Fonzie Abbott Espresso

Fonzie Abbott is definitely one of the best cafes in Brisbane! Awesome coffee! Great service and funky tunes add to the relaxed atmosphere! Free wi-​fi! Free newspapers most days. Free cold water and chilled glasses.

Along Racecourse Road it is rare to see a hole in the wall coffee nook, let alone one as rustically hip and «urban» as Fonzie Abbott Espresso. Truth be told, when I first walked past Fonzie, I thought surely this was a place that would feel more at home among «its kind» in Fortitude Valley, New Farm or West End. I know, I know I’m letting stereotypes of the «Ascot Mum» muddy my perception of the type of business that «fits» in Ascot and yet here I was immensely enjoying the newest addition to this well known Brisbane street.
From the old coffee bags adorning the wall to the wood panelling, Fonzie Abbot just exudes cool. He’s the popped collar, leather jacket wearing dude and if he wasn’t already named Foznie Abbot we might just get away with say he’s smooth like Danny Zucko. Rumour has it the name Fonzie Abbot was the marrying of the one of the owners names for their first pet and the first street one they lived on. Brewing and serving their own blend I could give them five stars for the coffee alone. It seems to change regularly, but one this visit we were served a 50% Brazil-​25% Guatemala-​25% Colombian blend that, quite frankly, was one of the most unique coffees I’ve had the pleasure of sipping in Brisbane this year.
Although there is the usual café food fare to choose from this is one of those places that focus primarily on their coffee craft and I for one applaud this. Don’t compromise on the need to offer both. That said, I did manage to tuck away a pretty delicious slice of banana bread while I was there. So you know, if you are peckish, you won’t starve. They also serve some beers if coffee isn’t your thing.
The only thing missing from Fonzie Abbott, based on my visit there, is this: friendly service and a cheeky barista to support the strong character the space promotes. The name, the look and feel of the place all give you promise of this kick-​ass barista who you could chat to for hours and perhaps sometimes there is that kind of person greeting you as you enter Fonzie. However, on the day we visited we were left feeling more like an inconvenience than a welcome addition to the scene. Maybe it is teething problems which is why I’m not giving it too much thought and will again be back to Fonzie Abbott with a need for coffee in tow.

Racecourse Road in Hamilton is not one of the first places that come to mind when organising a meet up over a coffee. It’s more of a place to sit down and have a feed. However, there are some places that do make a nice coffee. One in particular is Fonzie Abbot Espresso.
Located towards the river end of Racecourse Rd, keep an eye out for a small espresso bar with a handful of seats out front and distinct Portuguese shack look to it. When you spot it go in and grab a coffee.
As I waited for my flat white to be made up, I looked around the store and noticed they blended their own beans and on Fridays they do coffee martinis. The latter of my observations was a complete mystery to me but sounded enticing.
When my coffee came out it was made just the way I had requested and had a particular taste that for all better descriptions can be called unique to Fonzie.
Before I left I asked haw the name came about and Dan the owner said it was his first street and pet name. Pretty cool outcome, I thought.