Billykart Kitchen West End - Review

Mr P. and I finally got a minute to ourselves last week, so we raced off to have a nice quiet lunch at Ben O'Donoghue's second Brisbane restaurant.  Sadly the quiet part was lacking as they were doing some serious digging out the front to fix up leaks and overflowing pipes outside.  We soldiered on and went in for lunch, though we did scurry off a bit quicker than we may have normally.

great signage

Mr P. went for his usual liquid refreshment - strawberry milkshake. It came in an ice-cold metal container; just the way he likes it.  Is $8 a bit much for a milkshake?  Mm perhaps so.    

icy cold strawb. milkshake $8

I asked him for more info.:  did it taste like real fruit?, how was it? His answer was - "really cold and that's all that matters."  Okay then...

fizz $7

I had a cooling fizz with smashed fruit, soda, ginger, pear and lime. I found it a bit dull to be honest.  No sweetener at all, and not much flavour.  I guess I was expecting the tang of bitters, or at least a really fruity taste.  Mr P. finished it off for me.

eggs Bender $21.50   

  
This dish was crispy potato waffle, hot smoked salmon, poached eggs and hollandaise. Mr P. loved the waffle, but he was keen on having another one.  He felt the meal really needed that extra waffle.:=)  He wasn't sure what the green pile was - spinach?, kale? Looks like silverbeet to me.  All up, he loved this meal.

billykart potato waffle croque madame $18.50

I really enjoyed the potato waffle here too.  This dish was so fresh and home-style.  And I mean that in a good way.  The béchamel tasted like it had just been made.  I am assuming that it was actually being kept warm somewhere but it tasted like your nan was out in the kitchen stirring it over a hot stove.  The egg was perfect too, just the way I like it - nice and runny.

the man himself - nice to see a celebrity chef actually in the kitchen     

See those tiny herbs on our meals?  Ben himself was in the kitchen, snipping the cute baby herbs from pots on the shelf.  We both enjoyed our lunch, which was fresh and tasty and a little bit different.  It felt like someone really cared about serving flavoursome meals.

Poor Ben was being "papped" by a tourist with a monstrous lens. The rude tourist shoved this thing at him and snapped away without even asking if he could take a photo.  I had a bit of a giggle as Ben skedaddled into the back blocks.

fun wall art with a billy cart vibe  

The service was efficient and the decor was fun, with great wall art, neon signs, and a touch of an old Queenslander (house) popping up in the coloured glass windows.  It is deceptively large, with plenty of room inside even though it looks like a Tardis on the outside.  

I love these windows    

Drinks are the usual suspects - smoothies, juices, milkshakes and teas.  They make house made nut milks; they ferment their own butter and cure their own fish.  Mains include yoghurt baked fish, free range chicken and smoked rump cap.  I hear the truffle fries calling my name for next time. 


Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner nightly.  

Ph: 07 3177 9477
2 Edmondstone St.,
West End 4101