Nothing can really beat a free burger give away to mark the opening of Adelaide’s first Grill’d burger store. That’s exactly what Grill’d Norwood have done in offering free burgers for the first 1000 customers.

Grill’d has been around for nearly a decade and are quite prominent in the eastern states. Like other successful interstate franchises, Adelaide is usually the last place a business makes their presence.

So what makes Grill’d different to other burger joints? Apparently the burgers here are healthy. The ingredients are fresh and locally sourced (with the exception of the beef patties), and combined with good customer service, your experience at Grill’d should be a pleasant one.

There’s a decent selection of burgers to choose from in all your popular proteins. They have 3 types of buns; panini (in this case, similar to a sourdough bun), traditional (sesame seed) and gluten free. For the give away period, there was only a subsection of the full menu on offer.

The venue itself is in a prime corner position just outside the Hoyts Cinema. The decor is modern with a warehouse feel about it. There is plenty of seating both indoors and in the outdoor area which is under cover.

For lunch, I ordered the Summer Sunset Burger which consists of avocado, bacon, pineapple, lettuce, tomato, Spanish onion, relish and herbed mayonnaise. The burger was ready in less than 10 minutes and was nicely presented. The beef patty was juicy and well cooked. The thickness of the patty was fairly standard, although something a bit larger wouldn’t have hurt. The meat was a bit salty, however, this was offset by the sweetness of the pineapple. The lettuce, tomato and onion were fresh, and the bun was firm enough to hold all the ingredients together. I found the base of the bun to be a bit greasy, but overall, it was good burger.

As a side, I had the Grill’d Fries which was sprinkled with their special Grill’d herb mix. The fries were a nice cut, however, some of the chips were under cooked. The herb mix was good and well distributed throughout.

The staff were friendly and the service was good. Food arrived promptly and my plate was cleared as I finished. The atmosphere was vibrant, but only because there was a huge line up of people waiting to get their free burgers. The Summer Sunset burger would normally have set me back $12.50 which would have been a fair price. The burgers here range from $10-$15 which is pretty much the norm these days.

Verdict: Just when you thought there were too many burger joints in Adelaide, another one pops up. I think Grill’d will give their competitors a run for their money.

WHERE: Shop 13a, 177-193 The Parade, Norwood