I met a former colleague for lunch yesterday at his regular Friday lunch spot, Station Bar and Cafe in Fyshwick.
The cafe is on Dairy Flat Road, closer to the scenic Jerrabomberra Wetlands than Fyshwick’s industrial buildings. And even though it’s off the beaten track, it does a more than decent weekday trade.
(As an aside, I think the wetlands – cafe or no cafe – are pretty special. If you haven’t visited the bird hides by Jerrabomberra Creek, pick a warm spring evening and head down just before sunset. You can enter via Eyre Street on the Kingston side, or the end of Dairy Flat road in Fyshwick. The cows in the nearby paddock are a good spectacle too.)
But back to lunch. The cafe has had a facelift in recent months, with a new green and grey colour scheme and modern furniture. It’s a different vibe to the tired cafe I remember from my last visit earlier this year – though the coffee was good then and I’ve heard it still is.
The current menu is a mix of pricier lunch options ($20.90 for a station master burger, $29.90 for a grilled scotch fillet, $23.90 for a chicken parmigiana), and cheaper items ($14.90 for a cheeseburger, wraps starting at $12.90). There’s also a kids menu with items like sourdough fairy bread ($5.50).
The above photo is of a station master burger (via the cafe’s Facebook page). It’s proof that the serving sizes are generous. I would only consider ordering a burger, schnitzel or steak if you’re absolutely ravenous or a competitive eater.
With that in mind I ordered a salt and pepper calamari wrap from the snacks menu ($14.90), and my friend ordered the grilled chicken and avocado wrap ($15.90).
We also ordered two sides of chips ($4 each). This took us over the $15 cheap eats limit, but the chips were unnecessary. As you can see from the photo below, even the snack menu portions are big.
I’m usually wary of buying wraps in cafes. Too often they’re overpriced, a little soggy and stingy on the good bits. Why buy a boring old wrap when you can walk to the Mexican joint around the corner and get a made-to-order burrito for the same price?
Also, $14.90 is an expensive wrap, particularly if it’s a limp little thing that’s been sitting in a display cabinet for three hours. I was ready to complain that my lunch was not good value, but when our order arrived, I was impressed.
The wrap was fresh and stuffed full of calamari, to the point that it was a serious undertaking just to stop the fillings falling out the other side. My friend’s chicken and avocado wrap was just as large. Bonus points to the kitchen for not skimping on the avocado.
While Station Bar & Cafe is the sort of place where you can buy an affordable lunch, it’s also somewhere you can meet clients for coffee or an early morning breakfast. There are heaps of indoor and outdoor tables, and the ambience is good too.
If you do visit, don’t forget to check out the Jerrabomberra Wetlands afterwards. You won’t regret it.
What: The Station Bar & Cafe
Where: 1 Dairy Road, Fyshwick
Opening hours: 6.30am to 3.30pm Monday to Friday, 8am to 3pm Saturday
Website: http://www.stationbarandcafe.com.au/
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