from 223 Google reviews
A little burger caravan sits on Putiki Road in Ostend, right beside the RAW market, with outdoor tables and a menu that runs from smash burgers to tacos, chips and thick shakes. You order at the counter, then eat at the tables or take it away, and you get generous burgers built on Waiheke beef and fried chicken, with names like the Mint As, Waiheke Dream, American Dream and Blue Lady, plus snapper, vege and vegan options and a lettuce-wrapped version if you're skipping bread.
The prawn tacos are a highlight, and the truffle fries and a thick strawberry or biscoff shake go down nicely with them. You can turn up from lunchtime into the early evening most days, with a mid afternoon start on Sunday, though the hours can vary and it pays to ring ahead or order early when the queue builds, because this is a small operation that can stop taking orders before closing. Prices are pretty reasonable for the island, the welcome is warm, and the whole spot feels easy whether you're off the ferry, on a bike or coming back from the beach.
Written from 222 Google reviews, every one we could get, on 12 November 2026. Rated 4.9 from 223 Google reviews.
This is one of the best burger stops on Waiheke, with a 4.9 rating from 222 reviews and locals who treat it as a weekly habit. The burgers are generous and cooked to order, and the tacos, chips and shakes justify the trip on their own.
Order the Mint As burger first, then try the Waiheke Dream for egg and beetroot or the American Dream for bacon, and the fried chicken Truck or Joy for crunch. The prawn tacos and truffle fries are worth adding, and there are gluten-free buns and lettuce wraps if you need them. Finish with a thick strawberry, banana or biscoff shake.
The service is warm and chatty, with a welcome that feels more like chatting to a mate than placing an order. Food comes out fresh and quick, and allergy questions and gluten-free swaps are handled without fuss, though the queue can slow orders near closing.
You eat outside at the tables, which works on a hot day but leaves you exposed when the weather turns. It sits beside the RAW market in Ostend, with easy parking and fruit or dessert a short walk away, and the cranked tunes suit sandy feet and bike helmets.
Prices are low for Waiheke, with generous burgers and no surcharge for gluten-free bread, which is a welcome change. You can feed a group for less than at most island lunch spots, and the chips and shakes are so good you'll want them alongside the burgers rather than sharing one between you.
It's best for a casual lunch, a post-beach feed or a quick dinner before the ferry, and it suits families, couples and groups of friends. Cyclists and day-trippers fit right in with takeaway boxes for the beach, and locals use it as a weekly habit rather than a one-off.
The main thing to watch is the hours, because the truck has a habit of closing early or stopping orders before the advertised closing time. There's no indoor room, so wind and rain can send you back to the car, and the wait can run longer when the queue builds.
Every fact on this page was checked on 8 November 2026 against Google and 222 of its Google reviews. The photo is from the eatout library, not taken here, and no venue pays to be listed or ranked. Something out of date? Tell us
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