Campos Coffee – Wandoo St

I use to come here heaps when it opened. So when i went back on Sunday i was expecting their beautiful and unusual breakfast… a little dissapointed. While it was good and the coffee as usual, was execptional. But i feel it was lacking it’s old charm. Maybe I’m just looking back with rose tinted glasses but i feel it is just another coffee and breakfast spot. Same old. I use to go to Campos because it created really good, but different and beautiful food. Maybe next time!

Great food and service. It was 35 degrees hot weather and they had cooling fan for people in the courtyard. They really care about their customers not just $$$. I’d go back for sure.

Must have gone in on a bad day…
Service was soooooooooooo bad and extremely rude, coffee can be as good as you like but with rude service i can’t handle it

Great coffee food and service. A bit of an effort to find the laneway but worth it. The Pour Over and Cold drip coffee options on the menu are interesting. Contributes to the sophistication of the coffee offering. The continual steam of patrons vouches for the popularity and ambiance. Surely a fav.

Let me start by saying that Campos Coffee — and from this location in particular — remains my favourite place in Brisbane to get coffee. Strong, tasty, smooth — just delicious.
I have visited on numerous occasions for brunch and have always enjoyed the food. Despite being almost hidden down a driveway/​alley, it is an extremely popular weekend brunch location and so the wait for a table can be on the longer side. They have installed shade covers so you no longer need to stand in the sun during the wait at least. I cannot fault the service as the waiters are friendly and helpful and I appreciate the constant supply of water to accompany your coffee and meals.
The line to pay can occasionally be on the long side, and with this being in the main thoroughfare for the wait staff to deliver meals to the outside diners it can be cramped. If the option for the bill to be brought to the table was offered more readily by the wait staff when clearing plates, I feel like it would alleviate the issue. Not all staff will deliver a bill on request, instead insisting you line up to pay.
Because of the deserved popularity of this place for coffee, it is not unusual for your meal to arrive before your coffee does which isn’t ideal.
I only have those two minor issues with this place and definitely recommend a visit — I would just allow extra time if visiting of a weekend to allow for the wait time. Whatever you do, have a coffee!

I am not a coffee drinking person but this morning I had two iced lattes and I want to go back and have more, although I think my body would shut down but that would be okay because they tasted like a calm sea.
I ordered french toast for breakfast and it came and I felt like I wasn’t worthy to eat it (I still did).
This place is worth waiting in the sun for a table. What a time to be alive.

I must admit, as much as I have always loved this place… I haven’t been there in a while. So it was a nice detour whilst getting our car tyres changed to walk up the road to Campos.
I have to improve my rating because I honestly think it has got better. The coffee was divine, rich, strong, perfect temp and silky smooth. Staff were attentive and friendly. Place was humming and yet coffees came our pretty fast.
Food innovative, changing and scrumptious. Love their cake cabinet. And… grabbed myself some more fresh beans for home. The delightful Dark City blend. Perfectly roasted, fresh and the smell… sigh…heaven.
Just a shame that James Street Markets won’t allow them access from the Markets side and you have to walk down past the back delivery area of the smelly, fishy, markets. Shame on you James Street Markets :/

I love coffee. I love Campos coffee. This is why Starbucks can’t win in Australia. I’m also really keen on the cold drip. They have it straight up without the sugar and other nonsense.

