Street ADL is a restaurant and bar on Rundle Street, located on the ground floor of what was once the Universal Bar. The menu has a strong focus on local ingredients which is cleverly highlighted on a series of light boards. While having a menu on a wall is nothing new, the manner in which they are displayed in both unique and artistic. The decor has a definite warehouse feel about it with the expose concrete walls and ceiling. The parquetry at the entrance adds a touch of elegance and the split level flooring gives a sense of spaciousness in what is already is a decent sized venue. The informal dining aspect of this place is emphasised with shared seating along a number of timber benchtops.

Last night, I ordered the Cheeseburger. The proteins in this dish are dry aged rump, chuck and bacon. The meal was ready after a 15 minute wait, and like all other meals, came in a cardboard tray. The burger came slightly deconstructed with the onions and pickles to one side. The beef patty was succulent and perfectly cooked. It was slightly pink in the centre which is just the way I like it. The beef was about an inch thick and the patty was the same circumference as the Breadtop bun. A thin layer of cheese was nicely melted over the patty, and the bacon was lean and crisp. The pickles and onions gave the burger more depth and added a slight crunchy texture. A simple yet delicious burger!

The Crisp fries were sufficiently cooked. They were a nice thick cut, crunchy on the outside, and soft and fluffy on the inside. The amount of salt applied was adequate.

My friend ordered the Pork Ribs. The ribs are marinated, slow cooked, glazed and fried in quandong and bush tomato. I was told that the sauce tasted like a chutney (which wasn’t very nice) and there wasn’t much meat on the ribs.

Another friend had the Pulled Kangaroo Sanga. I was told that this was delicious. The kangaroo was tender, succulent and full of flavour.

Another friend had the Kangaroo Island Scallops. I was told this was delicious, however, the serving size was too small for the price paid.

The same friend also had the Gulf Prawns. Again, the prawns were delicious, however, peeling the prawns was a hassle and there weren’t that many of them for the price paid.

Another friend had the Lamb Ribs. Apparently they were nice marinated but a bit fatty.

The same friend also had the Green Beans. Some of these vegetables I had never seen before, so it was a real eye opener.

The staff were friendly and the service was pretty good. The atmosphere was relaxed and the pricing was a bit high for what you got. I quite enjoyed my meal and found it satisfying, however, I had mixed reactions from my fellow dining companions. It ranged from delicious but not enough, to not liking it at all. The use of Australian ingredients in food is nothing new as it is done at Red Ochre, but it is interesting to see it incorporated into street food.

WHERE: Ground Floor, 285 Rundle St, Adelaide