Another one of Brisbane's many deli and cafe combinations, Thynne Road Deli & Cafe needs to do a lot more to stand out from the crowd.
Located just off Wynnum Rd, it has some stiff competition in the coffee department from Urban Espresso and Southside Tea Room, and competes with Flour & Chocolate for the deli afficianados.
The breakfast menu looked promising, featuring more than just hte usual eggs benny and big breakfast. The morning I visited, though, there were more things unavailable from the menu than there were available. Luckily, the potato cakes with smoked were available, and they featured the usual range of espresso based coffees.
The coffee was prepared quickly, but was nothing special, making it a touch on the expensive side for a standard long black. The potato cakes came rather quickly after the coffee was served. Given the $17 price tag, the serving size is somewhat on the small side. The dish as a whole lacked any discernable flavour. The smoked salmon did not have a strong smoked taste, and was quickly overpowered by the bland potato cakes and mustard cream. The potato cakes, which were crying out for a dash of salt and some pepper, were quite bland and pale, as though they were rushed off the pan. The texture was very mushy with an occasional larger piece of potato. A potato hash or a blini might have worked better than the potato cakes. The rocket and mustard cream on which everything was served were also surprisingly flavourless. With no salt or pepper shakers anywhere, and an invisible wait staff, there was no way no way to fix this once the meal was delivered.
The service was adequate if a little absent. There wasn't one acting as a maître d', leaving it up to the patrons to seat themselves. Ordering was done at the counter which was frequently unattended, and surrounded by those waiting for take away coffees. Once they delivered their load, the wait staff disappeared. A quick check in after a meal is served would have been good.
The deli portion of Thynne Road Deli & Cafe is the standard collection of dry pasta, pasta sauces and relishes. There is nothing particularly interesting or different to make the deli stand out from the many others. The decor of the deli, and the place in general, is rather stale, and could use a little personality. read more