Review Common Grounds Gowrie - Canberra

Nice little Cafe, plenty of parking, indoor and outdoor seating. Very busy when we visited but staff were coping well and were very friendly. Coffee came out quickly, Campos beans, great flavour and just the right temperature. Food was delicious and well presented. The bacon and egg roll was great, the bacon was a highlight. Colombian hash was excellent pork was tasty and there was just enough chilli heat to make it interesting.

Friendly staff but food wasn't great. Got the korean Fried chicken burger but chicken was soggy. We got a huge portion of chips but no seasoning and tasted of old oil. The Aoli and peri peri sauces were very bland. Banana smoothie was good but small for price. Pretty disappointed

Delicious food, quick service, online ordering was the slowest process but saved missing out because I forgot my mask

My strong long black coffee was absolutely delicious. Fabulous waiter and service. Very reasonably priced. Good snack menu. Great food. Quality table and chairs.

Came back here after 3 years overseas. Still amazing!!! This will always be my favourite!

4 2/1 stars. Had a lovley breakfast today in the back of this little place....only reason for the lack of star No 5 was no acidity in the hollandaise sauce (I love lemon but that's just me, need a bit to cut through the richness) BUT 5* to chef for actually making his own sauce... 9/10 places these days use packet and its horrible!. And for this....chef, we will see you again :)

My family and I come here come here every Sunday for breakfast and always have a great time. The French toast is the best in Canberra in my opinion.

Always super busy. Try to book. The food and coffee was yum. The waiter did serve people who arrived well after us before us though, but otherwise was good.

Friends who are in the know recommended this place to us for brunch. It really proved to be an absolute hidden gem of South Canberra. Staff is friendly and very competent making you feel relaxed in this upbeat and bustling with energy place. Despite it being quite busy our coffees were ready within minutes. Great blend, good temperature and just the right strength for an amazing start to the day. The breakfast/lunch menu is interesting and with plenty of delicious options. You can't go wrong with whatever you decide on. We had eggs benedict with smoked salmon, zucchini fritters and the Buddha Bowl. All dishes came out looking beautiful, fresh, crisp with a wonderful combination of flavours. Hands down!!! We will be back soon to catch some of that Canberra winter sun at your outdoor area. Thank you!

I have been a regular customer for breakfast at Common Grounds they have a great variety in the menu to cater for lots of people but my favourite is the french toast it is a must have, sooo delicious and very filling! The service has been quick and staff very friendly. Highly recommend you pay them a visit!

My favourite cafe in Canberra. I have been here about 300 times since it opened and I have never ever been dissapointed. It has become a regular meeting place for my family and I still always get excited when someone suggests it. There have been some weeks where I have visited multiple times. The staff and owner are brilliant and so friendly. I live Northside now and I still drive down just because I can count on the fact that the coffee & food will be 10/10 every time. Love that we can bring our little dog too :) you guys have nailed it from the start. Never change ! 💖

Coffee was nicely made. Campos was always one of my favourites when in Qld, so made me a little homesick. I was a bit disappointed that, although there was a sign for soup of the day, I couldn’t order it until 12:45pm. Breakfast menu only until then! For that reason, I can’t rate any higher than 3 stars.

Such a great experience! It was quite busy and there was a bit of a wait on tables but staff were lovely and accommodating, and we didn’t have to wait long at all. Service was great and the food was amazing. 10/10 will go again, new Sunday ritual

My Mum, Dad and I went to the cafe on the recommendation from a friend and we were not disappointed. The waitstaff were very friendly and patient. The coffee was amazing. So amazing that my mum and I ordered a second cup each. The breakfasts were also really really good. I ordered my favorite breakfast, eggs benedict and it was absolutely fantastic. I was so excited to eat it that I almost forgot to take the compulsory food photo for Facebook! It was the best eggs benny I have had for ages. The service was great. The food was fantastic and the coffee was amazing. My mum and dad loved their breakfast which was the main thing for me. Thanks for a great experience! I'll definitely be going back.

Love having breakfast there! Nice staff, lovely area, super delicious meals, special milkshakes etc. Highly recommend to go there �

Been down to this cafe twice now and the food and drink has been fine. However, both times we have had trouble with service. Today we ordered at the counter and told the staff member we would be sitting outside - we also told the waiter when he gave us our menus that we had ordered inside. After 20 minutes I went and inside and our take away on the bench. Manager / owner wasn’t very sympathetic or apologetic. Won’t be going back again.

Coffee is well made, latte art on point. We both had the big breakfast, food was nice if not a little bland

I have driven past heaps and yesterday we decided to check it out. I was pleasantly surprised especially at the fact that they serve gluten free. I had the best gf egg and bacon roll we'll definitely be back.

