Think about where most of the highest-regarded coffee places tend to be in Brisbane for a moment. Not just the suburbs and parts of towns, but more so general location. Well, sometimes something has to buck the trend as per usual. You will find this little place off the main road and (because it has to buck trends, not hidden behind the main road) after a few more terms - hence its namesake. Despite how hidden it is, plenty of people have gotten the word that is out on the street.
Weekend schedule as per usual, time to do the grocery shopping but also the collateral agenda - find a new coffee place nearby. This one was one that both my dining buddy and I had heard a lot about, and had yet to visit. In addition to that, we have tried out the offspring cafe which was pretty good in itself. Also, the supermarket was in the general idea. So with all of these pieces being able to be added together, coffee time.
This is one of the few times in which I can say that I have been behind the counter. By saying this, some of the seating inside went aligned with the counter, and was more to the corner left as opposed to directly behind. Inside the cafe, it is really low key. The lighting is pretty low and dim and relies on natural sunlight coming from outside, there is quite a few tables - comfortable and also relaxed - for seating and a number of them are al fresco. It even includes a couch for the maximum relaxed feel. From looking at the photos, it certainly is not much to be seen; what matters though is the feeling of it. And from the ultra-friendly service, you can bet that is has a great atmosphere that is homely and inviting - it is why this place has such a number of ardent customers whom have become regulars.
On the side wall, there is an extensive gallery of tourist photos from around the world. In these photos, customers have taken a coffee cup with the blend logo to various places - sometimes even famous tourist attractions - as mementos. Some of them are quite effective, some are cute and it is more a game to see where you recognise. You can see it as an unusual version of a passport.
At Backstreet Espresso, the mainstay is without a doubt their coffee (it is in the name). In addition to that, they have a variety of sweets, and pastries to go with the coffee orders. The food orders are all simple and straightforward in composition. It is essentially an all-day breakfast menu, but don't expect any fry ups here. It is mostly bakery items, a few sandwiches and (if you find yourself here on the weekend) some special crepes.
The coffee beans that they use here is from Elixir. To me, this finds itself between all of the mid-carders and my favourites of the coffee blends that are around. In the hands of a really competent barista, it can be really good. Whether going on your way, or staying and having a seat, each coffee order comes with a sample of their signature brownie.
As per usual, the coffee order in which I had was a doppio. On the side, the brownie was delicious. Albeit just a bite size, it was a soft and delicious morsel that had a good amount of chocolate flavour to it. Certainly a full sized serving would be tantamount to heavenly. This coffee was also really good, it was smooth had that distinct flavour of coffee done well that is not bitter and somewhat near sweet in flavour. It was strong and just right in temperature - certainly hot, but nothing that will be too bad on your tongue. It was just right.
Even though I have now become a black coffee drinker in past months, sometimes when my dining buddy has a good cappuccino - a really good cappuccino - he just has to offer me to have a sip. This was one of those times. Granted, there are less aspects to make such a distinction between a decent and great cup with a simple black coffee as opposed to a more milky coffee like so. And to its credit, if I were to be drinking my cappucinos still - this would be the coffees that would look forward to each time. The milk was brilliantly textured, and the foam was creamy. It blended into the well-extracted espresso brilliantly. So, guess you can say two for two.
So, to have something on the side as per usual. Somehow, I ended up with a toasty (I do sometimes have a hard to understand voice) and it was a good one at that. Simple composition, egg, bacon, some spinach and lots of barbecue sauce with a side of tomato relish for spreading or dipping. As a snack size, this was substantially portioned. It was fairly messy to eat, with the thick, slightly fruity sauce practically oozing out of every cavity. Granted, as with the spinach, good as it was it seemed like an afterthought (to add some token freshness to a debatable item) and they did not put a lot of it in. However, it was still relatively fresh and add a bit of the cooked, wilted flavour that spinach has when not cooked for too long. The bacon might have benefited a bit more from some cooking, though please take that with a grain of salt as this is a person who really likes it to be very crispy. Adding onto that, the over-hard egg rounded it all up. This would not be as good as it was if it weren't for the choice of bread that they used, something quite substantial and chewy which escapes my mind at the moment. So, basically a simple thing done fairly well.
Why it is such a good coffee place, I can easily see. Not so much for food, but it can do well in conjunction with it. What really ties Backstreet Espresso as a whole is the people behind it, and the atmosphere that seeps through it. It is quirky without being phony. Definitely try it if you want a good coffee.
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