Badminton Brew, Mt Gravatt East

Badminton Brew is the latest addition to the Backstreet Espresso family. Owned and run by the lovely Rachael, she learnt the ropes from her father Michael's Backstreet Espresso in Carina.

The store has boldly located in a very old strip of shops in the backstreets of Mt Gravatt East, and in a very short space of time has single-handedly turned a very drab street front into a welcoming community focal point.  With some luck, their success will draw some complementary businesses to the little strip and bring the street fully alive.

In the meantime, enjoy the easy parking and quiet streetscape in this terrific little suburban coffee spot...

She Says

I'd grabbed a coffee here on Christmas morning after a bike ride and was pleased to see what a bustling little place it was already, the street really needed this! I grabbed a few takeaway coffees for a beach roadtrip in the school holidays and my Labrador literally drooled when she saw the red cups crowned with a little piece of brownie.....she can look but she can't touch!! :)

Sorry, not for sharing...!!

Last week it was nice to wave the girls off to school and stop by to enjoy a more leisurely visit and an Elixir coffee with it's cute little brownie bite. I couldn't go past the decadent looking chocolate brownie as I'm always happy to 'take one for the team' in the name of research.  It was warm, gooey and had a very fine layer of raspberry jam through the middle with just a glisten of jam at the end....delicious!  Great friendly service from Rachael & her father.

Confession: an added bonus is that you might just get a glimpse of the gorgeous Ryan Gosling (the thinking girl's crumpet  :) ......you'll just have to stop by to find out.

He Says

Every area needs (but sadly, not every area has) a local spot like Badminton Brew.  Relaxed and unpretentious, serving excellent coffee with genuine and sincere friendliness.

On our latest visit, Rachael was being ably assisted by her Dad, Michael.  We had ducked in for some late breakfast after some morning appointments, and on the way to work.

We ordered a couple of flat whites, made with Elixir coffee. I was hungry, so had a look at the food cabinet. You won't be over-burdened with choice here, but the basic selection is all very well done.

I went for a bacon & egg roll (on turkish bread) with some baby spinach & relish, while She (of course!) went for something sweet.  Michael, showing his experience, offered to cut my roll in half & serve it on two plates, knowing that She would end up wanting half.  I said no, because I wanted it all to myself! It won't surprise anyone to know that Michael ended up being correct...

The coffee was great, with a lovely smooth finish. Insider tip - Badminton Brew will give you an extra shot of coffee for free (yes, free!) if you need your coffee to give you a real slap in the face.  My breakfast roll was delicious. Big enough to share as a light breakfast with Her (very filling if you are eating it solo), and very tasty.

My half of the bacon & egg roll, after She stole her half...

If you are a local, you need to make this place your own - it really is the perfect 'backstreet' coffee stop.  If you are passing through the area and are in need of a quick stop, whether for food or a caffeine hit, then get off the main streets and duck in here instead. It is worth the minor detour...!!

Look for the directional signs on both Cavendish and Creek Roads...

(photo taken from Badminton Brew webpage)

The Details

Address: 30 Badminton St, Mt Gravatt East, QLD 4122
Ph: 0468 831 054
Reviews: Urbanspoon, Yelp, Beanhunter
Cost: $
Notes: Coffee loyalty card available

Southern Attitude, Bulimba

Last night, She and I headed over to the Balmoral Cinema at Bulimba to see "What We Did On Our Holidays".  It was a little predictable but a good film - funny & feel-good, with a great cast including Billy Connolly and Rosemund Pike.

Post-movie, we went for a stroll along Oxford St to find dinner. It had been a while since we had been there, so had a good look around to see what was new, and if any old favourites had disappeared.

We stumbled upon Southern Attitude. She had heard of it before, but it was brand new to me. After a quick look at the menu outside, we headed in for a meal. Luckily for us, as it turned out, we were both very hungry...

She Says

After a quick glance at the menu it was actually the music that lured me in, always a sucker for Johnny Cash and any other master from that era.... also the pleading eyes from Him were a bit difficult to resist!

There was some discussion about sharing some small plates but He was very keen on the burger menu so we agreed to share burgers and also some fries and onion rings as they are always a good bench mark to measure against other similar 'Southern style' venues.

The onion rings were fantastic - lightly crumbed & hard to resist and unlike somewhere else we visited recently they were not dripping with oil and didn't leave me with a feeling of guilt or regret!

The fries were golden, crunchy and also very good, but for me the onions rings were the pick.  The servings were just right.

A close-up of those yummy sides...

Naturally I opted for the Spicy Texas burger - as I like 'em hot - and it was delicious with a thick Wagyu pattie (not overcooked but pink in the middle) with pickles, habenero mustard & lemon mayonnaise.

For my part it actually could have packed more punch but was very tasty and made His eyes water (but he has no stamina)! Maybe some additional spicy sauce could be offered on the side for the more daring as I do realise it can be a fine balance for a varied crowd.  Service was excellent, friendly, efficient and there when needed.

