Review The Backyard - Geelong

Had a really nice coffee yesterday so came for breakfast this morning. I had a vegetarian breakfast and hubby had Florentine. Kids both had nutella waffles. Yum all round!!

Very pleased to find a place that has a separate vegan menu. I had the sweet potato fritter with beetroot hommous which was more filling than it looks. The ambience is nice with the background music not intrusive on conversation.

Amazing food, nice coffee, great staff cosy venue. Love finding beautiful vegan spots in the Geelong city.

After seeing it number 3 on the Geelong brekkie list and passing it enough times, we came in for breakfast. It's pretty good, drinks are on the expensive end ($5 for a small flat white), and food close up that way too. It's not too bad, however, found poached eggs to be a bit overdone. Overall worth giving it a shot.

Every time I have lunch from here it's amazing ! Highly recommend. Delicious food. Great vegan and non vegan options, excellent and friendly service

A surprisingly great discovery; very good coffee; we had the “Backyard Big Breakfast” with modifications - most accommodating; beautifully cooked . “The Backyard” is very popular with a steady stream of seated clientele.

Hidden gem! One of the best coffees I've had, the food was delicious and the staff are excellent. Can't wait to visit next time we're in Geelong

I was last here two years ago, I loved it, the vibe was great, coffee was made with care. When I came back, it looked in a poor state, nothing has been updated since I was last there. The tables and chairs were gross, and the colours faded. The restaurant was moderately busy, yet they only had one overworked staff member on. The menu had items crossed out and the laminate had peeled. The drinks took a long time to arrive and they arrived staggered. After being told they ran out of freshly squeezed orange juice, we got the bottles Orange juice. It took a ridiculously long time to arrive, only coming after being asked for as the meals arrived. They didn't have the correct coffee mugs, leading to an unpleasant drinking experience. I got the granola, it was really nice, good flavours and texture. My friend got the ham and cheese toasted sandwich; which didn't arrive as described and had to be returned. All of this was not cheap either, for the price is expect a good experience with staff who have the time to care, rather than running around unable to serve everyone correctly. This experience is most entirely down to owners who don't care.

On face value the menu looks great, ( plenty of vegetarian and vegan options for me and my partner). It was approaching Saturday lunch 12pm.<br/>Once arrived it started. The floor beneath our table had some food scraps lying around. We were then presented 1 menu to look at for us both. We ordered our drinks and too my surprise my strong almond latte was $6, $1 extra for the shot and also $1 for the almond milk ( second most expensive coffee I’ve had ) <br/>After a long morning We were quite hungry and we ended up ordering 3 meals. <br/>-Smashed avo<br/>- veggie burger<br/>- vegan Buddha bowl<br/>After 5 minutes of waiting the waiter came out and informed me there was no quinoa left for the Buddha bowl so I accepted extra greens as an option. <br/><br/>30 minutes after the first encounter we were then informed that there was no Avocado for the Smashed avo. Still baffled how this could take 35 minutes to figure out there was no avocado I said not to worry just take it off the bill. <br/><br/>A further 15 minutes passed, mind you we were 1 of 3 couples in the cafe and the only ones waiting for food we were getting a bit restless in how a burger and some grilled vegetables could take near on 1 hour to cook. We decided to get it take away. <br/><br/>We ate in the car ( with no cutlery) I got no extra greens and was presented dismally, my partners burger was ok but the bun was cold and un-toasted. she ate half. and had zero sauce for the chips

Loved the vegan smashed avo <br/>beautiful plating and very good taste<br/>Nice coffee as always <br/>Looks like new management team <br/>It's good change then before

I have been to this cafe a few times now and feel confident I can give an accurate review. With the old owners, I would have given a 5 star rating but these new ones, not so much. The food was lack lustre and the whole table of us felt so. The bacon for example under the old management, was crisp and perfect. This time it was barely cooked. Where the coffee machine is situated, it looks like they never clean up. The beans are on the floor both before and after being ground up and it badly needs a vacuum. I would go back, but I would choose a better destination in Geelong West before considering The Backyard again. It just seems to be missing the love!

