says Petropoulos, “so when you rode it, your bones would shake.”
The brief was to create “not just a cafe, but a brand”, which the pair plan to take nationally with Pumpt. Repurposed furniture and native plants make up the industrial fit-out, and there’s a gutted yellow school bus to dine in.
The menu features American classics such as burgers, hotdogs and the Philly cheesesteak alongside fish tacos, burritos and quesadillas. But it’s Boneshaker’s commitment to locally sourced produce that sets it apart: grass-fed beef ground in-house, free-range chicken, Cape Jervois snapper and non-GMO bread.
For those with dietary restrictions there’s lettuce-leaf tacos, a chicken burrito salad, and a “naked” burger with no bun and extra lettuce. It’s a menu chef Petropoulos says has “freedom to move with what produce is available”.
Organic alternatives from Karma Cola replace conventional soft drinks. There’s also kombucha and cold-pressed juices (coming soon). Coffee is courtesy of Thebarton roaster D’Angelo Coffee. There’s a liquor licence in the pipeline, and plans to pour Pirate Life and US-import Brooklyn Lager.
Boneshaker’s 10-stamp loyalty card promises a free coffee on your fifth visit, and a free meal on your 10th. What they’d normally make from those giveaways is donated to a local charity.
Boneshaker
221 Marion Road, Marleston
(08) 7073 3388
Hours:
Tue & Wed 9am–7pm
Thu & Fri 9am–9pm
Sat & Sun 9am–7pm