We had the Buddha bowl, Beetroot & Chicken salad & Prawn linguine. It was all very yummy. Btw, they made a decent coffee too

Very busy when I went. Had to wait around 25 mins for a table and by the time we were next on the list half the store and emptied out and they gave up on the list. That said we asked once a couple of tables were free and seated straight away. Food was great and came out quickly with nothing wrong. Only problem I could nitpick is I'd love butter on the bread to make it a bit nicer. Also they should sort out a better system for waiting for a table like buzzers or sending you an SMS when your table is ready.

Went for the first time after a friend recommendation and was very disappointed. I have a highly issue with yolk and lots of breakfast places in Canberra are always helpful and don't mind to do a fried egg without yolk anyway after try to order a simple fried egg without yolk the waitress who was very friendly and tried her best to make our experience good told us the headchef is pretty difficult and couldn't do it... Disappointed

The food is good and they kindly gave me a big discount because the food I ordered was out. <br/>However, I wasn’t impressed by the service at all. It was quite busy and all tables were full when we arrived. So we had to snatch a table ourselves (as they have outside tables on both side of the building it was difficult). The waiting people did not offer any help on seating. When a waitress brought our food my friend asked her nicely if she could also bring us cutlery, she said”yes I’ll bring them right after because I don’t have five hands.” I hope this is just her frustration from having shortage of staff.

I habe headed here for breakfast and lunch, really great place, very nice food, I would definitely recommend it, very prompt service and a good range of food.

Had the Brekkie Bruschetta; and added hash brown, mushroom and Bacon for an extra $10. The meal in itself was filling hits the spot! The sourdough bruschetta toast was crunchy adequately dressed with pesto served with nicely poached egg; there was variety of textures throughout the dish, Good balance of flavours complemented by the additional add-ons as it was already lunch time then. We've also ordered the Bacon and Egg roll, the milk bun was soft and fluffy and the tasty cheese made it more flavourful. Added wilted spinach and hashbrown for extra $6. We also had a flat white which was served quick and hot, good crema and appreciate the coffee art. Very good cup of coffee. (I guess would have been better served on a larger mug?) The starburst was nice and sour had more noticeable watermelon notes.. all up a refreshing beverage. The staff were really nice and friendly which made the experience even better on a really cold Sunday morning. Great job, Common Grounds, thanks heaps for the great food and hospitality!

Friends who are in the know recommended this place to us for brunch. It really proved to be an absolute hidden gem of South Canberra. Staff is friendly and very competent making you feel relaxed in this upbeat and bustling with energy place. Despite it being quite busy our coffees were ready within minutes. Great blend, good temperature and just the right strength for an amazing start to the day. The breakfast/lunch menu is interesting and with plenty of delicious options. You can't go wrong with whatever you decide on. We had eggs benedict with smoked salmon, zucchini fritters and the Buddha Bowl. All dishes came out looking beautiful, fresh, crisp with a wonderful combination of flavours. Hands down!!! We will be back soon to catch some of that Canberra winter sun at your outdoor area. Thank you!

I went here last weekend for breakfast as I had heard good things; however, as soon as I sat down until I left I was very disappointed. We were the first costumes in that morning so it wasn't busy. We sat down and the first table we sat at had ants on it, we then asked to move to another table. We finally got the waitresses attention as she seemed so preoccupied moving her fringe off of her face. We ordered coffees and the meals, the coffees came out (mind you this was the only thing I enjoyed) we then got our breakfast, I had the avocado bruschetta which I realised had a hair right on top, though as it took so long to get I didn't even mention it to them, the toast was burnt, and bacon was as well. At the at the end of finishing the meal they brought me my banana smoothie which I ordered at the start, I told them not to worry about it as it took them 30 minutes to bring it out and it looked quite gross, so I'm actually glad It did take so long as an excuse to send it back. Overall I will never go again.

Common Grounds Gowrie is worth the drive south. We stopped in for breakfast and tried the Conquistador and the Zucchini Fritters, was well as the special of the day - waffles. All three breakfast dishes were delicious. The serving sizes and generous, the staff are fast and friendly and the coffee is nice and strong - just how we like it. It's pretty popular, especially on a weekend, but well worth the wait (if you have to).

Cute little cafe with a decent looking menu. The big breakfast was pretty tasty, but not the best I've ever had. Similar with the coffee. The gluten free brownie though.. So much dense and delicious and nom!

