Christopher Linton
When I come to a cafe, I expect to be served in the order of the line so we were patiently waiting.
Unfortunately we were pushed a head of by two people by who I was told was the owner.
And who I was told was the owners wife said nothing as I looked to her giving her a sign of opportunity to rectify the absolute rudeness from the gentleman.
Sadly the coffee is not the best. Its drinkable - and what a great space they have here next to the Griffith University.
To the students next door:
There are much better coffee providers but I understand convenience is key when it comes to getting a caffeine fix. But listen to your own inner critic
Don't fool yourselves - with what seems like absolutely no staff retention and the mannerisms of the instability of their customer service ethics, do yourself a favor by doing better.
This sign says one of Brisbane's best cafes. It's also false and misleading advertising - don't been fooled this sign, it couldn't be further from the truth.
Leesa and Andrew Behrens
Great coffee. Great meal. Food fresh and tasty. Service very friendly and made sure we were happy with everything. Can understand why so many people go there.
ironmaiden12369
I was getting my coffee & some guy was getting his order made. The lady making coffees said zero words to him when she finished his order. She then just stared at me as if to indicate its my turn to order. I asked for a coffee and then asked how her mornings been. "Good." She replied.
No words spoken to me after that.
Only come here if you want to be treated like trash that doesn't deserve being spoken to, or even greeted.
I gave the place 2 stars instead of 1 because the coffee was pretty good - all things considered haha. :)
Sarah Pullen
Would not recommend wasting your hard earned money here. Rude older lady took our order very begrudgingly; felt like we were an inconvenience and that she didn’t want us in her cafe. We only stayed due to wanting something to eat quickly before the show started at QPAC otherwise we would have left mid order and found somewhere else worthy of our money
Kylie Hind
Don't eat here. I would leave 0 stars if possible. Very rude lady serving at the counter, she wanted cash but then didn't have change, couldn't order lactose free iced coffee as apparently they are pre made, so asked for one anyhow to be told they had run out, long wait, cold food, disgusting. Family couldn't eat it. How hard is it to get toasted ham and cheese croissants and bacon and eggs right? Apparently they could only serve scrambled eggs, not fried egg. Worst experience, from rudest owner ever. We also watched her chastising and abusing her staff. Ruined our visit to southbank.
Kayla Adrichem
We waited 20 mins to even get served! It was chaos no one had any idea what they were doing, told a 15 min wait on coffees which was fine! Ordered 2 milkshakes, brownie and a croissant (premade in the cupboard). So very minimal order. Orders sat there getting cold customers actually had to come up and ask if that was theirs! 20 mins past still nothing, so 40 mins we were there at this point (watching 3 crates of milk sitting in the sun gross). She finally called out for the croissant, answered it got chucked on the back bench even though I was standing at the counter (38 weeks pregnant so I was starving). I waited another 5 before actually asking for the food before it got cold boy that was a drama! Then asked for a refund on the milkshakes she responded with I’ll make them right now! 50 mins later!!!! Finally got them, they were hot (what did I expect with milk sitting in the sun, so they went in the bin). It wasn’t that busy the menu is super super limited so it’s not rocket science! I was beyond appalled… and health dept definitely notified! Disgusting… service, food and just the whole deal!
Thomas Marsh
The current 3 star rating that it has doesnt do it justice, the food was amazing and great value for Brisbane where other places are way more expensive. The staff are really warm and welcoming and the coffee was perfect. Go here for a little hidden gem
Ivett Molnar
An old rude lady served us refused to give us the receipt. Also she took the pillows under my children and my mum saying that they belong to the sofa and not the chair. There was another 10 pillows avaiable. Food was ok however she should learn to be kind.
Angela Jones Zillman
Vile, foul abusive owner. Abused my daughter for ordering a boost before being about to order here. Gone past offence and has broken the law. DO NOT VISIT THIS CAFE.
