Saabi On Manson

Nice setting but food is much better on week days than weekends. the saabi stack i had ordered mid-​wek was bland and heavy on Saturday morning … The scrambled eggs were supposed to be served with toast. It wasnt and we didn’t realise until after we’d paid extra $ 4.50 for extra toast we wouldn’t have needed if they got it right in the first place. Makes no sense to lose 2 local regulars over something so trivial but there you have it. disappointed.

Saabi on Manson is the kind of café that I wish was just down the road from where we live. The café is stylish, but relaxed, with fabulously welcoming staff and the best bit is that the food is great and the coffee even better.
I’ve visited 3 times and each time we’ve been there the coffee has been consistently good with beautiful balanced flavour. As a soy drinker it is rare that you get both good soy milk coffees and cows milk coffees from the same barista, but Saabi is one place that knows what they are doing and successfully makes both. I love that the guys actually remember our order even though we are not daily customers.
The food is generously served and clearly made with love. Pick from all day breakfasts, eggs, cakes and slices and also other yummy delights. My last visit I had the tomato and feta on pumpkin toast which is deliciously served with fresh mint and lemon juice and plenty of cracked black pepper. Other visits I’ve shared a Turkish bread filled with egg and bacon (divinely good if slightly hung over), a sinful chocolate hedgehog like slice, and an Eggs Benedict.
If you’re a family with kids, or hanging out with people that have some then head for the backyard. Filled with picnic rugs and child sized tables and chairs its the perfect place to hang out in the sun. I’m yet to see the space packed with families on a weekend so it must be a bit of a well kept secret. The café also has a separate courtyard to the side of the building and benches and tables out the front too for all the people watchers out there.
So until someone creates this kind of café where we live we are happy to drive the 25 minutes that it takes to get to Saabi to enjoy what they offer.

Ok… So by now everyone knows I love a good coffee…
Tara, thank you for the suggestion via the forum. I was out and about needing caffeine so made a detour via Saabi because of your recommendation.
My Piccolo’s were made by a barista who drinks piccolo’s. (Maybe there is a message in this… Drink coffee the way the barista drinks it???)
I’ll definitely be returning when I’m in the area, but now I have a conundrum… Power Station Co @ Nundah, or Saabi… Oh dear!

This is a lovely little place tucked away on a corner of a street where you wouldn’t expect it. Attention to detail, creative food. Small outside seating area (5 tables or so). Portions were quite big (almost too big). Water would be nice if it was chilled. Overall, very nice neighborhood café, with friendly staff, good coffee, and a great giving-​back-​to-​the-​community mentality. Worth checking out.

Saabi on Manson had been on my radar for a while before I finally stopped by last week to have coffee with a friend. It’s her local and it was the perfect excuse to see why people rave about this suburban wonder. The coffee was strong and easy to drink. I hadn’t ordered any food but my friend insisted I try some of her avocado on pumpkin bread toasted. Whatever these guys are doing with their avocado — heck I don’t care if they’re singing to it before they serve it up — it’s working. It was creamy, nutty and and a little garlicky. Just order it. There’ll be no regrets. The bread does change daily, however.
The staff are more like friends than waiters. My friend and I waxing lyrical with the barista about grammar and such. It helps that she’s a regular and gets along with them like a house on fire. But still, that’s just the kind of people they are. Friendly, jovial and a real community. If anything a visit here will warm the cockles of your heart as you meet some genuinely nice people.

I loooooove Saabi. Even when it’s crowded. Even despite Lauren’s no phone-​ins on the weekend «policy». Maybe I love it because of that. Lauren does everything in this tiny little café in Hendra to improve her quality of life and those around her, including her customers. You have to respect someone that is that conscious in their decision making.
Coffee is beautiful and consistent. You simply will not get a bad coffee here. Food is yummy and everything is made from scratch is what is surely the smallest commercial kitchen on the planet.
But more importantly, the feeling of belonging is beautiful. How can you possibly beat that?