A great little place that is much closer than driving out all the way to the city, but with the same ambience and great vibe from friendly staff and the design of the place. The suburban location makes the cafe convenient for a catch up with friends, but I would recommend weekdays since weekends can often get quite busy. <br/><br/>The coffee is great here and the food is affordable and tasty, the only downside would be that if you sit out at the patio it is hard to get noticed to make your order, but the staff are extremely polite and do look rather busy

Simply excellent Campos coffee is a great start to this little treasure of a cafe tucked away in an otherwise unremarkable suburban shopping centre. Superb burgers and sandwiches, gorgeous cakes and pastries make for a local gem.

Had breakfast here and was pleasantly surprised by the prompt service, the quality of the food and coffee<br/><br/>Ordered the 'Conquistador' and loved the combination of cherry tomatoes, chorizo, basil, goats cheese and perfectly poached egg. The portition size was generous and reasonably priced. <br/><br/>Would definitely recommend and return :)

Incredibly slow. I thought I'd give them another try. How does it take ten minutes to make a long black? They weren't even particularly busy compared to other cases I've been to.

It was good.... Until... Too many errors... I can forgive a few times but easy takeaway coffee rushed after 15 min wait for it... Main barista person appeared to be mistreating staff or co-workers... Shame on him... They forgot to toast my focaccia after unable to order on any cooked food as the chef has quit?... Time to find a new place..

Common Grounds is a treasure trove of fresh, seasonal, delicious food and exceptional coffee. While the menu is varied and a delight, the specials are a must try, with their beauty only surpassed by their flavor. The service is cheerful and polite. <br/>If I have to find anything negative to say it would be that due to the popularity of Common Grounds you may wait for your meal a little longer sometimes, but it is well and truly worth a short delay.

Always a pleasure. This has become a local favourite, so good is the coffee, the food and the staff. It's just all that.

Slow?!?. We waited 15 minutes for a menu, never got one and walked out. They weren't particularly busy at the time, just disinterested.

I'm still waiting for breakfast and the two of us have been here for an hour today...

Favourite coffee Spot. I have been here on numerous occasions since this little cafe opened and have not ever had a bad coffee or unpleasant service. Common Grounds is a treat but leave yourself plenty of time on the weekends as it is very busy.The food, service and coffee are lovely, highly recommended!

AWFUL! We have been there .... AWFUL! <br/>We have been there 5 times - each time hoping they would get their act together. But they never have and continually disappoint us. <br/>Staff is slow, rude and forgetful! Last time we were there, we the only ones in there ordering food and it took 35 minutes to get it out just for a couple of sandwiches! <br/>What a joke! <br/>Other then that - the location is brilliant and that's the only positive about this poor excuse for a cafe!

Best coffee in a long time. Stopped past for a takeaway coffee this morning, super fast service & the best tasting coffee I can remember havign in a long time! Definitely going to be my morning coffee stop from now on. Cant wait to try out the food.

It was very poor service the chefs were swearing and the service staff argued with customers and it took 20 minutes to get a coffee after waiting 10 minutes to be serve

Great Zucchini fritters and Coffee. Had lunch today with two friends. We got there about 2.30pm but lunch was still available. Everything was very nice especially the zucchini fritters and the coffee. Service was excellent. Pity the pancakes are only available up to 11.30 am as they look fantastic and would be great to have as a dessert with lunch.

Firstly I want to say the food here is great and I'm so glad a cafe opened in this area . However the service of some of the staff leaves a lot to be desired. on two occasions now we have had to wait for about 20 minutes and still been ignored. Even though the staff would look at us and we'd wave at them they would just stand there and talk. then we went in and gave our order and they wondered why we were ordering.the food is good but better training of staff would be good.

Excellent service am a regular - usually take my dogs there and have them tied up and staff are amazing with them! Bring them water and everything. Great food! Very happy with all aspects of this Place.

I am in love with this place! The customer service is incredible... We got served straight away and the staff members were always checking to see if we needed anything else. The food is like nothing I have ever had before! The chef is brilliant! The pancakes are the fluffiest pancakes I have ever tasted and the eggs benedict was to die for! The coffee is always well done and served quite quickly. Although, I must say I am more of a hot chocolate lover! The hot chocolates are perfect :) <br/>Here's hoping this cafe sticks around for awhile because I'm pretty sure I'm their number one fan!

