I’m about to say something I never in my wildest dreams thought I’d ever say: Bowen Hills, in Brisbane’s inner north, is hip.

It used to be a battler’s suburb of wooden cottages beside the CBD until it was sliced and diced by freeways in the ’60s and ’70s. Then a light-industry pox descended. The only architecture to speak of was a red-brick monolith called Queensland Newspapers.

Bowen Hills is changing for the better. The Royal National Agricultural and Indus­trial Association, which hosts the Ekka at Brisbane Showgrounds, is undergoing a $2.9 billion redevelopment. Highrise apartments are sprouting like Jack’s beanstalk. Even the word factory where I sit has had a splendid makeover.

There is also an emerging cafe culture. Nowhere is it more evident than at the ground level of Madison Heights Apartments on the corner of Mayne Rd and Campbell St. There is a sushi bar, a bottle shop and a trendy diner called Bowen Arrow Cafe, which serves a damn good double-shot piccolo and informal dishes such as eggs benedict and “smashed avo on sourdough”.

Next door to Bowen Arrow is Locos Kitchen and Bar. With a lovely long bar and eight beers and ciders on tap, it gives the impression of being a glorified pub. It’s better than that. Locos has a deceptively sophisticated menu if you look past the burgers and “little bites” such as buffalo wings ($12), or chorizo, potato and warm pitta bread ($14). And it has a small but ­interesting wine list.

I was introduced to the burgers at a meeting of magazine writers, editors, des­igners and photographers and discovered what may be Queensland’s tastiest burger.

The Perfect Burger ($15) was aptly named and came with a beef patty adorned with smoky bacon, Whitestone camembert, cos lettuce, pickles and a sticky chilli barbecue sauce called cherry chipotle.

Since then I have been working my way down a long list of burgers including the New Classic ($11) with beef, green chilli and onion pickle and a “special sauce”. Next I ate The Shredder ($12), a work of pure joy – pulled pork with a crunchy coleslaw, scallions and heavenly, brittle pork scratchings. Back a week later for a serious main course, I devoured a marinated flank steak ($25). It came with charred broccolini and blistered cherry tomatoes.

There was no lack of flavour in my companion’s beef short rib ($24) served with excellent coleslaw, a forgettable cornbread and sweet potato. However, she is tired of the slow-cooking revolution and yearns for a return to beef steak seared on a barbecue with a burnt exterior while tender inside.

My friend declined a wine and instead demanded beer in the tone of a woman who knows her mind. We both quaffed an excellent brew called Drifter, a sparkling summer ale from Mount Tamborine’s ­Fortitude Brewing. I’m going back for more.

Originally published on couriermail.com.au