Last updated on March 15, 2016
Bungalow 4171 has been around for a bit longer than most of the recent contributors to the flourish in the breakfast/brunch arena in Brisbane. They’ve been serving food in that Hawthorne street since 2012, and have been mentioned in a few good breakfast lists over the years. We had managed to not actually come across it until recently though. One of those passing-by moments of “I’ve heard of that place.. So that’s where it is!”. I had also managed to mistake the Bungalow Bar and Restaurant in Rosalie for it previously..
It is housed in what probably used to be a corner shop once. It has been done up in quite a quaint, old-country style fashion, with painted wooden chairs, pressed metal wall panels, quite a striking green flocked wallpaper along another wall, retro tin salt and pepper containers on the tables, and a little vase of fresh flowers on each table as well. There is lots of natural light coming through the large windows, which keeps the place bright.
Contrary to what others had said about the poor service in their reviews, we had no such problems. We were shown to seats soon after getting there and given menus and water. They didn’t leave us languishing for too long before returning to gt our drink, then food orders. We had the choice between items on the all day breakfast menu, and the lunch menu (starts at 11am). In the end we picked one from each.
From the breakfast menu came the Bungalow Big Brekkie, with cured Irish bacon, pork and apple sausage, two poached eggs, mushrooms, tomato chutney, baby spinach, and toast. The pork and apple sausage was nicely cooked, so that it had a bit of crunch as you cut through the skin, then a meaty chew from its contents rather than being rubbery. We didn’t come across any gristle in it. The Irish bacon, I could’t tell was different from any other bacon, apart from being slightly tougher in texture. The dish was alright, but it wasn’t really a standout from big breakfasts had at other places.
From the lunch menu, the rosemary and chilli grilled chicken breast with apple and cider sauce, smoked pancetta radicchio, chat potatoes and sweet onions was chosen. It came out as quite a pretty heap, the chicken perched atop the mound of greens. Unfortunately, the chicken had been overcooked and was dry when cut into. The apple and cider sauce was present more as a dressing than in an amount significant enough to compensate for the chicken. The radicchio added a bitter flavour that could have been done without. Altogether..it wasn’t a dish I can recommend.
The iced mocha was cold and chocolatey, but a little too sweet.
They did an alright flat white.
Overall, Bungalow 4171 was underwhelming. Perhaps picking different dishes might have shown what the kitchen can do in a better light. However, given that they are pitched and priced as more than just your neighbourhood corner cafe, it should have been better. Given the plethora of new eating places opening, resting on one’s laurels is a dangerous thing.
Price point: $12 for simple breakfast items like muesli to $23 for the Big Brekkie. Lunch items up to $20.
Value: Not convincing from this visit.
Details:
Address: 1/134 Hawthorne Road, Hawthorne
Phone: 07 3899 9956
Website: Bungalow 4171
