groundup cafe

i have eaten at thiscafebefore and enjoyed coffee and something to eat, and the setting.
but my mothers day brekkie was really disappointing. the hotcakes and bacon were cold, and the bacon overcooked and hard, the fruit was icy cold (and just the advertised banana and berries would have been perfect), and the 3 huge piles of cream... ugh! (son added to his scrambled eggs!). optional or in a small dish on the side would have been preferable. i'm guessing the maple syrup was drizzled somewhere but hard to know. marshmallows stuck on top would be great for kids but ..............not for me.

the food is good but they obviously do not want you to bring your baby to thecafeas they do not have any high chairs. this is the first time i have been to acafewithout a high chair. it is very disappointing. they used to have them.

this has been a regular go tocafeof mine for many years. great service and great food, you wont be disappointed!

great littlecafein pauatahanui. decent food, friendly staff and good availability for seating and parking.
although their food is quite pricey it is quite tasty. sausage roll from the cabinet and nachos are always my go to when i visit.
coffee from here is also really good.
ground up does get quite busy on weekends especially between 10am - midday after kids sport and they don't do bookings so if you are coming with a group you could take your chance but may pay to go somewhere else. also does take a while for your food and coffee to arrive when they are busy.
still a good little localcafeto visit.

food - 8/10
coffee - 8/10
friendliness - 7/10
cleanliness - 6/10
price - 6/10

would i return - yes

i've been to ground up before and loved the casual atmosphere and food. so i was looking forward to going in today. i walked in to a full busycafe& asked the person behind the counter if there was a table for two available because i didn't want to walk straight through as i thought this might be inconvenient for the wait staff - his words were "how would i know, i've been standing in this exact spot all morning."
while that is understandable, i feel like he could've been much nicer about it. needless to say, we left and went to anothercafeclose by.

my favouritecafein wellington. the coffee is consistently excellent, staff friendly and would sort any problem for you. food is great, not cheap but very enjoyable. open long hours which is great as you can get a coffee from 7.30 am and until 5pm when most cafes are closed. would love a  little more choice and change of cabinet food especially smaller savoury foods (like club sandwiches) for those of us who don't want something too sweet, although the slices are amazing. best cheese scones ever. love to sit outside to enjoy the interesting location. suitable for all ages. you can bring your dog to the two outside areas and water bowls are available for them. happy to recommend groundup.

groundup...  most definitely the go tocafein the porirua region
a wonderful variety of both cabinet and menu board food to tempt even the fussiest taste buds, staff that deliver service with excellence, and coffee to die for!!!
all this and a magical setting and relaxed atmosphere

first time at this café - was very busy yet the service was quick and friendly - the corn fritters outstanding as was the side salad - scrambled eggs among the best and the coffee was outstanding - latte lovely hot strong coffee - will definitely visit again

have been here a couple of times now love the service you are always greeted in a friendly manner i come from thecafeindustry so know that some days are crazy but these guys don't show it love there coffee as i drink it black i can tell if it's a bad one keep up the good work guys i will be back

decided to pop in the groundupcafefor a easter monday brunch.
i had the big breakfast with a hot cross bun, my wife the eggs benedict and our daughter the hot cakes, great fast service, great meals at a not too bad price. the big breakfast was a good size and very filling. my wife and daughter were very happy with their choices.
only two things, bacon could have been a bit crisper and hot cross bun was grilled and flattened without checking with me if i wanted it heated or not, it was just assumed. i didn't. will be back to try the lunch menu very soon.

thiscafehas in the past provided great coffee. today was not one of those days. i watched the staff member making the coffee scrape off the extra ground beans in the portafilter with his index finger (he also was texting not 5 minutes later).
i had the vege mixed grill... for the prices, i'd expect everything to be made from scratch on the premises. the hash browns are the same as mcdonald's and the tomatoes were warm but very close to raw.
several times i noticed staff on their mobiles. if i were the owner, i'd be worried.

i had the hotcakes which were beautifully presented (photo added). three huge hotcakes presented with bananas, mixed berries, rock melon, bacon, maple syrup & cream with a marshmallow garnish. almost too pretty to eat. but i did & enjoyed it thoroughly. my fiancee had the mixed grill - a hefty portion of kransky sausages, tomato, eggs, hash browns, & bacon (how about some mushrooms?). we were so impressed with the food we will go back again. the staff were friendly and the environment pleasant - i don't have a lot to say about these aspects as it was just the same as anywhere else - neither bad nor fantastic. for me though, i've had the only two things on the menu i would eat so the excitement has passed.

my husband's point of view:
an early sunday morning breakfast for four bought us back here a second time, after a pretty impressive first visit.

the venue is pleasant and the service is to an acceptable standard.

all members of our group were very satisfied with the food. the salmon and scrambled eggs dish was well received, with compliments on the amount of salmon supplied.

the missus and i both had the big breakfast, and after she got my tomatoes and mushrooms, and i scored her bacon and hash-browns, we were both very happy. i thought i'd live life on the edge, and after paying asked if mine could be accompanied by a small bowl of hollandaise. it was a casual request, if it happened then all good, if not then life goes on.

it did happen, and i was impressed. often a request of that nature can cause raising of eyebrows, but they didn't miss a beat. well done guys.

the sausages that come with the dish were a bit odd - the missus thought they tasted 'off'...but then there's so many different types and flavours these days it might just be how they are. i was however a bit disappointed to note the poached eggs had been cooked in an egg-poacher mould, and not free-styled as any competentcafechef should be able to do. still, they were quality eggs and tasted just the same as usual.

the only change i would like to see is printed menus that you can take to the table and peruse at leisure, as opposed to the blackboard by the counter. this would stop people getting in the way of each other, and those deciding what to have jostling with those who are ordering and paying. but hey, when in rome..

all in all, we'll be back.