Review: Café at Robbo’s

Posted on 21 November, 2014

If I asked you what kinds of shops had cafes, what would your answer be? If you’d asked me two weeks ago, I would have said nurseries and IKEA (love those Swedish meatballs). Definitely not a Harley-Davidson dealership. But that’s just where Café at Robbo’s is. And like the cafes in nurseries and IKEA, it’s a café that anyone can go to, not just those who are there to shop.

Café at Robbo’s recently changed ownership, and its new manager, Jaymee, and barista, Josh, have completely overhauled the menu. They kindly invited me along to check out the café and try the food. Jaymee explained that their aim is to offer fresh, healthy food and drinks, made from locally sourced ingredients, including bread from Autolyse and Cosomorex coffee.

Located on Canberra Avenue in Fyshwick, my friend and I almost missed the turn off to the offshoot street that runs parallel to the main road (ok that was my fault, I was driving and talking too much). Luckily, it was easy to spot the Harley-Davidson signage to know where to go (next time I’ll know just to get on the side street earlier).

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Walking in, we were greeted by rows of shiny motorcycles to our right, and the café to the left—a nice open space with clean lines, Harley-Davidson memorabilia on the wall, and Jaymee and Josh’s smiling faces behind the counter.

[pe2-image src=”http://lh3.ggpht.com/-ArynyC60F9E/VGsKFQGWVQI/AAAAAAAAMio/ZWCPMiJNKU8/s144-c-o/IMG_5853.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/108454826374315674707/CafeAtRobboS#6082966807031207170″ caption=”The lovely Jaymee and Josh” type=”image” alt=”IMG_5853.JPG” pe2_single_image_size=”w614″ pe2_img_align=”center” pe2_caption=”1″ ]

I had just driven back from Sydney and was starving, so I ordered a bacon and egg artisan sandwich with barbeque sauce. I had brought a friend with me, and she decided on an omelette and a strawberry smoothie.

My friend’s omelette arrived first. While you can pick what you want in your omelette, she let Jaymee decide, and so was presented with a cheese, ham, mushroom, tomato, and onion omelette. At $5.50, it was a decent size for the price, and my friend really enjoyed it (I tasted it too, and it was yum!).

[pe2-image src=”http://lh5.ggpht.com/-QMq5AKJCsl4/VGsLPRmQABI/AAAAAAAAMjM/nE_OEJ-CdtI/s144-c-o/2014-11-11%25252014.21.49.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/108454826374315674707/CafeAtRobboS#6082968078743765010″ caption=”Ham, cheese, mushroom, onion and tomato omelette” type=”image” alt=”2014-11-11 14.21.49.jpg” pe2_single_image_size=”w614″ pe2_img_align=”center” pe2_caption=”1″ ]

My bacon and egg artisan arrived shortly after, and it was quite impressive looking (especially at a price of $7.50). I can be quite particular about eggs on breakfast-type food, as in I get grumpy when they’re overdone (e.g. cooked all the way through when I ask for them poached), but I was very pleased to see that the yolk on my sandwich had soaked through the bread a little at the top—just the way I like it. There was a decent amount of bacon, and overall I was pretty pleased with it, the only downside being that it was served on a napkin on the plate, which stuck to the bottom a little, but that was easily removed.

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My friend had also ordered a strawberry smoothie, and while she said it tasted more like a milkshake than a smoothie, she enjoyed it.

[pe2-image src=”http://lh6.ggpht.com/-1JNwGKxtB3g/VGsJMv0ohjI/AAAAAAAAMiI/Px6Da-crVFc/s144-c-o/2014-11-11%25252014.11.22.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/108454826374315674707/CafeAtRobboS#6082965836294293042″ caption=”Strawberry smoothie” type=”image” alt=”2014-11-11 14.11.22.jpg” pe2_single_image_size=”w614″ pe2_img_align=”center” pe2_caption=”1″ ]

With a number of delicious looking cakes and pastries at the counter, Josh proudly tells that Jaymee had made the croissants and the cupcakes. Unfortunately (fortunately?) I was quite full from my bacon and egg sandwich, so I couldn’t squeeze in dessert, but I definitely want to go back and try some of the sweet offerings next time. For those of you who are gluten intolerant or coeliac, there are a range of cookies and cakes that you can enjoy too.

While it’s not necessarily somewhere you might think of going to eat, it’s actually pretty conveniently located if you’re on your way to or from Fyshwick. For office workers nearby looking for somewhere to grab lunch, the food is quick and really reasonably priced; and for those of you with children, it’s kid-friendly with colouring-in books to keep your little ones entertained.

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My friend and I both agreed the food was good and great value for money. Jaymee and Josh were so nice, and so enthusiastic about the new menu and their ideas for the café that my friend and I want to go back (not just for the food), but to see how it progresses (including a big mural planned for the wall).

So if you’re around the area, why not stop by and check it out?

The author and her friend dined courtesy of Café at Robbo’s. But will be going back!

The essentials
The place: Café at Robbo’s
Where: 281 Canberra Avenue, Fyshwick (inside Robbo’s Harley Davidson)
When: 8.30am-4pm Monday to Friday, and 9am-2pm Saturday
Food: Café-style food, plus homemade croissants, cupcakes, banana bread
Drinks: Coffee, tea, soft drinks, juices, milkshakes, smoothies
Phone: (02) 6280 6939