Reverends Coffee Co — Restaurant in Brisbane City

Oh my this place is a bit cool, a bit good hey. Any wonder it has so many reviews and a high-4 average. I was here 16.02.2025. I had the Reverend's Breakfast which is a pretty, stylish plate of houlumi, bacon, twain googs, toasted sourdough, arugula (rocket), heirloom toms, mushies. The heirloom toms are tiny (cherry) and pop in your mouth delightfully. The poached eggs would need a physicist to explain how aesthetically perfectly shaped they were and an artist to convey how my heart swelled at their runniness upon opening. I am being a tad hyperbolic however it is a post-meal joy and enthusiasm which reflects how I felt. The bacon was... crisp, the toast was... crisp; this is not a criticism only an observation that I need to remember to be not-so-shy and ask for floppy bacon and medium rare toast. You may like it indeed so bon apetit, sirrah! The houlumi. Let me say. I was nilly not gonna get this meal because of the houlumi for indeed I often find the texture like I expect a double-plugger feels and the saltiness to be excessive. This was not the case today and it was a revelation. It was stretchily melty while retaining that houlumi strength. Salt-wise, yes, it had saltiness but not to peel your lips back in a Joker's grimace. The wedge of lemon on the plate was a slice of genius. It tempered the houlimi and also filtered through the plate to be detected in the toms and bacon. I will be doing this lemon wedge magic moving forward and you should too. Come here first because this place is cool and stylish, and the staff or owners are so calm and accommodating. Homely vibe in the midst of The Valley. Very cosmopolitan too with people near me speaking either Russian, Bearussian or Ukrainian (I know a little and heard что or сто and больше) and Irish, and Portuguese. All very exciting. And I'm so glad this eatery will be a part of their holiday memories - as it will be of mine even though I'm merely from Geelong, Victoria. I am keen to try that...

It was my birthday today and I had a bit of time to kill before work, and I happened to see a post by Reverends Fine Coffee on Instagram. And I was tempted to give it a go. It had been a long while since I visited a cafe myself and had a bit of me time.

Reverends Fine Coffee is situated in the Fortitude Valley neighboring a bunch of other cafes and restaurants. I ordered a skinny cap and one lamington. The coffee was amazing and I really appreciated that they used real chocolate on top instead of cocoa powder. The coffee was silky and smooth. It didn’t give me that bitter and acidic aftertaste, which was to my appealing. As for the lamington, I liked it too but the cake was a bit dry but the chocolate coating and coconut shreds compensated the fact that the cake wasn’t moist enough. But the good thing was the lamington wasn’t overly sweet.

Another thing I liked about the café was their interior design and layout of the cafe. The café is divided into indoor and outdoor seatings. I chose a table inside as shown in the pic. I loved the industrial vibe the room provided (that brick wall was everything) and the art works on the wall were well appreciated and gave an artistic feel. The music playing in the background was also really soothing and relaxing.

The service was alright, but not outstanding. Except for the the brief moments where I placed my order, there was basically no more interaction with the staff.

All in all, it was a pleasant experience. Will go back some...

I really hate to complain, but I can’t ignore this.

I ordered a small oat cappuccino and was charged $7. I thought, “Okay, pricey, but it is what it is,” and moved aside to wait. While standing there, I checked the price list—small coffee: $4.50, alternative milk: $1. That should’ve been $5.50, so I made a mental note to ask about it later.

The café was somewhat busy but not overwhelming. There were two baristas/all-rounders and one person in the kitchen. As I waited, I noticed a pattern—at least four or five orders were wrong or sent back. The baristas looked completely overwhelmed, and the more mistakes they made, the more stressed they became. Customers were visibly frustrated.

Fifteen minutes later (yes, I checked the time of payment), I finally got my coffee. Before leaving, I asked if it was oat milk, just to be sure. Blank stare—nope, it wasn’t. Another mistake. I also tried asking about the charge, but the barista was too stressed to even acknowledge me.

So, after being overcharged, waiting 15 minutes, and getting the wrong coffee, they handed me a mocha instead of a cappuccino. I just took it. What a mess.

I want to give them the benefit of the doubt—maybe it was just a bad day? The baristas were clearly under pressure, so I don’t want to put all the blame on them. But maybe it’s time to add a fourth person...