The daily rotation of places for lunch is largely unscripted and hectic. Venues almost choose themselves based the past experiences of those around for lunch on any particular day. With tens of appropriate options in Richmond near work it is a difficult task to get a frequent gig.

Lumberjack has moved its way into a regular spot over the past six months. There is not one particular reason for its featuring more and more regularly but it goes to show that it is possible to break through!

What I like about Lumberjack is the lack of fuss, or more fairly, the perceived lack of fuss. There are basically no descriptions in the busy lunch display, so naturally our first contact with staff is immediate to get the rundown of what is in the cabinet. The usual offerings include frittatas, tarts, patties, focaccias (chicken snitzel, chicken and avocado to name a couple), wraps (chicken and corn being one I’ve tried), slow cooked (or quickly cooked but marinated) meats, and some great salad options. That is in addition to the regular menu.

While the friendly staff might seem laid back, there is rarely a wait on food (as should be the case), the coffee is well made and quickly delivered, and generally the space both inside, out front, and out back is comfortable. The only exception is some of the random slight bottomed chairs that would be an interesting task for some good eaters.

To the food. Personally, I think it is important to ask questions to understand exactly what you are getting because it changes regularly and is not obvious for some dishes. If you order well, I think most of the time you will get food that is flavoursome and different to many other options in Richmond, in good quantities, at very reasonable prices. I’ve found the focaccias and wraps to be particularly good. If you go larger, for an example, my chicken (pictured) covered in shallots and a spice rub, with one of the better salads I’ve had around Richmond featuring grilled zucchini and radicchio, was both delicious and less than $15. On the other side of the scale, some of my colleagues patties have been a bit plain, so they’ve chosen differently the next time around.

Lumberjack has made a good impression over a length of time, but is equally worthwhile for the odd visit here and there for those outside the area.