On The Side offers Albion locals a little bit of extra action
It’s only human nature to want a bit more, especially when it comes to food and drink. The owners of Vaquero are indulging our insatiable wants with On The Side, a special hideaway cafe and bar that is offering the perfect amount of extra that we are craving. Coffee and brunch in the morning, followed by wine and charcuterie in the evening – it’s the kind of side action that we can really go for.
If you’ve stopped in at Vaquero in Albion for dinner and drinks on a Friday or Saturday night, you’ve probably seen first hand how popular the restaurant has become. Since November the eatery has been flat-out catering to demand, forcing owners Nick Pinn and Laurie Rogencamp (of Malt Dining, Malt Pier and Malt Traders fame) to seek out extra space. In serendipitous circumstances, the lease for Xavi’s Espresso Bar a few doors down became available, and Nick and Laurie jumped on the chance to take over the tenancy. The resulting venue is a perfect side hustle, offering a destination for locals seeking a new haunt to frequent. On The Side is a cafe by day and a bar by night, with a fresh interior (built and installed by Nick himself), set up as a handy haunt to grab a morning coffee and snack or to enjoy a drink and charcuterie before your booking at Vaquero next door.
On The Side has the benefit of utilising Vaquero’s kitchen and The Albion Butchery for its food offering, which extends to breakfast bites, toasted sandwiches and charcuterie at night. Early risers can stop in for freshly roasted Locale coffee, smoothies and slow-cooked 63-degree eggs on sourdough toast with jamon or smoked salmon, plus avocado and fetta, quiches, pain au chocolat, muffins and sweet treats from Vanilla Pod next door. At lunch, toasted sandwiches are whipped up, with the selection rotating weekly. In the coming weeks On The Side will start its night service, pouring craft beer, a curated selection of wines and Vaquero’s batch-made cocktails to complement a range of charcuterie shaved to order, cheeses, pickles and sardines.
If you are keen to get in on the action, find On The Side in our Stumble Guide.
The Stumble Guide is our comprehensive Brisbane dining guide with more than 2400 places to eat, drink, shop and play.