Elixir Coffee HQ Espresso Lounge - Review

my coffee doodle

We are really lucky to have a great cafe/roasting house just down the road from our house. Sometimes when the wind is right, you can smell the coffee beans roasting, wafting over the creek to our back deck.  For me, there is not much that smells more enticing. I am a bit of a self-confessed coffee maniac; some (hubby) would even go so far as to say, a coffee obsessive and all round fussy bugger.  So I am very happy to report that I think Elixir makes one of the best coffees in Brisbane, if not in all of Australia.  And heaven knows, I have tried a lot!  

We have been buying our coffee beans from there for a few years now, but weirdly we had never gone down there for a bite to eat. Mr P. recently took his staff there for a birthday lunch; he told me it was great, and suggested we try it again together.  So last week, off we trotted for a late lunch.  Elixir started in one small part of this building, and has now taken over the whole shebang, plus the footpath and another shop over the road!  Great to see a local success story.  

mocha frappe $6

white chocolate milkshake $5.50

ginger beer $4

My frappe had a real hit of coffee and lots of lovely chocolate flavouring too.  This was a winner!  Mr P. loves his white chocolate and his ginger beer, and both of these were delicious.  Love that the soda is organic.  They also have juices, smoothies, and of course coffee, including special brews like cold drip, syphon, pour over and aeropress. Don't even ask me what all these are, 'cos I don't know - yet!  I mean I know in general; I just haven't tried them all yet.

open chicken sandwich $14.90

penne bianco with smoked salmon $16.90 

I loved the open sandwich.  The chicken was tender and juicy, the lemon infused ricotta was soft and tangy, and the vegetables were fresh and enlivened with the balsamic glaze.  Mr P. loves pasta, and he wolfed down his penne bianco.  He said it had both cold smoked and hot smoked salmon so had a lovely contrast of textures and tastes. The penne was well-cooked, and the sauce creamy but not too much. (thus spake Mr P.)   

carrot and walnut cake $6.20  

fig and walnut scroll $4.50

The scroll was sweet with crisp pastry, and crunchy with the nuts; on the other hand the cake was not the best carrot cake I have had in my life.  I like them spicy, and moist, with lots of cream cheese icing; sadly this was not quite like that.  It wasn't bad, just not as I like it.

corn fritters $14.90 - incl. bacon, avocado, ricotta and aioli  

halloumi stack $16.90 - incl. mushrooms, bacon, tomato and pesto  

No, Mr P. and I did not have 2 lunches:)  These were the dishes of choice at the birthday lunch a couple of weeks ago.  Out of 5 people, they only chose 2 dishes.  I told Mr P. that was very poor form. How dare they have the same meals?   Didn't he know I needed more photos for this post?:)  He said everyone loved both these choices.  In fact, he would have chosen the halloumi again this time, but like the darling he is, he picked another dish so I could have something extra to write about!

They also have an all-day breakfast menu, with items like eggs benny and breakfast burritos.  There are a few surprises like banoffee pancakes and an acai bowl.  There are sides including potato rosti, baked beans, and chorizo.  A couple of salads are on the menu, and there is a choice of breads and gluten free items. Don't forget the various types of coffee beans that they roast in-house.  All delicious I assure you! (They cater small events and meetings also.) 

The verdict? :  well worth a visit to the north (best) side of town:))

A few arty shots of the cafe interior.  I love the industrial feel of this place, with the fab ceiling lights, and the blackboards.  


10 Hayward St.,
Stafford
Ph: 3356 5652