Rushworth Cafe — Restaurant in Waitematā

I moved to Auckland from a small town a few years ago and quickly found a home at Rushworth. I worked here for just over a year (a few years ago now) and here are some things that have stuck with me:

James is the owner. He would welcome me every morning with genuine interest in how life was going. He would work alongside us when it was busy and was never too important to take out the trash. James has a huge heart and it was emphasised in many situations. A young family came into the shop one day and were clearly tired, their young child was upset that there were no sausage rolls on the menu, James quietly passed me $10 from the till and asked me to run across the road and get one for the young boy and take it to their table. That is the kind of person he is.

It is tough to describe Salama with words. I was in awe of her work ethic from the day that I met her. She was always the first there and last to leave. Salama is sunshine in human form and has an unmatched vibrancy regardless of how tired she must be. She also had a genuine interest in how I was doing. Salama was full of positive feedback and was always so uplifting. She had a constant curiosity about how to make things better. She remembered each of our birthdays and would bring a gift. It was such a pleasure to work alongside her.

I think what stood out to me the most, is that I left abruptly and somewhat unexpectedly due to my own personal circumstances. A few months later my Mum passed away, without any contact, Rushworth graciously contributed to the givealittle page for her funeral experiences and I received messages from both James and Salama checking in with me.

So, yeah, maybe other places in Auckland offer better food or better coffee, but I can guarantee to you that you will not find better, more genuine people with bigger hearts. That is what makes Rushworth so special and the experience...

If you ask for coffee be prepared to have a version of it .... a single diluted shot for $4.50 !! This Cafè like many others in this town that I love have assumed that most of its clientele are profoundly ignorant about coffee or what they actually like. I know what I like and when I order a coffee I would like a good coffee. Served by a human with the ability to understand what I have asked for. It is unacceptable to be served a milk type substitute for $4.50 and be told by a pimply pre pubescent automaton that it “is standard”. I wouldn’t go there again if you paid me ...... I would rather peel my eye lids backwards and stare into the sun. Very...

The staff are wonderful! Shout out to the guy who was working on Sunday (sorry I didn’t get your name) for helping me call my family when I realised I had dropped my phone in the car. You saved me a lot of stress, thank you for being so kind.

The food is great and the outdoor seating is fantastic! Perfect for people who want delicious cafe food without dining indoors. I went on a rainy day when it wasn’t too busy and there were only a few other patrons seated outside. The outdoor seating is sufficiently covered to protect from the rain, without...