Great food ..good staff . amazing coffee one of the best cafe around geelong ..<br/>Vegan favorites hang out ..<br/><br/>Trendy and good atmosphere<br/>I had very good experiences..<br/><br/>

Great little cafe in Ryrie Street, Geelong. They have a vegan menu which is great. I had the smashed avo which was tasty. Friendly staff. Will return when next in the area.

I was most pleased with my choice of the Superfood Bowl ($17) which was broccolini, avocado, black rice, spinach, edamame, pickled cucumber, radish, almonds and sesame dressing.  It was excellent.  In fact as I ate it, only a week into January, the thought crossed my mind that this could be my best cafe meal of the year.

Amazing super food bowl. Very accomodating to my dislike of almonds too! <br/>Great little cafe, very cute interior. Hunted this place down on my day trip to Geelong and it didn’t disappoint

Great menu options couldn't decide! Staff are also very lovely. I got the breakfast roll and it was absolute delicious a bit on the pricey side but overall was amazing.

Average coffee. Slightly above average food. We had two of the vegetarian burgers and flat whites. The food would be nicer if they used higher quality brioche buns. Probably wouldn't come back as there are lots of better options nearby.

Popped in for lunch today.<br/>Decor was nice, on the minimalistic side.<br/>Tried the 'steak sanga' <br/>Nice fresh food, and from the amount of coffee being ordered around me i can only assume a fab cup of coffee (my tea was great)

What a gorgeous little cafe. Was in for a quick production/lunch meeting. Very friendly staff, happy. And food was very yummy. The berry smoothie was just excellent. It wasn't overly sweet which is often what happens in cafes so the balance was perfect. Pumpkin salad was really good because it was really light and the hallumi cheese adds all the saltiness it needs. Will be back when I can!

My absolute favourite place to eat breakfast in Geelong!! Such friendly staff, great coffee and amazing food ! I recommend this place to all my friends 😊<br/>

The Backyard always has a great atmosphere with terrific service. Food is served promptly. They recently changed the menu, which has a few different lunch options. However, the menu is generally breakfast based. It was upsetting that they took the delicious buttermilk rolls from the menu except for one.<br/><br/>Overall a great place for a lunch or coffee.

Had a great breakfast here this morning. Pretty reasonable price too! The decor inside is great and the staff were all lovely! Good work guys!

Really really good. Awesome people. Fantastic interior. Diverse and scrumptious food. Have only been for lunch, but the breakfast dishes look brilliant. Totally dig it. Ryrie is getting coooool.

Popped in for a quick breakfast, I was curious after reading good reviews on the GT magazine especially concerning the coffee brewed, intentionally not single origin and open to a wide range of customers, and the healthy-inspired menu. The cafe has not many tables available, but to me this is a pro since it won't get so noisy -sometimes places are so noisy that you can't even talk to your friends-, the atmosphere is relaxed and comfy, both the barista and waitress smiling which is what you may look for on a sunday morning, not grumpy people throwing your coffee at you.<br/>I had the GF DF granola, which I really liked especially with the chai-infused almond milk. All the menu looks quite good with special attention to dietary requirements and healthy meals, with a wide range of juices, smoothies and lattes as well. I would have loved a bit more of fruits on my granola, maybe berries, this would have taken it to the next level. The coffee was quite strong, full-bodied, it went straight to the point I would say without particular features which often characterize a single-origin. I was quite surprised though to receive it in a cappuccino cup , not in a tulip cup, but that's ok.<br/>Definitely a nice addition in the Geelong coffee-horizon, worth a try for their healthy breakfast and lunch options and for a full-bodied coffee. Well done guys, I will be back!

If you're after a healthy fulfilling meal, delicious coffee and a cool vibe look know further! Friendly staff who are obviously very passionate about there cafe.<br/>So much to choose from, I struggled to decide! Everyone's meal looked incredible. <br/>Can't wait to go back!!

Amazing place, great coffee and food. Just opened . Food is healthy and the service is great.<br/>Good coffee choices including almond and coconut milk options