TL;DR: It has some of the touches of trendy places, taking in what can help elevate the reputation of its name, but it does not throw out the baby with the bathwater. Instead, it uses those touches by acquiring them with much of the traditional aspects of running a cafe. Essentially, Andonis is like going back to basics with the knowledge intact for the more advanced stages, something which is rarely given that much thought - and to all that effort, it really does show.
Just about one of the last places in town that would come to mind with finding anything substantial to eat before going further afield, the staff whom are behind Andonis prove that location can matter just as much in that manner as it does with where the competition is fierce. Straddling itself just between the expanse of suburbia and within the industrial section of the Moorooka area, about the only other landmark around here is the 24/7 gym in which the cafe seems well catered towards. Taking a further step backward, having it be hidden and needing to go exploring to find it only adds more towards the character and the ambiance of this cafe. It also helps matters that the food here is pretty good quality, and the service alongside it showcases some well-trained staff, with it getting housed by a well-thought out decor among trees. All year round, this should be a good destination to hit up.
Come around to the weekend again, it was the usual round of finding somewhere for breakfast. More often than not, my house mate is right on this and does he have a list of future places or what? This was one that had been on his mind for a while, and I have seen it pop up on the UberEats app as well. All that must mean it is partially on the map. Nevertheless, going here for breakfast what that meant was him getting the old airhorn app up on the phone and blowing me awake with it. After that, it was off to Andonis for breakfast.
Popular is a good word to describe this place, even if it is hidden down an industrial side street. During the outing to here, there as an adjacent reservation which ended up having over a dozen patrons turning up. This is what happens when a good reputation is on show, and from a combination of the decor, the quality of the food, and great service, Andonis definitely has that reputation to behold.
Unlike many areas in town, this place gets the opportunity to manage both outside and inside to decorate and set up the ideal aesthetic. The outside area definitely deserves some adoration with how good it looks. This is no dining one the cross-walk tha clients have to retire to when hearing about "al fresco" dining, but instead has been paved well with a beautiful design that many should want in their own kitchen. This is behind a big tree that offers shade when it is sunny, while still allowing folks to soak up the sun on fine days. The inside is fairly straightforward and simple with their design choice, not being too much more than an entrance area and the big room. Inside are a few tables, with a few paintings adorning the walls. One thing I did like about the set up is having the collection point be right at the cusp of the dining area - efficiency at its most beautiful.
With the service, it has that aura of it being a start-up from the get go, yet the staff certainly have not dived headlong into the operations. In other words, they have a good knowledge of the basics with customer service including being attentive and asking how things are going during the meal. It is a case that over time, they will be able to sharpen all the skills and start taking in nuances. The young staff had good communication skills, were organised very well, brought out the orders in an efficient manner, and that is just the basics. It only takes walking near the doorway for them to beckon you in, and right from the get-go they bring the waters. It is safe to say they are off to a good start.
The menu at Andonis is very much cafe-style fare, with a lot of focus on making it healthy - again, note the gym across the road. Starting off the breakfasts, every meal is substantial in several ways. The all-day breakfast selection is one of the most carnivore friendly ones that I have ever seen in my life. In the same sort of vein of those meaty dishes, for the less flesh-inclined folks they also have a good selection that is pretty substantial. Pancakes have their own section at the end, plus the last section for breakfast leaves it up to clients to build their own breakfast.
When it comes to lunch time, the fare they offer is fairly basic stuff - the majority of the items are either burgers or salads. Going strong on the fitness idea without getting into the gimmicky feel of it they have steaks, healthy vegan options, plus other specialty items. Last and not least is the cabinet, where all sorts of sweet treats lie.
Coming around to the drinks menu, there is no shortage of something to treat yourself to. Coffee rules supreme yet again, having each of the standard favourites on offer. Tea also comes around, and is not cast aside with quality either - Tea Drop being the source for their stock. If it is something a little more on the cold side that is being sought, boy do they have some good choices to select. Juice is the first one, with breakfast being their main seller, and it goes from the one fruit variety, to their own selected combinations. With the latter, the big plus is that it is no extra cost. Other drinks include smoothies, milkshakes, and the iced drinks, with a final touch of the usual sodas for those who simply want one of those.
It was with a quick flourish that they went on to asking about the drinks to start the meal - coffee here, and coffee always. We all often decide between several choices with just one shove over the line - for my house mate, Andonis won out for the coffee beans they have chosen. In other words folks, we have ourselves Fonize Abbott. Throughout the coffee drinking years, Campos set the bar's standards (and dragged me into coffee); a few years down the line in trying out Fonzie Abbott, over time that blend itself raised that bar and turned into the gold standard. When it comes to getting a coffee out, it does not get any better than this. The texture is smooth, as is the flavour which from memory they gave a profile of - I can't remember it for the life of me though. Plus, presentation can really make for an extra impression. Nothing is there to hide behind with a simple espresso, hence if the barista wants to display it in the short glass - the best way to present it, by the by - they got to know their stuff. They knew it here, they knew it pretty well. This was strong coffee that went down a treat.
What I ended up ordering was the Triple Decker Breakfast Stack. This was essentially a burger for breakfast, Beef patties, American cheese, maple-infused bacon, lettuce and tomato, pickles, plus the secret sauce on English muffins. Maybe one of the weirdest questions that I have asked during my time here, but ever wanted to get a Big Mac for breakfast? My answer.... it never crossed my mind to be honest. That question only comes up, because as the snap can tell you, it practically looks like you get a Big Mac for breakfast - three different buns. This baby comes with a side of sweet potato fries. And it was quite a good meal, one that worked as well as it sounds. Each item was good quality, especially the beef patties using a good cut of meat, and the bacon being its crispy old self. At its heart, this is the perfect sort of burger just short of some nice cheese. As good as fries always are, occasionally a break from them with the sweet potato option is nice - it is a completely different taste and aroma. The serving size of the fries was one more plus to the place.
Andonis is definitely one place that is worth trying, one that is eclectic and experimental for the area of town it resides. They don't go on this gimmick alone, and build upon it with a great reputation and very attentive service. If there was a place that was built from the ground up - the idea, how things are run, getting their name out there, everything - it would resemble Andonis in a lot of ways. That is about the highest compliment something can be given, and it not only looks like a place that you would want to go to, but sitting inside it feels like a place that you don't want to leave.
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