Confession:  I may have had a peanut butter & chocolate shake but there is no evidence left to prove it... and it was everything it promised on the menu!

Don't tell anyone...!!

He Says

I am a huge burger fan. This can be both a blessing and a curse - a great burger has me in heaven, while a burger badly-done will see me leaving angry and never to return...  I was definitely in a burger mood when we came across Southern Attitude, and the menu looked promising - but I didn't want to ruin a good date night with a dodgy burger! We took a chance anyway and headed on in...

I went straight for the "Burgers & Hoagies" section of the menu, and there was a great range to select from.  I was initially going to go for the Spicy Texas Burger, but She went for that - so I opted for the Smoked Double Bacon Cheese Burger instead.  There's an extensive beer menu (plenty of craft, imported, & local options) but as it was a 'school night', I gave the hard stuff a miss and ordered an A&W root beer to wash it all down.

The burgers and sides (onion rings & fries) were served up attractively on a wooden platter.  I was very pleased, it all looked great!! I waited very patiently for Her to take the obligatory pics before I dove in to my burger.

How good does that look!!

Let's get straight to it - I loved my Cheese Burger! The bacon was smoky, the pickles were bitey, and the wagyu patty was juicy and pink in the middle. It was a cracking burger, definitely one of the better burgers I've ever had.

Halfway through, I did the swap with Her. I've always believed a good burger has some nice crispy lettuce on it, and so thought the Spicy Texas Burger would be the pick of the two - but to my surprise, I thought the Cheese Burger was better! I definitely enjoyed the Texas though, but next time would go for the Cheese all to myself

The sides were good too. The fries were thick and crunchy. The onion rings were not what I expected - I always imagine big, battered rings of awesomeness, but these were smaller and crumbed! They were a very tasty variation though, and they get a thumbs up from me.

My only criticism was the lack of any condiments or sauces on the table. They would have been nice to squirt on the side of the plate for the fries and onion rings - maybe some chilli or tomato sauce, or something along those lines.

I'm looking forward to our next movie night at Balmoral so I can work my way through the rest of their menu, especially the ribs and some of the entrees. We might make it a 'non-school night' so we can hit the bar menu for the beers and cocktails as well!

Some friendly advice on the wall of our booth...

The Details

Address: 189 Oxford St, Bulimba QLD 4171
Ph: 07 3217 9600
Reviews: Urbanspoon, Yelp, TripAdvisor
Cost: $$
Notes: They also do takeaway!

Little Sista Cafe, Coorparoo

One of our favourite breakfast destinations is Little Sista Cafe. It certainly helps that it's local to us, you can find it on Chatsworth Rd at Coorparoo.  They have just moved to a 'table service' model, and the young, enthusiastic staff are doing a terrific job - they certainly give the place a positive vibe.

She Says

You know school is back when your'e dragging protesting teenagers out of bed for swim squad at ungodly hours.  Fortunately for me there's a great new local Brisbane cafe I discovered that offers fabulous Campos coffee for the mad dash (caffeine addicts will know what I'm talking about) but is also a wonderful treat for hungry teens post swim or to enjoy a leisurely breakfast or lunch with friends.  As you may have gathered I have tried all of these options in recent weeks - purely for research purposes of course ;)

Firstly, and most importantly, the coffee is Campos and is excellent!

The 'breakfast salad' was delicious, healthy and pretty, with baby spinach, roasted capsicum, zesty almonds & a poached egg nestled on top.

MissSixteen is a big fan of the avocado on sourdough with feta & zesty roast almonds & a balsamic glaze, it was a fresh, healthy and perfect accompanied by a fresh watermelon & mint juice.

Confession - I may have also tried the waffles with ice cream, strawberries & chocolate honeycomb sauce one morning and yesterday was compelled to try the new gourmet beef burger on brioche bun with slaw & a cute side of beer battered chips, it was scrumptious and the perfect answer to a combined lunch and dinner on the go!!

He Says

I'm an Eggs Benedict lover. For me, its definitely a 'litmus test' dish. The Little Sista version definitely passed the test for me!!

The poached eggs were runny, the hollandaise sauce was nice & creamy (without being overpowering), and the bacon was cooked just right.  Probably wouldn't have minded some spinach or mushrooms to jazz it up a bit more (you can buy them as an additional extra, but reckon they could easily be a 'standard'), but still was very enjoyable.

Decent-sized serve, leaving you not hungry but also not waddling out like a piggy!  Coffee was pretty good. I ordered a mug of flat white, and enjoyed it.

The menu was a good one, and I'm looking forward to trying a few more dishes. I particularly liked the look of Her 'breakfast salad', and am planning on getting that next time we go...

The Details

Address - 5/148 Chatsworth Rd, Coorparoo, 4151.
Ph: 0421 130 564
Urbanspoon: Little Sista
Cost: $$
Notes: Coffee reward card available.

The cute 'house cat' lazing around