Beatbox Kitchen's Brunswick burger shop is closing down

Raph Rashid's American diner-inspired burger spot, Beatbox Kitchen, will close its doors this weekend after more than four years. The Sydney Road outlet was born out of a pioneering food truck of the same name, that became an instant hit in Melbourne after appearing at music festivals in 2009.

The closure was announced on Instagram. In a comment to Good Food, Rashid said the business had "landlord and Covid complications".

A second Gertrude Street store that opened in August 2018 called time just five months later, but the Brunswick location of Beatbox appeared to survive the brunt of Victoria's lockdowns. That was, until late yesterday afternoon.

Beatbox became known for its stripped-back burgers that cast aside much of the additional fare that make Australian examples at times unwieldy. Beetroot, egg and, on some burgers, even lettuce were MIA.

Instead, Rashid obsessed over the composition of the patties, using grass-fed beef and suet, and ramping up the flavour with caramelised onion and his signature stereo sauce (mayonnaise spiked with dill pickle and cayenne). Vegetarians were also looked after, with the mushroom burger a go-to snack for many Melbourne herbivores.

The last burger will be served from Sydney Road on Sunday July 18. After that, you'll have to catch the food truck when it's out on the streets or head to sister venue Juanita Peaches, which has a cheeseburger and fried chicken burger on its menu alongside burritos.

692 Sydney Road Brunswick, 03 9386 5694, beatboxkitchen.com