Disguised as a general store with a newspaper stand and lolly rack in the corner, The General Store Café is tucked away in the streets of Adelaide’s western suburbs.

However, upon closer inspection, you’ll find that The General Store Café’s food choices go beyond just your average sausage roll or meat pie. Offering an extensive menu of freshly prepared dine-in dishes,

General Store actually makes for a great place to meet for lunch!

We decided to pay them a visit and here’s what we thought:

Gourmet Salad
We started our meal at General Store with a huge salad – probably enough to feed a family! The Gourmet Salad had a combination of chicken, lettuce, roast capsicum, sundried tomatoes, carrot, olives, tomato, cucumber, and feta cheese (did you get all that?). With your choice of salad dressing, this dish is full of flavour and freshness – great as a healthy lunch or as a side to share with friends.

Smashed Avocado
A classic brunch option, no café these days can go without serving a smashed avo dish of some sort! With a beautifully seasoned creamy avocado spread on two slices of buttery toasted bread, this dish is perfect for those who want to dine in for a quick bite. The halloumi cheese slices were generous and not too salty, complimenting the subtleness of the avocado well and the toasted pepitas added another welcome texture. Served with a couple of lemon wedges, squeezing a bit of lemon juice is optional, of course, but adds a zest to the dish’s flavour profile.

Cheese & Tomato Croissant
Ah – the simple cheese and tomato croissant! It’s a dish that’s hard to get wrong but so good when it’s done right. General Store’s take featured a buttery, flaky croissant, well-toasted with melted cheddar cheese and sliced tomato. The cheese was melted to perfection and the tomato offered a slight acidic sweetness without being too juicy.

Vego Toasted Focaccia
This dish definitely surprised us with its generous serving! With roast pumpkin, roast capsicum, feta cheese, salad greens, sliced tomato, and basil pesto, the Vego Toasted Focaccia is great for the health conscious. However, just because it’s healthy doesn’t mean it’s not delicious! Each ingredient was served in a perfect ratio with no one flavour overpowering another. Overall, this would be a great choice for a (big!) takeaway lunch.

Reuben Sandwich
One of the specials during our visit, the Reuben Sandwich featured thin slices of smoky pastrami, generous amounts of sauerkraut, cheddar cheese was finished with a dash of tangy Russian dressing. A simple dish but one that offers a myriad of uncommon flavours.

Chicken Burger
As you’d expect, this dish is a classic chicken schnitzel burger served with cheese, tomato, lettuce, and mayo on a toasted sesame burger bun. The well-crumbed hero schnitzel is complimented by crisp lettuce and the tanginess of the mayo. This dish was overall, very well-balanced.

The General’s Muesli
With toasted muesli, mixed berries, vanilla yoghurt, and shaved coconut, this is a pretty standard muesli dish. With no bells and whistles, it’s a non-intimidating choice for those who generally prefer a sweeter, but still healthy, brekky option. With the choice to have milk served on the side, it’s also one that can be easily modified to one’s liking.

With warm, welcoming staff and a community atmosphere, the food offerings at The General Store Café is only one of the many reasons to drop by this hidden gem.

The General Store Café is located in Kidman Park and is open Monday to Fridays 7am til 5pm and Saturdays 8am til 2pm.

Words by Geena Ho

WHERE: 43 Valetta Rd, Kidman Park