What do you get when a fine-dining chef turns their attention towards breakfast staples and burgers? If you would like to know the answer, pull up a table at Riverland Kitchen in Tweed Heads to find out. The neighbourhood noshery is the handiwork of Marc and Sarah Bocquee, who were the brains behind the lauded suburban bistro Azafran Restaurant for 12 years, alongside Steve and Beck Kitson. After moving to Northern New South Wales, Marc took a casual position at the Tweed burger joint, which is where he got to know the locals and really fell in love with the location. When he got word it was on the market, Marc casually mentioned it to Steve while they were visiting from Wagga Wagga, who immediately jumped at the opportunity.
Although Marc and Sarah weren’t necessarily planning to jump back in to another hospitality venture, it was an opportunity they couldn’t walk away from. The street exposure, location and the chance to be part of the community proved to be the main draw cards. “When something feels right and the location is right and the timing is right, you’ve just got to jump on it and have a crack,” Marc tells us. Which is precisely what they’ve done, with the new team wasting no time overhauling the menu, giving the place a lick of paint and removing a few seats to give the space a more airy feel.
As for the name, the decision was made to take it back to Riverland, which it what it was prior to the Worst Burgers rebrand, as it felt fitting for the coastal vibe of the location. Rather than pigeonhole themselves as a cafe, they’ve opted for Kitchen, which gives them a sense of freedom to explore new directions in the future, Sarah tells us.
So, what do you get when a fine-dining chef turns their attention towards breakfast staples and burgers? “We make everything the best it can be, even if it’s just a burger,” Sarah says. “We do our buttermilk chicken from scratch, the food in the cabinet is all made fresh in-house alongside yummy croissants and pastries from Burleigh Baker,” she tells us. Riverland Kitchen champions a local-first philosophy when it comes to produce, with the Gold Coast’s Paradox Coffee among the list of suppliers.
The breakfast menu, which rolls out until 1:00 pm, offers a range of classics, including eggs Benny with ham off-the-bone and the LA Bagel, which is topped with smoked salmon, poached free-range egg, cream cheese and crispy fried capers. As the day drifts on, burgers become the focus with ten different stacks to wrap your mitts around. Burger purists will appreciate the OG Cheese Burger, but for us, it’s the Fiery Rooster – featuring fried buttermilk chicken coated in the venue’s own Killa’ Reaper sauce, crispy bacon, slaw and a slather of jalapeno mayo – that piques our interest.
If you’re in the mood for wholesome breakfast classics that are a step above the norm as well as drool-worthy burgers, get acquainted with Riverland Kitchen. Head to our Stumble Guide for opening times.
