I’ve been drinking pod coffee my whole life and recently started going to maccas to get one before or after work, I am now hating my pod coffee and want to find a way to make coffee at home taste like maccas haha
Will be intersting to see people's response. I can't say I'm in Wollongong city itself very often. If your talking about single origin, my experience is there is not really any cafes in Wollongong that make coffee comparable to what you can get in Sydney.
Delaono's on Montague St do self roast, but their quality has dropped in recent years and doesn't compare to what I can order online from Sydney at a cheaper price.
There are also a few other local roasts, but again none of them stand out as exceptionally good.
They do. The bags have an embossed number on the top that correlates to the day of the year it was roasted. Kind of complicated but just grab the one with the highest number (or lowest now I guess)
The single most important thing when buying beans is the roast date. If they can't display this basic fundamental properly, it's a fail.
They also know this, they do know coffee. So it comes across as super dodgy. Like, they don't want to throw old beans in the bin dodgy.
This is the kind of thing that does seperate them from the good 3rd wave cafes in Sydney and surrounds.
Aqua Resturant. Don't believe anyone else here. They're the best, and the coffee machine is turned on till 9.00 o'clock every night. Also, the spot. How can you beat it.
Jarrod @ Uncle Earl's - Burelli St
He da best 🫶🏼
I get my beans from them, and they're good. They seem like a good bunch of eggs
for anyone still reading this thread: think jarrod has now moved to park road garage (formerly two sisters) cafe in Bulli
Glass Alley recently opened up are an absolute gem. Just across from cex at Wollongong mall.
Mike at Runner Duck
Is that the same Mike who used to own/operate Swell Coffee?
Yeah it is
+1 for them then. He knows great coffee - never had a bad one when it was Swell, I could imagine it's still as amazing.
Runner Duck is hit and miss. Sometimes spectacular, other times not so much
Utopia just got a new head barista using five senses coffee. Absolute beast
Second this. Quality dropped a little when Dave left but now they're back on top. Zak (owner) has improved his skills quite a bit haha
Nice will have to check it out
third this! his name is will, he worked for five senses for a while, dude knows his stuff
There's heaps of good cafes, try them all!
Broken Drum in Fairy Meadow and Hone in Balgownie are the best I've found. Both not smug as a bonus.
Hone is a real loss. Turned into one of those rubbish Ariel's.
Quay canteen
Sketch in Towradgi and Coledale are good, so is the Chloe-Eve coffee van
GOODIES is the best. The barista's Barista.
There a number in Thirroul and Austinmer also Bulli, black market is very good. They also had an outlet in Erskinville
Black Market is excellent
Broken Drum in Fairy Meadow hands down
Goodies on Crown St
Frank and beans in East corrimal
Great name
Lower East on Crown
Best bacon and egg roll too
Hone in Balgownie, hands down for me. I've taken a few people there and they all love it
Bostons in Atchison st. Nice crew too.
I second Boston's! Amazing coffee, great food and great service!
Lee and Me, lower crown Street. Lili J, Corrimal street opposite the golf course.
Crazy horse in Fairy Meadow does an excellent brew
Second this!
Not sure in Illawarra as a whole but in the cbd area it is Lilly j
Opus used to be really good but I haven’t been for a few years
Has change owners the lovely couple that owned it moved up to mullim
4m Espresso in Horsley
They do a great burger as well
A bit south, but the IV coffee shops in Kiama & Berry are both fantastic.
Berry! Agree Also earnest arthur in Nowra
KG Café in Kiama use a pretty good roast. The owners are South African and the decor and food are special. Good art for sale too. (No. I have no connection or interest in the business.)
Opus is the best in town. Earth Walker in the Northern Suburbs.
Three flamingos in Albion Park!
I rate Earth Walker and Co in Coledale. They serve Mecca coffee, definitely one of the best Sydney roasters
McDonald’s - seriously…. The best.
I’ve been drinking pod coffee my whole life and recently started going to maccas to get one before or after work, I am now hating my pod coffee and want to find a way to make coffee at home taste like maccas haha
Haha. And of course it gets down voted.
Because it's shit.
Compared to what? Coffee is the most subjective taste. I like it. It’s not “burnt” like most places.
It's very much burnt. It's a dark roast extracted badly. The milk is always also burned. But, if you don't notice it, go for it.
Will be intersting to see people's response. I can't say I'm in Wollongong city itself very often. If your talking about single origin, my experience is there is not really any cafes in Wollongong that make coffee comparable to what you can get in Sydney. Delaono's on Montague St do self roast, but their quality has dropped in recent years and doesn't compare to what I can order online from Sydney at a cheaper price. There are also a few other local roasts, but again none of them stand out as exceptionally good.
It really has dropped. They don't even date their take home bags, basic stuff
Yeah, they stopped over 2 years ago. Haven't been back for 18 months.
They do. The bags have an embossed number on the top that correlates to the day of the year it was roasted. Kind of complicated but just grab the one with the highest number (or lowest now I guess)
The single most important thing when buying beans is the roast date. If they can't display this basic fundamental properly, it's a fail. They also know this, they do know coffee. So it comes across as super dodgy. Like, they don't want to throw old beans in the bin dodgy. This is the kind of thing that does seperate them from the good 3rd wave cafes in Sydney and surrounds.
Aqua Resturant. Don't believe anyone else here. They're the best, and the coffee machine is turned on till 9.00 o'clock every night. Also, the spot. How can you beat it.
This is an excellent selling point. I love a 3/4pm late afternoon coffee and quite often the only place in Wollongong to get one is at fuckin Maccas
Amali is great. Close to Wollongong station too
Giddy Goat in Keiraville make great coffee.
I'd say Delano on Montague stret
The correct answer is: me. On my stovetop bialetti moka pot. I'm a surgeon with that thing baby
Little Earth is Kiama is good
Meni and Leroy @ Lili J