Very Pleased!!. I have driven to Common Grounds every weekend since it opened...from BELCONNEN!<br/>i have been more than happy with the food there, it is for lack of better words, amazing! the pancakes are absolutely to die for!<br/>the pesto pasta is also incredible, my partner was just blown away with the Big breakfast, on all occassions we couldnt get through it. I usually dont review anything...but i would rave on and on about this place. On one occasssion they miss ordered food amounts for the day, which was dissappointing but they informed us immediately and offered us alternatives. We have never waited for a table, and i have begun to get to know another coulple who visits there each sunday morning.<br/><br/>Very Happy :)

Just what this area needs!. I went to Common Grounds just for a coffee and cake and I can say that I was pleasantly surprised! We were served straight away, and the coffee and cake came around pretty soon after that (even though the cafe was full!). From what I can see the staff are no longer using notepads to take orders from, and are using iPads and iPhones instead. The coffee was perfect, not burnt or bitter like some of the other cafes these days and I was happy to know that their cakes do not have any peanuts in them! Being allergic that is a big thing when going to cafes! I will definitely be going back on the weekend to try out the breakfast menu. They may be new and inexperienced but from what I can see they are hard workers! I hope they stay open :)

Is it the service or the chef that can't keep up?. All of Gowrie was really excited when this little place opened up. Nicely fitted out, with a small outdoor area (just a little plain out there at the moment.)<br/>The place is packed on the weekends and I am sure this is still the novelty factor of having a small café open locally that isn't a grease joint or a cheap Asian quick takeout. (they can be brilliant but we have heaps already)<br/>The food is okay, but the wait time for food is appalling and I have seen so many customers complain about missing food items, or beverages. Some waited so long they got up and walked out. The service team is young and inexperienced and from my latest viewing all they have been given to take orders are small notebooks. I am beginning to think the problem is with the Chef, whilst he may be able to cook, maybe he can't keep up with the orders or is not organised enough to get a full order out on time. Very poor.<br/>Most of the food I have had (breakfasts and meat dishes) are a little bland, but not offensive, they just don't have that 'zing'.<br/>We desperately need this type of café to stay, but it wont if the service continues as it is now. Again, I think the staff are very inexperienced, and may panic when the crowd gets big, but I think the chef may have a lot to answer for as well.

Worst. Service. Ever. Unfortunately I can't write a review on the food Common Grounds serve because the service was so shocking we ended up buying our own breakfast supplies from the IGA next door and cooking it ourselves!!! We arrived well before breakfast was due to finish and were happy to seat ourselves and get our own menus. After about 25 mins of being ignored by staff, I approached the counter to ask to have our table cleared and order taken (staff were serving plates and walking back to the kitchen empty handed!!!). Only to be told that they had run out of eggs, when i suggested they buy some from the IGA next door they said they weren't serving breakfast anymore anyway (it was still 35 mins until breakfast was due to finish). HOPELESS!!

Nice cafe, had the big breakfast which was awesome. Don't make fresh juices which was the only downer.

Good coffee that is not burnt or bitter. Ill be going back.

Not much to say about eggs on toast – it’s eggs on toast. But it was a ridiculous amount of eggs on two large pieces of beautifully cooked sourdough toast. K couldn’t eat it all, and said she was very content with her meal.<br/><br/>The service at Common Grounds was fantastic – the staff were friendly, helpful and efficient. I liked them all a great deal and cannot fault them one little bit for service.

Located at the Gowrie shops in Tuggeranong, the cafe is easy to find. Just follow the signs to the shops. At 10am, there were already plenty of people outside enjoying breakfast. As soon as I walked in, what immediately grabbed my attention was the funky feature wall. Pretty impressive! There is minimal seating inside with tables lined up against the feature wall providing a bit of space for the traffic from diners and those waiting for takeaway orders. An outdoor courtyard at the back with outdoor umbrellas provides additional space for those wanting to sit outside. The cafe has a crisp, clean but homey look to it with dark wooden floorboards and a wooden front counter, contrasting against a backdrop of white walls and white chairs. I like the charcoal grey hanging pendant lamps (Ikea?) that match the bac

I’m on a bit of a journey to find all the different places that serve matcha tea lattes in Canberra. I have noticed that most places that serve it, refer to them as green tea latte, so do look out for that. I’ve found a couple so far based of Internet research and just pure luck. First one up, a bit of a dark horse, Common Grounds in Gowrie.

The central indoor dining area was open to the back area which was nice for ease of access but it did mean that annoying flies came in and kept bothering us while we ate; we were squatting away flies between each bite. As we were leaving they closed the doors up to maybe keep the air con contained but it would have been nicer to do it earlier to keep the flies away.

The first time I went, they didn’t have what I wanted, so I ordered their beef burger. It was SO GOOD. Juicy patty, caramelised onions and chutney all balanced up with gerkins and beetroot. Add to all that, a strong tasting swiss cheese and a brioche bun. The bun was slightly too sweet for my liking but it was delicious nevertheless. The chips were crunchy and fluffy, but not overly salted. One of the best hurger I’ve had yet. Little E shared a smoked salmon, capers and cream cheese toasted sandwich with his “twin”. Both kids were very well behaved, sitting next to each other in matching high seats. Adorable! They both seemed to like their meal, with Little E polishing his share in no time at all. He is such a boy, at least in comparison