Juanita Peaches Is Quietly Serving Melbourne’s Best Burger
Some Fridays just line up like fate’s doing you a favour. You jump on your bike in Richmond, arrive in Brunswick a little out of breath, in need of something strong, salty and satisfying—and find yourself not only eating one of the best burgers of your life, but chatting with the man who made it happen.
Juanita Peaches doesn’t look like much from the outside, which is exactly how it should be. It’s the kind of spot that doesn’t bother with theatrics or trend-chasing—because it doesn’t need to. It’s already got the goods. Inside, it’s a pared-back diner with charm and purpose. No ironic fit-out, no QR code gimmicks. Just an open kitchen, a few stools, and the smell of something worth sticking around for.
The man behind it all is Raphael Rashid: food truck pioneer, donut whisperer, and Melbourne hospo icon. The guy basically built the city’s mobile food scene from the ground up with Beatbox Kitchen and Taco Truck, then followed it up with All Day Donuts, and finally, Juanita Peaches. While some restaurateurs build empires, Raph builds icons.
I first stumbled into his orbit through design. Back in 2012, I saw his partner Beci Orpin speak at Semi-Permanent—an early design crush, if I’m honest. A few years later, I saw Raph speak at Creative Mornings on Serendipity—sharing stories of dropping out of school at 16, starting a business at 18, and figuring things out the long, honest way. There was no slick script, no curated brand persona—just a guy with drive, curiosity, and a deep love for making things that bring people joy.
So yes, I was a little starstruck when I rocked up to Juanita Peaches and realised Raph was right there. But he’s disarmingly chill. We started talking about buns—specifically, the bun—and I was all ears. At Juanita, they make their own potato buns in-house and steam them to order. There’s something about the steamed bun that changes everything - pillowy, warm, perfectly giving. It holds the cheeseburger together in a way that feels oddly emotional.
And what a burger it is. A compact, golden ratio masterpiece: 120g grass-fed patty, confit shallots, American cheese, mustard mayo, pickles, all enveloped in that glorious steamed bun. No trickery, no overstacked nonsense—just balance, texture, and flavour dialled all the way in. It's easily one of the best burgers I’ve had, anywhere.
I paired it with the buffalo wings—saucy, sharp, addictive—and a house-made iced tea that felt particularly rewarding after the ride in. To finish, I grabbed a ‘Homer’ donut from the All Day Donuts lineup. Pink icing, rainbow sprinkles, classic energy. Like your childhood got a glow-up.
There’s a clarity to Juanita Peaches that’s rare. It’s not trying to be cool—it just is. There’s no TikTok hype machine, no PR spin, just seriously good food made by someone who’s still obsessed with the details, still hands-on, still doing it his way.
In a city oversaturated with try-hards and trend-led openings, Juanita Peaches is the quiet achiever you wish you’d discovered earlier.
