When you discover somewhere as amazing as The Organik Store & Cafe, and there are two locations, you obviously visit both. Psst, want to read about my visit to the Pirie Street location? Check it out here.

Lee Boys bought the Glenelg store and cafe 6 years ago, building a strong community around her nourishing, delicious dishes. And although the two locations have similarities, they are also beautifully different!

The store itself is much larger, taking up half the space and stocking a wider variety of unique and locally produced groceries. Most of which are used in the Organik Store & Cafe Menu, so you can bring home your favourite ingredients after enjoying them over lunch.

“We have a community garden out back, tended to by a beautiful woman & talented horticulturist named Von,” Lee said, “Everything is edible. Customers can come in and say they need lemongrass, and we can just go out back and pick it. Rosemary, mint, Japanese water spinach, a massive fig tree, lemon balm, olives, tomatoes… what’s on your plate was often picked from the garden only moments before you ate it.”

The Organik Store & Cafe in Glenelg is also as dedicated to sustainability as its Pirie Street sister, stocking bamboo straws, biodegradable take-home containers and finding creative ways to reduce their waste output.

“Food waste from the kitchen and pulp from juicing feed the garden. Lemon peels get turned into a cleaning concentrate. Nothing goes to waste if we can help it.” Lee said, impressing the socks off me with their unwavering dedication to sustainability.

Then it was time for the main event; the eats! The menu at Glenleg is completely different to that of Pirie Street, but it was just as difficult trying to decide what to try. We eventually settled on a variety of mouth-watering options and sat in anticipation for our nutrition dense and flavourful plates of holistic food.

Veggie Burger

The patty within this burger is everything! With a base of curried chickpeas and golden potatoes, it was perfectly spiced and offered a comforting bite. The fresh kale, alfalfa, and cucumber gave a delightful crunch, while the baba ganoush a creamy balance. The hand cut and oven baked wedges danced between seasoned potato and rich sweet potato, making this a perfectly balanced veggie burger.

Organik Eggs Your Way

We loaded up our plate with button mushrooms, fresh guacamole, nitrate-free organic bacon, spinach, balsamic roasted tomatoes and, of course, bio-dynamic poached eggs all a-top thick slices of sourdough bread. The egg yolks were so vibrant and tasted exactly as eggs should. Every element was fresh and perfectly seasoned. A wonderful way to start one’s day!

Amaze Bowl

This dish changes up weekly and, when we visited, we were treated to a Vegan Mexican Fajita Bowl. First off, it came with some of the best vegan sour cream I’ve ever had! So rich and fatty with a gentle zing. The cilantro was freshly picked from the garden, adding bright, herbaceous flavours. The spiced rice was balanced with a sweetness from roasted tomato, and the crunchy oven baked tortilla chips acted as a perfect vessel for all the creamy guac, sweet corn, and fresh veggies.

Warm Sweet Potato Salad

Anyone who knows me knows I am a sucker for sweet potato. So when I saw this on the menu I had to order it! The sweet potato was perfectly cooked, with all the natural sugars coming through in a creamy, soft roast. A sprinkle of almonds offered a bit of crunch and the tangy goats’ cheese a bright flavour. All wrapped around lightly dressed rocket and with a kick of spice from the raw red onion, this is my kind of salad.

Organik Veggie Stack

Layers of perfectly roasted veggies towered on our plate, drizzled with this sticky and sweet balsamic reduction. There was this yummy relish on the base which offered some smokiness and some fermented goodness. The roasted pumpkin, zucchini, and capsicum sat on top of a slice of their beautiful sourdough bread, adding a little extra substance to this dish. Totally could have demolished this whole thing all on my own!

Buttermilk Pancakes

The toppings change almost daily, so you may not find the exact pancakes we enjoyed during our visit. However, rest assured, whatever they’ve created will leave you speechless! On the sunny day we visited, The Organik Store & Cafe in Glenelg featured their Lemon Verbena Pancakes.

First, I have to acknowledge the house-made lemon verbena syrup. Coming from a family who is known for their homemade pancake syrup, I was beyond impressed. So tart and sweet, with an undeniable freshness. The pancakes were fluffy and a total dream and with that creamy ricotta and juicy slices of orange, it was impossible to stop me from licking the plate.

Bacon Maple French Toast

I’ve never been able to master making my own french toast, so it’s always a treat when I go somewhere and they know how to execute this dish. Fluffy cloud-like slices of bread were washed in biodynamic eggs, pan fried till the outside offered a golden crisp while keeping the inside light and soft. Authentic Canadian maple syrup was drizzled overtop everything, with a swipe of freshly whipped cream to balance everything out. While I don’t eat meat, Lee loved the smoky nitrate-free bacon with a little extra sweetness from the delish maple syrup.

We also tried a variety of juices, getting our health on with their Immune Boost, Detox, Green With Envy and their Blue Jean Baby Smoothie. All so fresh and flavourful, you’ll forget you’re sipping on the healthiest thing you’ll enjoy all day!

And, for all out there who don’t love banana, the Blue Jean Baby is banana-free without loosing any of the thickness of its banana-full cousins have! It was both Lee and my favourite, but I let Lee finish it… because I’m a good friend!

Oh, and let’s not forget the Blue Butterfly Pea Flower Tea we enjoyed after our meal. Refreshing with this natural sweetness, and with this vibrant blue colour! There are way too many incredible things to try in this nutritious wonderland.

“Our Glenelg location is a community,” Lee Boys mentioned, “We’ve been here for births, marriages, passings, we’ve watched kids grow up… it’s really something special.”

I couldn’t agree more.

Whether you’re in the city on a business lunch or heading for a casual day at Glenelg beach, you must visit one of The Organik Store & Cafe’s beautiful locations. With such positive energy circulating everywhere, you’ll get so much more than a nourishing meal out of your time there. The only tough part will be deciding what to eat, however, if you need help, hit me up. I’ll gladly come along.

Words by Jamieson EileenWHERE: 37 Broadway, Glenelg South