Why I felt so rude eating at this cafe

From fried chicken waffles to green bowls and smoothies, this recently opened Brisbane southside cafe has something for everyone - but you might feel rude when you go to order.

I’m so sorry, I feel so rude,” I say to my friend. “Me too,” she replies as we both stare at our phones while seated at the recently launched cafe Rabbit & Co in Coorparoo, in Brisbane’s south.

But we’re not scrolling Instagram or adding a selfie to our Snapchat stories like poorly mannered, tech-obsessed teenagers, we’re reading the eatery’s menu. COVID-19 has fast-tracked the use of contactless ordering systems at many restaurants and cafes where diners simply peruse food and drink options on their phone, select what they want and purchase it with just the click of a button.

The nordic-inspired interiors at Rabbit & Co cafe in Coorparoo. Picture: Mark Cranitch.

It’s actually incredibly efficient and, as everyone can order independently to the same table, it can be a great way of splitting the bill – especially if you have one of those friends who orders twice as much as everyone else but insists on dividing the cheque evenly. But there’s no denying it can feel like a harsh betrayal of basic dining etiquette. Ordering methods aside, the menu at Rabbit & Co is an enticing one.

There’s an all-day breakfast offering (well illustrated with dish photos on the Bopple ordering app) running from simple pleasures like a big brekky and eggs Benedict to on-trend items such as poke bowls, breakfast bao buns and potato hash cakes served like a tapas dish of croquettes with lemon creme fraiche. An all-day lunch menu expands the variety even further with cafe faves such as fish and chips, a raft of burgers and a greenhouse of salads.

The crispy chicken waffle at Rabbit & Co. Picture: Mark Cranitch.

We go for something a little naughty – crispy chicken waffles ($22.90) – and a little bit nice – the super green breakfast ($18.90). The first features a maple syrup-soaked waffle supporting a huge chunk of fried chicken and a kale and apple slaw underneath a tent of crisp bacon rashers and a flood of sriracha-tinted kewpie mayonnaise. The waffle is sweeter than a preschool kiss and needs to ditch the maple syrup, but the rest is a triumph with bags of flavour and personality. Then there’s the super green breakfast starring broccolini, kale, sugar snaps, green beans and spinach all sauteed to verdant perfection on a puddle of nutty hummus beneath two eggs poached to textbook specifications. It’s the type of breakfast you can eat in your activewear and feel superior about your health choices without having to step into a gym. To earn your fitspo hashtag, team it with the summer greens juice ($7.50) potent with kale and cucumber, sweetened with pineapple and mint. Or there’s Bear Bones Espresso coffee (from $4) – served strong and bitter – alongside teas, smoothies, milkshakes and more.

The “Super Green Breakfast” with hummus, poached eggs and green vegetables. Picture: Mark Cranitch.

Rabbit & Co is the third eatery for restaurateur Mandy Metcalf, who owns The Rabbit Hole Cafe in Wynnum and Seven Hills, and is the most modern and minimalistic of the three with picnic-style bench seating wrapping around the exterior of the corner store, while inside is a Scandi dream of white and natural wood tones, banquette seating and cute stools.

It’s completely in tune with the cafe’s up-market location, as are the staff who are friendly and sweet, if a little inexperienced. The true indicator of a good cafe is whether or not you’d return, and my friend, who lives six minutes away, said it may just become her new local.

RABBIT & CO

5/148 Chatsworth Rd, Coorparoo

0409 577 048

Open daily 7am-2pm

VERDICT – Scores out of 5

Food 3.5

Ambience 3.5

Service 3.5

Value 3

Overall3.5