Groove Cafe

This place is a good way to start a day of op shopping and antique hunting. We had the eggs benedict with my partner light and I had the prosciutto and asparagus which was delicious. The milkshakes would be good. Décor is funky. We then went up the road to see a few op shops and The Antique Centre and could have dropped into the comic book stores had we so desired.

Good little café on Ipswich road which means it was easy find and parking was ample on side streets.
It’s an odd place to find a café in a rather utilitarian shopping strip but it’s retro style fits in well with the neighbouring antique and op shops.
The food was excellent and the coffee nice but nothing to get to exited about. I had the Eggs Benedict on Turkish bread ($ 14) and it was delicious. The hollandaise sauce wasn’t too strong as it can be with other Eggs Benedicts and the poached eggs spot-​on.

I finally made it up to my closest café to find it was a little late on opening this morning so I waited with a book at seating out the front for 10 minutes.
It was okay. My scrambled eggs were sub-​par on overly toasted Turkish bread, and my coffee was bitter. The service I received was great though, so that was good. The music (Bob Dylan today) was at a good level as I could read my book without distraction, and the conversation of others didn’t echo like in some other cafes.
I’ll come by again as it is my closest coffee outlet that isn’t my own kitchen, a burger convenience store or pub, but I don’t particularly rate it high on my lists.
EDIT: I wanted to come by today and left it until 9am to allow for plenty of time for it to be open. They weren’t.

If it’s true what some people are saying about Annerley being the next West End (as I speak property developers are no doubt stroking their goat-​like beards with diabolical glee) then it will be cool joints like Groove Café that will drive the transformation.
With its retro padded chairs, laminate tables, old Tin Tin posters et al it is one of the few establishments along its strip of Ipswich Rd that really «get’s it». No wonder hipster kids from West End and beyond will make the trip; but it’s not just the skinny jeans but also flowing dresses of mums with kids hiding in the folds, as well as slacks and sensible shoes of dear old birds who’ve probably lived, eaten and breathed in the area for donkeys’ years.
The food is good and honest, with the cook (not chef) using old tricks like buttermilk in the pancakes. She even makes her banana bread and coconut cake from her grandmother’s old hand-​written recipes. Oh and they use Blackstar Coffee too.
No wonder the place is often packed to the rafters.

Being one of the two best cafes in Annerley
Groove café runs pretty evenly with Dudley St expresso in my mind.
Groove is hard to miss along the main stretch of Ipswich rd.
it’s rustic red paint job is oddly reminiscent of old cafes I’ve seen in europe,
and the interior is super cozy and homey (with a markedly vintage flair.)
One of the nice touches about this place is the
newspapers, books, puzzles and games on display.
(This makes waiting for breakfast on a sunday that extra bit enjoyable!)
I highly recommend the mouth-​watering and crisp corn fritters
as well as their range of good strong coffees.
Perfect for breakfasts or to wile away a lazy afternoon,
Be sure to get to the Groove when in Annerley.

The old is ‘in’, in every way. If you want to make some money in Annerley, taking the ‘old’ angle on things will be sure to get people rolling in your door. You’ve got collectables, antiques, op shop bric ‘a’ brac around every corner on this stretch of Ipswich Road, and now you’ve Groove Café: a decidedly retro establishment. It half looks like it belongs somewhere out in the country, and half looks like it belongs in another era (perhaps both). The lick of red paint they’ve given the place gives it something of an edgier, more contemporary feel, but at the end of the day, it’s the booth seats, the retro dining tables, and the wonderfully simple, unpretentious menu that will get your attention.
They sell Blackstar coffee ($ 3), which is roasted just up the road in West End. Locals supporting locals. I just love this caring sort of business. Their menu is simple and lovely. There was an old writer who said that simple things are the least likely to corrupt themselves. True that, if the corn fritters are anything to go by. Delish! The food is very well priced too.
There are two rad places to get a coffee in Annerley, and they’ve both got very different characters. I’d generally opt for Groove Café. Mainly because they support a local coffee house, and so I’d like to support them support others. It’s got a good feeling about it. That, and the booths are just so darned cute to snuggle up in.