Jessica
NEVER EAT HERE.<br/><br/>It was a terrible and awful experience. We were abused by the old male owner just because we mistakenly brought outside snack while ordering coffee from there. I'll never come back to this place.<br/><br/>I was there to drink some coffee with my friend. we brought our snack but we were going to leave after we take our coffee. i was sitting there with the food on the table while waiting for my friend to order the coffee. Owner came out and literally said ''take this shit and get out'' i was very shocked by how he treated us. He even used f word and called the snack as 'shit'. I was trying to explain that my friend is ordering coffee from you and i will leave after that but he cut me off and kept on saying 'i don't care what you say, just get out with this shit. read this sign. we sell our gourmet food here. if you want to have your food then go eat there where you bought' ......... i was left speechless.. i had to leave before i take my coffee and i had to stand outside..extremely rude way to tell customer no out side food. We weren't even going to eat it from there. Owners treated us like piece of shit and he swore in front of us. Worst customer service ever in my life. I'm still shocked. Wish i could report this place.<br/><br/>No wonder why the cafe is dead quite and most reviews have the same kind of problem that we had.
Richard Ayton
Great Breakfast using fresh local produce, the coffee also very good! Was nice chatting with the owner and their friendly staff - enjoyed our experience so we came back the next day. I recommend the BBQ King Prawns, wow!
Nao Lou
I was attending an event at the Queensland Conservatorium in October - the annual Integrity 20 conference - and absent mindedly took a small amount of my remaining conference morning tea on a small paper plate to sit down at this cafe while I spoke with one of my colleagues and another went to order coffee for us all from the Blue Basement. I normally do not do this and know better than to take outside food to a cafe however on this occasion my colleague and I were excited about the presentations we'd just seen and were chatting intensely and I simply was not mindful about what I was doing. It was a shock then when the owner of the cafe a later middle aged man came to our table and started berating us both in a disproportionately aggressive manner. We both indicated our apology for bringing outside food, tried to pack it up to put it in the bin, and indicated that we were waiting for our friend to bring coffees purchased from their cafe. The owner then began imitating us saying "can't you read... my friend my friend... read the sign will ya... yeah I heard it all before" etc. etc. I was shocked by both the aggression of this person and his insistence on continuing to berate us aggressively even after we had both indicated compliance and regret about the outside food. <br/><br/>I then began to say to the man "yes we understand, yes we understand" which I then escalated to "please stop now, please stop" to "OK just stop!" to which he just became increasingly inflamed and angry toward us and continued his abuse. We stood to leave and as we did the man CONTINUED to abuse us and began throwing cafe chairs around behind us as we walked away. <br/><br/>I sincerely cannot believe that this took place in the ABC building at a venue immediately outside of the Griffith University Queensland Conservatorium.<br/><br/>I hold great reservations about the suitability of this owner to conduct a business in a location such as this or any location in Australia.
Matthew Brennan
This place sucks<br/><br/>They asked me to leave as my disabled client was eating a salad roll and drinking a can of coke, that all came from his esky. I explained to the staff that I was ordering a soup and a hot chocolate for myself, but there response was that I could use one of their rugs, so as that my client could eat on the nearby grass. <br/>I did not order the soup and the hot chocolate.<br/>We left, and as I did I took a photo of the cafe.<br/><br/>I am new to the disability sector and was unaware of how much they have to suffer.<br/><br/>If you think this sort of behaviour is acceptable, eat here.<br/> <br/><br/>I wrote to the Di Bella head office in Brisbane and explained the situation, and their response was that, '.... the decision as to whether to allow external food to be brought into to indiviudual cafes premises is a matter for the relevant cafe owners.'<br/><br/>Like I said, I didn"t realise how big the problem was.<br/><br/>Matthew Brennan
Andreas.loeffler
Coffee is average, the best places (sofa) are reserved and it is grossly overpriced. Cannot recommend. I had a flat white and some salad with asparagus and avocado.
Bonita Cowan
Small serves, terrible value and poor quality food. They said they would accomodate for all dietary requirements with so much enthusiasm that it drew us in, but it just meant they left certain foods off the plate without adding anything extra. For example, without bread and cheese on the antipasto plate you’d assume they’d add extra meat. Nope. Two slices prosciutto, one slice smoked salmon, half a piece of salami and a pile of salad leaves. Not a good meal. I felt embarrassed for them.<br/>Even for the other meals without dietary requirements they were just very dismal. Felt like they just threw whatever they had on a plate (eg my side salad was a pile of salad leaves, a tomato, 2 slices of rockmelon and a whole plum, all drizzled with olive oil). Odd experience, would not return or recommend.
