tl;dr: it is a new farm institution more or less, that doesn't require an introduction. for me, it might have been adequate from the decent quality food, but a lot of it was tainted by service that seemed to coast purely on the name. just getting it off the list as a resident of brisbane, but that is about it.
there are so many weekends to come, and so many places to put on the list with newbies popping up left, right, and center. putting so much focus on keeping up with the jones that it has been easy to forget all the veteran cafes that have seen through the years. many of them get the highest scores, the most votes, and more or less enter the fray on that odd occasion. it was the case this time around, with the new farm/newstead area being the focal point. whatever was specifically the influence to finally decide on double shot as the breakfast joint, i can't remember; yet this has been one of those cafes quietly beckoning a review.
it was alright. they managed to do most of the basic things right, but not everything was up to scratch. what did manage to happen was getting a decent, filling meal; yet underneath the operations there was not a whole lot of care going around. business is ruthless in this part of town, so everyone got to be on their game.
even if this was the worst place ever, what i would stop and actually give kudos to is what they have done with the amount of space they have been given, combined with the popularity they have acquired over the years. it is among the apartment complexes, so the amount of space is a mere room plus the kitchen, and this time around they got lucky with some balcony space. this is one place that is constantly busy as well, so they also have the turnover to consider. if this were more out in the styx, you could mistake it for a quiet side street. tables spill across the sidewalk, plus all the trees around help give it some shade along with the umbrellas.
a few atmospheric aspects are beyond their control, so i will give plenty of leeway that way. what i can't give leeway to is when customer service is bad. or if bad is a harsh word to use, the customer service came across as a bit too complacent. in spite of there being several waitstaff wandering around, setting up tables, organising where clients go, and bringing out the meals, what i didn't see was an actual sense of organisation.
believe me, i have been reviewing for nearly eight years as of writing this review and i have experienced the whole nine yards when it comes to customer service. not everything has to be super attentive, that much i know. i have been in much busier places, where the organisation was far more meticulous and they managed to get things done. you could tell at those places a true care in how the clients took to the customer service; when it came to the customer service at double shot espresso much of me thought they were coasting on their name, and their reputation. that, my friends, is called complacency.
the menu is mostly going for thecafestyle vibe. it has a broad and fairly rich all-day breakfast menu, which starts of with the light continental options, before delving into all things eggs, and getting a few exotic options thrown in for good measure. lunch is essentially a range of sandwiches plus a few other cafe-style classics - still relatively light. from memory, they also have the usual range of sweets and such in the cabinet for when business is winding down, and starting to wrap up.
as for the drinks, likewise it is the usual range you can get from a cafe. these start out with the normal lot of tea and coffee, but they also provide a solid cold drink selection. these includes sodas, include milkshakes and their ilk, they have several juices to offer as well. around the lunch time rush, the alcohol comes out in forms of beer, wines, ciders and all that jazz.
it started off as per normal, getting some drinks. this is breakfast which means only one kind of drink - that is coffee. when it comes to coffee, i like to keep it simple and that usually means a doppiio. it is my weird on-and-off friend, merlo that serves up the beans this time. in more recent times, i have had a better relationship with merlo here - much of it comes around to how talented the barista behind the machine is. that is an absolute necessity, as it can be the difference between an adequate coffee and a fantastic coffee.
this time around, the coffee was decent. it was not anything outstanding, they didn't burn it or anything, and there was an adequate amount of extraction. the temperature was fine, so was the flavour albeit without any apparent clues to the notes and whatnot.
as much as the coffee itself was good, the mode that it was served was strange to say the least. they used a regular water glass to pour in the coffee. as such, it was only about an inch high in the glass and the aesthetics - which i understand more and more as i go on - did not bode well for it. this looked slack, or could be mistaken as remnants of someone else's drink being served right up, or just several other conclusions. it wasn't a gripe as such then, but come to think of it, this is a gripe. this implies a lack of planning, and leads to something that i swear has was apparent in the air - complacency seeping into the customer service, that is the worst kind of service you can get.
the meals that were ordered were a breakfast burrito, and a spanish sausage called txistorra. both of these were decent meals, and adequately portioned. the burrito was a simple combination of scrambled eggs, chorizo, and grated cheese, with some avocado on the side and a mixed pepper salsa. this was simple in execution, with the scrambled eggs taking up a lot of the room. the chorizo added that nice spicy flavour it is known for, and when the cheese melted it made it all the more enjoyable. on the side, the avocado acted as a good condiment that was creamy, and wholesome. all up, this isn't so bad as a filling meal - a bit on the basic side, and not anything that is to write home about, yet still satisfying all up.
with the spanish sausage, on the side it had truss tomato, mushrooms, and poached eggs along with sourdough toast and a beetroot relish. less spicy, and more with a rich sort of flavour, them deciding to go simple was the right choice. i also managed to nibble a bit of the mushroom - cooked well - and a bit of the tomato - getting cooked just enough to release the flavours. i think of this as a mediterranean version of the fry-up.
this is one more place that i reckon is coasting too much on its reputation, and as a result much of it can come across as complacent. in particular, that was the case with the service. while props are given to them keeping themselves busy, there wasn't that impression they cared that much for the experience being good - the things like asking how things were, or checking up on the clients occasionally. it took something that has a reputable reputation, and dragged it down into barely above mediocrity. it might be me going against the grain, that i can accept. but to even the most storied institution, you should work well and present yourself as the new up-and-comer - always.