Cafe 63: Ashgrove

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The Cafe 63 chain has opened in Ashgrove, offering a new casual dining experience for the whole family.



If you have dined out in Brisbane, you have likely come across Cafe 63, an informal, comfortable cafe offering hearty, foodie favourites at reasonable prices.

Cafe 63 is a series of cafes/dine-in eateries with its name taken from its first location at 63 Racecourse Road in Hamilton Brisbane. Having now grown to over 40 stores in Brisbane, Ipswich, Gold Coast, Toowoomba and Perth, Cafe 63 has opened one of its eateries in the heart of Ashgrove, just 5 kilometres from the Brisbane Central Business District.

Those who know Ashgrove will recognise that Cafe 63 is situated in the hub of the Ashgrove Central Plaza and takes on a large space vacated by the National Australia Bank in a narrow arcade on Waterworks Road.

Having opened on 31 July 2023, the Ashgrove cafe is visibly noticeable with its trademark monochrome black and white stripe markings which can be easily seen from a distance.



Fresh Flowers
The first thing I noticed during my visit was the outdoor flower cart at the entrance with fresh blooms in small, reasonably priced bouquets. Other merchandise pieces to take with you are VIP beans for your home, work or office and four sizes of cafe 63 enamel cups.

Layout
Cafe 63 offers outdoor and indoor seating options. Outside is a small selection of tables, covered by outdoor umbrellas to shade from the weather and a slab of astroturf on the ground - which also continues inside. This is perfect for little spills and unexpected food drops. If you don't have enough time to stay, there is also a stand-alone coffee window directly beside the main seated cafe to grab a quick dose of caffeine on the run.

Amidst the decor are some quirky elements like the clock on the wall with 12 little pigs where numbers usually rest.



What's On the Menu?
The menu. Well, that is legendary at Cafe 63. To say it is extensive is a wild understatement. The four-page A3-sized menu is designed as a newspaper broadsheet and is jam-packed with options covering breakfast, lunch, brunch, dessert and dinner.

The names of the meals have always been something of a puzzle to some visitors. Favourite places, famous faces, Disney characters, and Moments in Time all find their way onto this 4-page broadsheet.

How about ordering a dish named after a sports star (like former race car driver Michael Schumacher, tennis bad boy John McEnroe and cricketing legend Bradman) or maybe eclectic artists (Picasso, Warhol and Dali)? And, of course, for the kids, there are Disney characters (Donald Duck, Minnie Mouse and Sleepy). And that is just the start. It is quite a read and makes selecting just that little bit harder.

Food Menu
Over the 4 pages, the broad groupings of food offerings include a variety of:
Bacon and eggs, omelettes, pancakes, waffles, croissants & crepes
Breakfast steak, pork and lamb
Vegetable rosti & pies
Sandwiches, wraps & burgers
Pasta, seafood & soups
Sweets



Don't get me started on the extras. There are over 100 extras that you can add to your meal from halloumi sliced pork belly or whipped cream. Phew.

Some of the standout items that caught my attention were the Paper white at $16 which features smoked salmon, coleslaw, Monet tomatoes with Italian dressing, mashed avo, fresh chilli and roasted macadamia nuts. The Ross was another eye-opener featuring roasted Turkish sandwich rib fillet 100g medium rare, peri peri may, green leaves, grilled onion, tomato, garnish greek yoghurt top with roasted macadamia nuts.

Drinks Menu
There is a thirst-quenching option for everyone including:

All are very reasonably priced. Some start from just $5 (like the bacon and scrambled egg wrap) going through to $30 (for the cajun grilled salmon or barramundi)

Kids Menu
The menu is available to kids of all ages which is great for those of us who like smaller portions or just the chance to order a couple of things without feeling guilty. The kid's menu features all of the cafe's favourites, both simple and something offering a little more. There's cheese on toast, pancakes, chicken nuggets, waffles, fish, burgers and more. There are even baked beans for the traditionalists

My experience at Cafe 63 Ashgrove was comfortable and easy. Orders were taken quickly, the staff were pleasant and the food was delivered without delay. Being new, the Cafe has that just been painted look and was very fresh and inviting. My guest and I went for breakfast and enjoyed the Val (Bacon, scrambled egg and toast), Ascot (scones with whipped cream and Oscar (banana bread), Mercury smoothie and a hot Chai Latte. We left pleased with our choices. The mains had a homemade feel as if straight from Mum's kitchen. Not flash and overstated, just simply and satisfying



Yes, being a franchise means that the Ashgrove store could be considered much the same as a Cafe 63 anywhere, but something is comforting in the predictability of knowing you are likely to experience what you can hope to expect and the reliability of the products. It's easy to replicate a product that clearly works.

What Else
Cafe 63 Ashgrove is located at 223 Waterworks Road, Ashgrove. The bus stop is located directly outside. open 7 days from 5:30am - 9pm. To phone ahead of your visit, you can contact them on 0433 971 097 with a pickup and delivery service on offer.

Cafe 63 is a great spot to catch up with friends, grab a bite to eat and drink on your own or just watch the passers-by in this western city suburb.

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