Mickle Pickle Espresso — Restaurant in Brisbane City

Unfortunately, this visit was a miss. The overall atmosphere felt tense — none of the staff seemed particularly happy to be there, and what appeared to be the manager or owner came across as visibly frustrated. When I asked a genuine question about whether their chai contained caffeine (as in black tea or any tea leaves), I was met with confusion and a dismissive attitude.

She responded with “I assume not” and mentioned it was a masala chai, but couldn’t confirm the actual ingredients. When I explained that I cannot have caffeine due to its effect on my heart, I asked to see the ingredient list. Instead of checking, she kept repeating “I don’t know” and said it was probably fine because it was “dissolvable,” which left me very unsure and uncomfortable. For reference, under Queensland food safety laws (e.g., Food Standards Code 3.2.2A), venues have a legal responsibility to assist customers with allergies or intolerances and to provide ingredient information to the best of their ability — assumptions are not safe or acceptable.

Sensing the discomfort, I switched my order to a hot chocolate. Unfortunately, that also disappointed — the drink was weak, the soy milk had an unpleasant aftertaste, and it came with a brownie I wasn’t sure was gluten-free. Since I had ordered a gluten-free dish, this raised concerns, but by that point I didn’t feel comfortable asking any more questions.

The food portions were large and tasted fine, but the dish itself wasn’t particularly special — something you could easily recreate at home. The presentation also made it a bit tricky to eat: whole fresh tomatoes and a 1/4 corn cob made cutting and eating awkward, and the hollandaise sauce was served cold…

On a positive note, the gluten-free bread was tasty, and one staff member kindly told me the brand they use — a small moment of helpfulness in an otherwise uncomfortable interaction.

The cafe is located on a busy main road, and unfortunately, the combination of poor service, confusing communication around dietary needs, and a lack of warmth from staff makes it hard...

Good food & coffee… however, the lady at the counter huffing, puffing and rolling her eyes behind the young guy processing my order because she was so impatient to do something on the till herself was disgraceful. The negative energy rolled off of her in waves and when I attempted to give her a some acknowledgment & chance to check herself by empathetically asking if she was have a tough day, she literally rolled her eyes at me and rudely told me ‘No, I’m just wanting to do something on the till!’. I just wanted to cancel my order and leave, never to return (which I won’t be). If it wasn’t for the lovely young boy serving me (of which the other ladies attitude was directed at) I probably would have. Once at my table, I observed that she continued to carry on like a spoiled child throwing a tantrum and berated the the young man in front of customers & other staff. Totally unacceptable behavior from a mature woman who may have been the manager or owner… Everyone deserves to work in a psychologically safe space and customers should feel welcomed and not like they are a burden by placing an order… We thought we would try somewhere new (I’d only ever had a takeaway coffee here prior) and this encounter totally ruined our breakfast date experience and will not be back regardless of how good the food was. Kudos to the young man who was very calm and continued to provide great service even under...

A friend recommended we come here for breakfast on Friday morning, and I liked it so much, I came back Saturday.

A bustling little cafe right in Wynnum road, next to the Tingalpa hotel. The Carpark is separate, and the "STRICTLY NO HOTEL PARKING" sign gave me a subconscious feeling of exclusivity.

The food, (haloumi/bacon stack Friday, corn & halloumi fritters the next) was fresh and delicious, and both came with a relish that I wanted to take home to meet my mother.

Coffee, in a word, brilliant. Independent cafes always make the best coffee, but it was well made, and even with my strong order (3 shots minimum), the bitterness was minimal, and the taste very smooth.

The fritters were "a little bit doughy" but still excellent, and even the insistent addition of rocket to everything (I don't really like rocket) was not enough to stop the 5 stars. The poached egg was nice, but seemingly just plopped on the side of the plate.

Their bacon was superb, and if gladly risk a coronary to have it again, and with kid friendly options (although my kids won't like the rocket either) and a host of beautiful pups in this dog friendly cafe, I will definitely be back.

Friendly service, and quaint atmosphere, please give this local business a try.

I sincerely doubt you'll be...