Launching a burger joint while running a nationally recognised wine bar and planning another two venue openings is no small feat at the best of times. It’s greater still for Wilson Shawyer, who lost his sense of taste and smell after a serious scooter accident in 2021 left him with a brain injury. It certainly changed the way he develops a menu.
“That’s where it’s been a beautiful, harmonious relationship – it is my responsibility absolutely, but I’ve got two well-experienced, well-versed business partners that can look at that side of it,” says Shawyer, who’s managed to regain some of his palate again (“It comes and goes”).
“I tap in to talk about elements we can do to give the menu that Good Gilbert flair and more upmarket feel while also giving a real sense of ownership to the team. A big thing for me has been being okay with not having the final say, and it’s been super rewarding. I trust the team implicitly.”
Shawyer has linked up with chef Ashley Peek (ex-Our Food Project) and restaurateur Stephen Tzanakis (Burgertec) to launch the new concept, Good Burger, at the former Our Food Project site in Daw Park.
The burgers, priced between $19 and $23, are indeed good – great, even. Among them is the signature Good Burger, a classic cheeseburger with two smashed beef patties, cheese, pickles, onion and “good sauce”; the slightly fancier Daw Park Cheeseburger, which replaces pickles with cornichons, onion with shallots and regular cheese with raclette; and a vegan number with a faux-meat patty from Buds Burger, peppers and crisp fried potato. All of them can be made gluten-free.
“We wanted to bring our restaurant and bar background into the burger space and elevate it,” says Shawyer. “We’re trying to change how burgers can be perceived – how clean and fresh they can be with high-quality ingredients.”
Those ingredients are largely local (the beef is from Marino and the chicken is from My Butcher) and come sandwiched between a potato bun (“from Tip Top, baby!” says Shawyer). “You don’t have the same sweetness you get with brioche, and you don’t get the greasy fingers,” he says. “The buns have a really lovely, light, fluffy texture. And they hold up well for takeaway – which is important when there’s sauce and melted cheese.”
There’s also the Chicago-style Hot Beef sandwich with sliced beef, peppers, caramelised onions, cheese and giardiniera; a prawn roll with Spencer Gulf prawns, Old Bay mayo, lettuce and chives; and fried chicken, which you can get on its own, smothered with hot honey, or in a burger bun.
“It’s very different to Good Gilbert’s fried chicken, which we put through a pickle and buttermilk brine and is more Japanese-style with more spice through it,” says Shawyer. “[At] Good Burger, being more American, we’ve gone classic Kentucky-style fried chicken – it’s fresh and juicy and lightly spiced, so it’s quite kid-friendly.”
The venue, which sits 28 inside, does nod to its sibling bar through the inverted colour scheme, jumble of wine bar-aesthetic prints on the wall, and a strong focus on service. Shawyer is even positioning the venue as a bar, rather than a burger restaurant, though he’s still waiting on the liquor licence to arrive. When it does (in early February), there’ll be spiked sodas in collaboration with Halls, cocktails made with Never Never Distilling Co spirits, and a house beer by Bridge Road Brewers, plus wines available by the glass, bottle or half-bottle.
“There’ll be an emphasis on smaller formats, so you can roll in and get a half bottle of cru chablis or champagne,” says Shawyer. “That way we can push the premium side of it without the prices of Good Gilbert.” Until then, Good Gilbert’s extensive offering is a five-minute drive down the road.
Good Gilbert
588 Goodwood Road, Daw Park
Hours::
Thu 4pm–10pm
Fri to Sun 12pm–10pm
