21 First Street, HINDMARSH SA 5007.
p: (08) 8340 0809
w: theloosecaboose.com.au/
Vegetarian Adelaide Rating: 85/100
Atmosphere: 21/25
Service: 22/25
Food: 24/25
Vego / Sustainable rating: 18/25
When we arrived on a rainy Saturday’s morning and there wasn’t a car park in sight, we knew we’d come to the right place for a weekend brunch. Bowden train station. Yep that’s right! Who knew this transport hub would be the place to go for a scrumptious breakfast and the first caffeine hit to get the weekend started? The old railway station has been transformed into The Loose Caboose coffee / breakfast / brunch / lunch locale that attracts hoards from near and far.
We couldn’t resist the sheer novelty of entering The Loose Caboose from the station itself (for future reference this is the ‘wrong door’). We joined a queue of hungry people waiting for a table in this café, which was abuzz with activity. We soon realised that the ‘no bookings’ policy at The Loose Caboose was a way of testing our determination, resilience and fortitude. If we were successful in this feat we would be rewarded with one of the tantalising dishes we saw zooming from the kitchen to eager customers. Our names were added to a long list of potential diners. We’d come this far why stop now? Plus, the rain was setting in fairly heavily and the warm friendly atmosphere was enough to keep us put t a little longer.
We perused the menu, that included dishes such as: ‘House Granola with fresh and poached fruit with vanilla bean yoghurt’, ‘Smashed Avocado with Meredith feta, cress leaves, radish & lime on toasted rye sourdough’, and ‘Sautéed Mushrooms with pearl barley & almond on toasted rye sourdough’. These were enough to restore our persistence and we were appeased by some sensational coffees that we drank while we waited. Each time names were called out from the list we waited, hopeful to hear the golden words that sounded our name. Some had already failed the test – absent when their names were called. Secretly we rejoiced as the holy grail of a table became closer and closer. Then, accompanied by the sweet chorus of angels we heard our names and went to the call.
Having already snuck a peak of the menu we were ready to order in no time at all. Despite the fact that The Loose Caboose’s doesn’t allow ‘changes to the menu on weekends or busy periods’ our pleas of vegetarianism allowed us one change to a dish. We were able to exchange the smoked salmon in the ‘Green Pea and Haloumi Fritters with tomato chilli jam’ for mushrooms (the vegetarian meat). The reviewers would been seriously disappointed if we didn’t get to try such an appealing vegetarian option such as pea and haloumi fritters, little did the chef know how crucial this exchange was for a favourable Vegetarian Adelaide rating! We also ordered ‘Heuvos Rancheros – fried free range egg, black beans, pico de gallo, avocado & toasted tortillas’.
Despite the crowds, the kitchen whipped up these two dishes in extraordinary time. They were both well worth the wait. Each dish had its own unique combination of beautifully matched ingredients. The Huevos Rancheros was a fiesta of texture and flavour, while the fritters were perfectly complimented with the chilli jam (and mushrooms!). It is also impressive that the popularity of this café and the seemingly constant stream of customers did not hinder the staff’s amiable and effective service.
Personally, I’m not a huge fan of ‘no bookings’ policies in cafes and restaurants. I can’t understand the logic of not assuring customers a table if they’re keen enough to book. The Loose Caboose is not the place to go if you’re in a hurry, well certainly not on a Saturday morning. However, overall this was a very polished performance. I was pleased to pass the test, The Loose Caboose certainly passed mine.