Liz
DO NOT GO HERE! When the husband and wife owners are serving you will receive the WORST service in the world. I have travelled the world and have never experienced such appalling rude service. Not a smile. Not a pleasantry. Not even small talk. Just a sour face and a 'I hate life and people' attitude. What is it with your empty 'reserved' couches? Why forbid everyone to sit on them? The place is empty nearly always. Even if we sat on them until the reserved party arrived? You both have serious problems in your life and you bring them to work. Get out of the industry. It does not deserve miserable people like you.
Leanne.molloy1
Not sure what's more terrible - the attitude of the owner or the coffee. We stopped by for lunch right before our session in the snow. The cafe was fairly busy and there were no tables available except for a large one which had just been vacated by a large group of people. <br/><br/>I went to sit down at the table with my 2 year old daughter and straight away I was told that the table was reserved and we couldn't sit there. I responded asking why when the table had just been vacated only to be told "Oh we keep the reserved sign here for large groups of people". <br/><br/>The next thing I know the extremely rude owner is at my shoulder telling me "You can't sit here, you have to move" and "You can come and sit at this other table" which was already occupied by several other people. <br/><br/>By this stage I was ready to tell my husband to cancel the order but it was too late he had already paid. The owner continued to argue and would not allow us to sit at the vacant "reserved" table.<br/><br/>We changed our order to takeaway and stood there waiting for our order. In the meantime another couple arrived and sat at one side of the "reserved" table without being moved on. 5 minutes later another three people seated themselves at the other side again without being moved on. <br/><br/>While all this was happening I checked my phone for reviews and found many similar experiences listed by other people with the common thread being that a lot of them had children. <br/><br/>Once our order was ready I went to collect it and I made certain to tell the owner that I would be adding my negative review to the many others. <br/><br/>So in short, don't visit this place if you have kids. The service is probably the most rude and disrespectful I have ever experienced. The food is heartless and uninspiring and the terrible coffee matched the attitude of the terrible staff.<br/><br/>Appalling.<br/><br/><br/><br/>
Bo Savant
Great place! Fantastic food and service! The person who served me, Luka I believe his name was did a fabulous job! So nice and genuinely seemed to want to help and enjoy his job. Will be back soon.
Nancyshack
Rude lady serving. Thanks for making me, my friend and my two (well behaved) kids feel totally unwelcome. Told us we could not stay long due to a group coming, hovered around muttering about my kids, had a go at me for "bringing my own food to a cafe" (bananas for my kids) despite us buying coffees and cakes. Such rude service. will not return.
Scolade
I nearly cried. I wish I had read these reviews before going, I have never experienced such horrible, unhelpful and down right rude service in my life. Do not go here ever! I almost walked away mid payment, but my friend had already ordered. These people are in the wrong industry! If you wanted to be treated with contempt this is the place to go! However the food was pretty good.
Dan_t182
Terrible service. I almost walked away mid order as they were so rude. The owner was there too and they were the worst. Here's some advice if you don't like hospitality get out of the business. Coffee was average too.
Razors.christopherson
Worst Service Ever. An angry man works the counter at this place, he abused me and my friend for buying food from another vendor when we turned up to buy takeaway coffee. I will never go back to the Blue basement Cafe ever again.
Travis Maddox
Worst place ever! The rudest service I have ever had! I was berated by staff members for my baby bouncing up and down!!! The worst food ever. I have never experienced such poor service. Not toddler friendly. Crap food. Yelling staff! DO NOT GO!!!
Carolyn.hargreaves
Atrocious service, not at all kid friendly. I have never experienced such appalling service. We ordered coffees and sat down with our young children (who were very well behaved), both the owners kept hovering around telling us if we wanted to stay we needed to clean up after ourselves and muttering to themselves. After 5 mins we offered to leave. Normally I am pleasantly surprised with how accomodating places are when you have children but this place is not one of them. I will never go back here or recommend it, shame as the coffee wasn't bad.
