Motherduck

On the Fleurieu and looking for the perfect cafe?
Somewhere licensed, dishing out locally sourced produce and keeping your health in mind (without lacking flavour).

Then you need to waddle on in to Motherduck.

Located on the main drag in Goolwa, Motherduck is a quaint little cafe serving breakfast and lunch 6 days a week, as well as dinner on selected weeknights during the warmer months. There’s a great kids menu, raw treats on offer and a banging wine list.

photo credit- Motherduck gallery

This cafe is nestled in a 105 year old stone building that has been revamped and renovated, yet still keeping original features a point of focus. Upcyclers will love the abundance of recycled goods used in the interior, as well there being plenty of timbers, stone and leather on display. The cafe has instant warmth as soon as you walk in the door- I can’t figure out if it’s the glow of the vintage look lights, the brightly coloured art work or bubbly staff who treat you like family.

We headed here for lunch and we lucky to snag a seat by the window. Although it was busy, there were plenty of seats inside, as well as some tables out the front for when the weather improved. Indecisive people may struggle with the menu- there are so many delicious sounding options it’s hard to pick one thing. If you are there for breakfast you can choose from options like Buckwheat and Chia seed pancakes, Smashed Avocado and even Chai Seed Porridge. YUM.

We had just missed breakfast so our eyes were on the lunch menu. My partner picked off of the specials board and ordered the Moroccan Chicken Burger with sweet potato chips, while I chose the Quinoa Risotto off of the winter menu.

The burger was massive and was almost falling off of the plate. It was full of bacon, rocket pesto, haloumi, fresh tomato, avocado and mixed lettuce- all together it was a flavour explosion. It had to be deconstructed because it was so huge- not that we’re complaining. The sweet potato chips were super crispy and I may be responsible for stealing half of his serve- they were that good.

My serve of risotto again was massive, and such a brilliant bright purple colour. The quinoa was soft and light, and was packed full of roasted beetroot.. The Adelaide Hills goats cheese and roast almonds added a great textural element to the dish and broke up the beetroot flavour.

When it came to liquids Motherduck sells everything from smoothies, juices and brews using Proud Mary coffee. On the alcohol front you can expect wines from the Barossa, Adelaide Hills and Mclaren Vale wine regions and beers from Mount Barker, Myponga and the Clare Valley. As we were sober Sally’s we ordered Orange juice, whilst the other half had a Red Earth Chai tea from the Fleurieu’s own Wildfire Organic Tea. Motherduck stocks the whole range of teas for sale at the back of the store, as well as a range of other cute products like macrame succulent planters, hand painted clutch purses and raw chocolates.