For the locals at the Gabba, or residents of the apartments behind it, or working at the Government department over the road, this is just a perfect oasis. Replacing a soulless, over-produced corporation's version of coffee, the real deal comes here with a relaxed vibe, great service, and a distinct character that will keep bringing people back.
This is Beartown. It's comfortable, the food that they serve is wholesome and made in-house, and it looks like the place is here to stay for quite a while. Among all the outlets at the entrance to the apartments, it rests well and feels more like a homely place that anything else. I have heard some hearsay about it, the equivalent of a vague whisper, and have gone past it numerous times. Therefore, it was certainly in mind to try out some time and I am glad that it did - it is a standard kind of coffee place, but one that tries its hand at service and succeeds.
Let's just cut to the chase with getting here, shall we? A general maxim going between me and my dining buddy is that trying the local outlets is ideal, and Woolloongabba is more or less local (put in the time to get here by car, and it can be described as local - let's just say that) plus if it is a coffee place, that is also ideal. Put two and two together, and there is Beartown as a good nominee.
Whatever comes to mind with the atmosphere of a "coffee shop" that people tend to talk about, for me this would be quite close to it. It is right on the corner, or it is analogous to the corner, having doors open two ways to give a chilled through-flow. Around the place are all kinds of bear decorations, including the wallpaper. Seating is pretty casual, and there are outdoor tables on astroturf
With the whole theme going of having bears around the place as decorations, what is easily the best one is the mascot animatronic. Yes, you read that one correctly. Standing in the corner, his name is "Al the Bear". The waitresses there were not only friendly, but enthusiastic with the place. That included taking a bit of time to showcase what Al does, switching him on. He roared loud, and moved around and it was pretty cool - not quite Freddy Fazbear, but certainly no Care Bear. I can imagine him being used for when sports games are on at the adjacent stadium. If you are on the right terms with them, and it is not too busy, this will probably happen as well. And yes, that warranted its own paragraph.
Service at these sorts of places is usually really good, and there is often a sense more of being relaxed. It helps with the atmosphere greatly, and keeps that calm pace in tow. Even if it is not for very long, a coffee isn't too arduous or time consuming to make so that also works in that regard. What especially helped was how friendly and interactive the young lasses here were. They engaged from time to time, had conversations and it was enough to think much better of the whole experience. Maybe my order took a bit more time, though I was not in any particular rush - therefore no real complaints there.
At Beartown, the menu is kept quite simple. At any one time, there is only a handful of items on the breakfast and lunch menus, along with a variety of sweets offered on the counter. The lunch menu is one that is often rotated, and kept fresh with options. It still keeps in the general theme, and is not unlike the breakfast menu - that is a handful of basics, the usual cafe fare to be expected. When it come to drinks, just expect the usuals - coffees, teas, milkshakes, iced coffees et al.
And speaking of coffee, what I had was a doppio. Both times that I had it, it was a single origin bean from India. The flavour of it was a chocolatey one, with some nutty undertones. Both times as well, the coffee was perfectly extracted and was at the pitch perfect temperature to drink readily and have a smooth texture on the tongue. Add onto that, a decent crema and it is a pretty solid coffee.
For my meal, I went and ordered a croque monsieur. Basically a toasted ham and cheese sandwich, this one had some bechamel sauce poured on top, and there was a garnish of rocket to complete it. With me, as much as I can like a good toasted ham and cheese sandwich, when it comes down to it - even when there is a melted lot of cheese on top of said sandwich - it is ultimately a ham and cheese sandwich. There is not that much that can be rightfully critiqued about it at length. Although in saying that, this one could have been a little bit better. Maybe it could cooked a bit more, or got more cheese on to really make a melty texture. But to be fair, those are minor gripes. It was a good, solid and filling meal with fresh, meat leg ham, and the bread they used was also great quality. For being a wholesome comfort food, this will definitely do.
Heading off afterwards, I went and got a sweet for the road. It is almost too hard to bypass, an almond croissant. Something about the rich and buttery pastry around a smooth almond butter paste, makes for a great sweet treat. Often they are served at a substantial size, and are good until the last bite. That was the case as per usual right here.
The 4.0 here is more or less to point out that it is another solid addition around this nape of the woods. It really does not have much more to say about it. This is the standards that are now expected from cafes these days, so we are in good times. Just keep positive that getting high levels of service and quality fare is pretty much in the books.
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