Steamtrain Espresso Auchenflower
When diners are flocking from suburbs on the other side of town to sample some of your hospitality, you know you’re doing something right. The crew at Steamtrain Espresso in Red Hill have been welcoming diners from far and wide, drawing in brunch hunters and coffee lovers alike to its small suburban home. In the first half of 2019, Steamtrain owner Dane Moloney and his team started putting out feelers for potential opportunities to expand – hitting pay dirt with a brilliant space a stone’s throw from the Auchenflower train station. With the station, the Wesley Hospital and loads of high-density residential nearby, Steamtrain Espresso Auchenflower is perfectly suited as the fulcrum for the suburb’s breakfast and lunch scene, with a fresh modern-industrial aesthetic and fit-out offering seating for upwards of 50 patrons. Beyond the looks, Dane was adamant about properly translating the things that made Steamtrain Espresso such as sought after name, that is quality, quantity and consistency – from each latte poured to burger plated. Steamtrain Espresso’s coffee offering is diverse, with grab-and-go espresso pours and chemex, V60 and batch-brew sips available. Kallangur-based Cavalier Coffee Roasters provides the beans for Steamtrain’s brew, offering various single origins and a house blend, complemented by a comprehensive range of milk and milk substitutes. The food menu at Auchenflower offers some new dishes compared to Red Hill’s streamlined list, extending from breakfast into lunch. Morning morsels such as bacon-and-egg burgers, chilli beans on sourdough, potato and sweet-potato hash with mushrooms and nourishing acai bowls are available, while diners can sink their teeth into piping-hot toasties, spiced-chicken burgers and mushroom burgers as the afternoon progresses. The coming months will see Steamtrain Auchenflower introduce a small liquor service including roughly eight beers and a selection of quality wines. Steamtrain Espresso’s mezzanine level is available for meetings and private dinners, while the cafe will be looking to host cupping sessions in the near future.