The details
Tucker is a collaborative venture for Nick, who has partnered with local hospitality gurus Phil Czerwonatis, Caitlin Grant and Jordan O’Brien to bring the new south-of-the-border space to life. What the talented foursome are aiming to do with Tucker is bring classic Australian cafe fare, or ‘tucker’ if you will, back to life. Eggs on toast, granola and buttermilk hotcakes are the usual suspects on most cafe menus – and while you’ll find these dishes at Tucker, the combination of local produce, a sustainable ethos and a little bit of magic from the kitchen is putting these iconic Aussie cafe dishes back into the limelight with a little bit of flair. Alongside the table-service cafe is a takeaway counter where you can grab an on-the-go Blackboard brew, a loaf of sourdough, a scoop of gelato from Mermaid Beach gelateria Heven-Yah or a cheeky pastry brought in fresh daily from the fellas at The Bread Social in Tweed.
The food and drink
Most of what you’ll see on your plate at Tucker is made in house, with all of the ingredients sourced locally from a pretty tight radius surrounding Byron Bay and Tweed Heads. The breakfast menu, which runs all day (because it’s never too late for bacon), covers all of the classics. There’s a maple-glazed nut granola with charred pineapple, roasted coconut and vanilla-chia yoghurt topped with local honeycomb, herbed potato rostis topped with poached eggs and housemade hollandaise, as well as seasonal greens with poached eggs and an oregano and red-onion vinaigrette, all served atop a gluten-free housemade quinoa and chia loaf, which (fun fact) was created from Nick’s own home recipe. A refined bistro-style lunch menu kicks off at 11:00 am daily, where you’ll be torn between dishes like the local Balter-battered sustainably caught fish and chips, housemade mozzarella curds with heirloom tomatoes on rye and caraway bread, and the get-it-in-your-mouth-right-now Tucker Burger with wagyu beef, bacon, gruyere, lettuce, pickles, housemade relish, dijonnaise and a handful of battered onion rings. Those keen on a daytime tipple can sip Unico Zelo wines, various tinnies, plus cocktails like mimosas and a bloody-good Mary.
The space
Tucker forms part of The Commons, a new mixed-use precinct on Casuarina Way, joining the likes of The Crafty Cow, boutique fashion store Nikkou and a bunch of soon-to-be-announced retailers. The natural light beams through the open and breezy 100-seat cafe, brought to life with touches of timber, white tiles and tones of soft olive. Tucker overlooks an open-air communal grassed area, which will be a prime spot for those of us that like sitting cross-legged in the sunshine with a raspberry danish and latte in hand.
Keen for a taste of Tucker? Head to our Stumble Guide for opening hours and location.
