Mad Spuds Cafe

It was a wet Spring morning and we decided to brunch at Mad Spuds before my ritual drive down to Canberra. For a cold morning, the cafe was surprisingly busy. We were fortunate enough to come just before the rush and got ourselves a table near the counter.

We started off with something from the Twice Cooked Skin range, their Spud Skins topped with Smoked Salmon, Feta, Organic Sprouts, Apricot Puree and Lemon Wedge. I was surprised at how much potato was actually still on the skins. For some reason we expected this dish to be light and more like an appetiser.  I enjoyed the deep fried oily taste of the skins and potato (even though they weren't deep fried)... and the toppings were creamy and light which sat well with me. WifeOfSnackingBear found the smoked salmon a bit of an odd pairing.

So one of the dishes that made WifeOfSnackingBear's eyes light up was their Full Irish Breakfast - Pork Sausage, Crispy Bacon, Black and White Pudding, Baked Beans, Hash Browns, Soda Bread, Potato Bread and Two Eggs. If that isn't a heart attack on a plate, I dunno what is. The breakfast looked intense. I guess the highlights was sampling the Black and White Pudding. Overall I still felt it sounded more impressive than it tasted.... reminded me too much of a typical English Breakfast but with some minute changes. The breakfast was interesting but not something I'd come back for.

I guess a visit to the Mad Spuds Cafe can't be complete without an induction to their Baked Spuds... of which I chose the Chilli Con Carne variety - spicy beef, organic beans, melted cheddar, hot chilli and a side of 7 seed slaw and sour cream. I think this was definitely the most disappointing dish for me. The chilli con carne lacked oopmh and spice, the potatos were baked but bland and the salad just felt a bit dry and blah. Yes I realise that description was like listening to caveman describe food but the heart says what it feels. Overall I wasn't impressed and worse of all I've had better at a food court. I'm really hoping it was just a once off bad dish... but when I looked around.. it seems like I was one of the only few that chose a Baked Spud. What's worse than the flavours was eating a deconstructed spud... it was just plain messy to rebuild and get the perfect bite.



I tried to order something from the Emma and Tom's menu (essentially pre-made juices) but they were sold out. So I ended up getting a recommendation and trying their Anti-Inflammaatory Cold Press Juices comprising of carrot, celery, cucumber, spinach, green apple, ginger and tumeric. I'm completely not a fan of these type of drinks but WifeOfSnackingBear insisted for health reasons. I took a sip and pulled a face when the ginger and tumeric hit the tongue.... it wasn't bad enough for me to not finish it but I definitely wouldn't order it for pure enjoyment. I guess that's that my stance on healthy drinks...



WifeOfSnackingBear enjoyed her coffee. She kept insisting I taste it but I'm such a coffee noob that I felt the enjoyment or appreciation levels would be wasted on me. I do notice a lot of customers coming in to grab coffees to go and this place is surrounded by many other coffee joints.



I loved the informative signs about their spuds.

"Our Spuds are sourced from Robertson in the Southern Highlands. Roberston is famous for it's rich organic red volcanic soil which gives the spuds a unique flavour. We bake a different varietys "King Edward", Sebago, Desiree and Nicola. Our Spuds are baked in a fan forced King Edward Potato oven until Crispy and Fluffy"



I love the use of Vintage Postcards and Mr Potato Heads to decorate the place. It was simple, subtle and just a nice touch. The place had a nice, warm and welcoming vibe about it.



The cafe is small and cosy, almost to the point I feel like I'm close enough to brush shoulders with other patrons if I was forced to share a table just to get a seat. Despite the buzzing atmosphere, the lines and wait doesn't seem too bad. People don't tend to nurse their coffees and chatter too long before escaping back to their busy lives. I do have to commend the service as it was extremely friend for such a busy cafe.



The meal was partially paid for by Mad Spuds Cafe and Zomato but my opinion wasn't. Personally if I was in the area I wouldn't mind stopping in again for a meal and stick with those Twice Cooked Skins again.