The Other Ostrich Cafe | Hawthorn | Review
On a former petrol station site, The Other Ostrich in Hawthorn serves playful, feel-good food in a bright, family-friendly space.
Review by Carla Caruso
Suburban cafés are great. Even better is finding one in an unexpected spot.
Enter The Other Ostrich Café in Hawthorn, set on a former petrol station site with old bowsers still in place, just a few doors from an old-school mechanic.
Where there are cars up on hoists and oil-stained concrete next door, this café offers a cheerful contrast, with pastel pink walls, bird-themed artwork, vinyl spinning, and freshly baked cookies cooling at the counter. The dishes look good enough for Instagram, and thankfully, taste just as good.
The café opened in November 2023 and is the brainchild of friends Homi and Sam. The name comes from Homi’s love of ostriches, with the outdoor signage showing an ostrich and flamingo in playful combat. Flamingos pop up throughout the décor too.
But the animal love runs even deeper than birds. A wall of Polaroids features customers’ dogs, complete with their names, and there’s an undercover outdoor area where pups are welcome. Inside, you’ll find ample seating, hanging pot plants, magazines to flick through, and a bustling atmosphere.
The menu focuses on all-day breakfast and brunch, alongside coffees, smoothies, pastries and cakes, with plenty of gluten-free options.
On our visit, our family of four each enjoyed a different dish: a fried chicken burger with jalapeños, double cheese and secret sauce; eggs benedict with slow-braised beef brisket; truffle-spiked polenta with mushroom ragù and a poached egg; and buttermilk waffles from the kids’ menu, topped with berries and strawberry ice cream.
Already on our list for next time is the popcorn cauliflower, the bagel with crumbed haloumi and chilli honey, and the kransky hot dog.
The drinks were just as thoughtful. Between us, we tried the tropical mint breeze juice with cucumber, apple, lemon and mint; the banana-na-na-naaa smoothie with banana, dates, chia, milk and peanut butter; and a cold-foam iced latte.
I was also tempted by the tiramisu latte, sticky chai, or Vietnamese coconut coffee, but there was simply no room left. There are babyccinos for little café-goers too.
The Other Ostrich’s food is inventive without being pretentious, and it’s clear that there’s real care behind every dish. With its vibrant interior and welcoming staff, it’s the kind of place that lifts your spirits and makes you want to return – no hiding your head in the sand like an ostrich!
What we like about it
- Kids’ menu and babyccinos available
- Dog-friendly
- Dopamine-boosting décor, with lots of pink and animal-inspired art
- Delicious, innovative fare with a focus on gluten-free options
Things to consider
- There’s one toilet at the back of the building
- Expect standard brunch café pricing
Location:
The Other Ostrich, 45C Sussex Terrace, Hawthorn
Find The Other Ostrich on Facebook and Instagram.
See our Top Parks & Playgrounds Around Adelaide
For more information and all enquiries, please visit The Other Ostrich Cafe website.
All photos by James Elsby for Play & Go Adelaide.
At Play & Go Adelaide we make every effort to provide accurate information to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication. We recommend confirming times, dates and details directly before making any plans as details may be subject to change.
As per all our Play & Go reviews, this is not a sponsored post and our review is done completely independently. All photos are by Play & Go (unless specified).
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