Unimpressed
Rude proprietor. Didn't get to try the food - I was abused by the proprietor for bringing a sushi roll from neighbouring cafe onto his premises whilst my wife & daughter were inside ordering food for themselves & coffee for all of us. When I explained this & asked if I could eat the offending roll at one if his outside tables he yelled "pick up your garbage and leave or I will call security". No class. No manners.
Info
Rude and overcharged. There is a reason no one is there, the service is garbage, and the food, very average to say the least.<br/><br/>We had to wait ages just to get served, we went here because there wasn't too many people - firstly, the nice table / lounges were all marked 'reserved' but an hour later, no one sitting there. there was 2 'reserved tables, neither had any diners. <br/><br/>I ordered breakfast, bacon and eggs, roast tomato - when I got it, 1 (one) bacon rasher, 40% fat. no roast tomato, scrambled eggs, 1 (one) piece of toast. I went back to ask for the roast tomato, I was meant with sarcasm 'oh you poor thing'. i was then give 3 pieces of COLD roast tomato. As i was eating I realised the roast capsicum and roast mushroom on the plate were also cold (there was one of each piece?!) - not a bit cold, actually served cold out of the fridge (on a hot breakfast?!) I then went to pay on a c/c where I had to sign 'oh no i don't to that' (refering to allowing poeple to sign for credit - so I used another card to pay. SHE swiped my pay pass, which is not legal for a start, and also I worked out the bill to be $40.50 - but the cook insisted it was $43 (working it out in his head), after I paid I got out the calculator on my phone, and I was right. <br/><br/>So overall, just don't go there, and you won't be upset, be treated like a 2nd class citizen, and be subject to the weird and un-tasty food.
Bill_the_pill
Horrid Service. The people working were truly horrible to me and a friend who just wanted a cup of tea. We realised after we had ordered the tea to have there that we had to leave and so we asked if we could have in a T/A cup. This request was met with rudeness and condasention! For such a simple request I could not believe the response considering we were their only customers. <br/><br/>I also see them frequently treat other customers poorly as I walk by. DEFINITELY A NO GO!
Mar
Bad customer service.. The service at the Blue basement cafe was really bad when I visited.<br/>The older lady who served me and my friends was rude!<br/>She needs a lesson in Customer service skills. She has definitely lost me and my friends custom and I will not be recommending this place to anyone!<br/>Not a child friendly place either.
Jess
If you love great customer service then you will be 'disappointed' if you were after a coffee and went here.... Especially if you have children. The stern faced lady that served me was very rude and has no people skills. Also gave our children the evil eye when my daughters shoe touched the pillows on their lounges. <br/>The croissant I ordered was terribly dry and was not fresh. <br/>No definitely would not recommend this place or will we be back.
Facebook User
Nice place. Stopped by for quick lunch. Nice burger and great coffee. Dibella beans
Kitkat
Really?!. This place could've had potential...if the lady behind the counter had any communication skills. For a place located where there is a lot of competition her service is lacking. I didn't even get a chance to order- she was rude after my initial comment. She was more interested in her notepad and ignored me while I was contemplating whether to complain. I really don't understand what it is with people who start their own cafe- hospitality is a people business. If you don't want to talk to people....don't open up a shop! Her shop had two customers ONLY. I can see why..... If this place gets any business it's probably from overflow of Champ....
Kathryn Richards
Superb. Spotted this little cafe hidden amongst Southbank. I had the most beautiful (and great priced) breakfast served by two friendly staff. The owner came over and had a good old chat with me. Will definitely be back!
DianaW
Diana. Noticed this little cafe walking through the arbour near the uni at Southbank. Was exited to see Di Bella coffee signs. Seemed to be a friendly family run business with great home style food going out in abundance. Staff looked a bit frazzled however so I patiently waited in line at the counter to be served. Was quite some time before I was even acknowledged. When I was eventually served my flat white I was impressed with the pour & look of the cup & great crema. Alas when I got to drink it- bitter! That was it for me had to leave it unfortunately. Other than that everything else looked great especially the muffins on display
Hux
Friendly service and good coffee. They've just switched to Di Bella coffee, yum! I've never eaten here but the salads and sandwiches look great, if a little pricey.
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