I had Campos on my list as a must visit while in Brisbane and it didn’t disappoint.
Situated on a very unassuming street we walked in at about twenty to three on a weekday. Food service had stopped ten minutes prior. The main reason I wanted to come here was for the coffee, slightly disappointed I didn’t get to try the food. I’d heard a lot of good reports.
Drinks and dessert was offered. I ordered a cold drip panama. The two peeps I went with ordered iced lattes. I don’t rate cold drop coffee highly as I think people miss most of the character/​notes in the coffee by going the cold-​drop option. Having said this the drip rate and dosing was pretty spot on — the cup was pretty balanced and sweet to finish. Not a great deal of specific bean character.
Desserts we ordered were fresh and served with a rasberry sauce/​light whipped (real) cream. Lemon curd cake and a light blueberry pie. We all agreed they were delicious.
I ordered what was signed as a pour over (Guatemalan) next. They used a clever coffee dripper to brew this. My wife ordered the same. CCD’s aren’t something I’d say goes hand in hand with speciality coffee. Steep time was too long (over 4 minutes), agitated too often, and way too much water used. We each got cups with 280+ml of liquid. Final brew was over extracted, watery, and fairly hard to get through.
On the coffees I had on this day I’d rate Campos a ³⁄₅.
I went home with a Panama Esmerelda Geisha, and an espresso blend for my brother. The Geisha was exceptional for the price ($ 20 for 200g) and is a brilliant intro for anyone wanting to try this variety (Geisha’s usually hit $ 30+ for 100g as a minimum). Great subtle tea notes, clean, well graded/​sorted beans, even roast, smooth citrus finish. The espresso blend was a bit close to roast date but was still great when I tried through my brothers machine, roast relatively even, roast a touch dark for me to be able to enjoy black.
From my limited exposure Campos seems to nail the roasting side of their operation. Food (limited selection I tried) was also strong. The only factor in me not rating them ⁵⁄₅ was the coffees I had prepared for me. Ditch the clever dripper. Run with a v60, chemex or even an aeropress to pump out some great filter brews and I’ll change my tune.
Having said this Campos sells and prices itself and it’s retail take home as a specialty coffee option, so I’ve rated in line with this. Campos Coffee is going to give you a better cup than 95% of standard cafes along with some great take-​home options.
Their coffee bean/​prep wall is great. Really well priced. No gouging on anything like the CCD, Aeropress, aeropress filters or other accessories. I stocked up on aeropress filters as a result. Great way to encourage people to take some gear and beans home and get brewing.

Great service and friendly place to take the kids. The fake grass area out the front is the perfect place to sit with kids, plenty of room.
Great coffee and food good too.

Most of the reviews for Campos are good, and I’ll admit, I’ve had good experiences in the past. But recently I went to Campos and was less than impressed. So I’m telling you straight up, this review is based on my most recent experience. But honestly, that experience was so sub par that I’m not keen on going back.
So we woke up early last weekend and thought it would be the perfect time to go in. I scored one of the three parks out the front so that was definitely a good start. We walked in and were seated relatively quickly.
Now, the breakfasts at campos are a little pricey, but they’re huge. I feel like they’re too big. I’d prefer to pay less and get less. And if, like me, you’re keen on savoury breakfast, they have less options. They do change their menu though, and this review is of June 2013.
So I decided I wouldn’t be able to eat the big breakfast and went for eggs Benedict with bacon. Here is where all my issues lie. First off, why am I having any issues with eggs Benedict? It’s basically an Australian staple. The bacon was not cooked enough for my liking (I know, it’s my liking, that’s fine) and was particularly fatty. In putting all that bacon under egg and sauce I had to deconstruct the thing to get the fat off. My eggs weren’t cooked enough (I know, I know, that’s my liking again — but I have an issue with egg whites that are still clear).
But my main gripe. My main annoyance that I am still telling people about. The toast was burnt. The toast. Was burnt. If you’re going to burn the toast, okay, you have lots of things going on, I’m sure that kitchen is busy. But you know what? It doesn’t take long to redo toast. And that burnt toast ruined my whole meal. I took a picture, it was black. The a) burning of the toast then b) serving it to me burnt is what I remember. It’s what I’m still annoyed about. It’s what I’m still telling people about. And sure, you will probably go and have a great meal. I’m not stopping anyone. I personally though, will not be going back anytime soon because there are far too many alternative cafes in Brisbane that can offer me a better breakfast.
N.B. While this mornings Campos Coffee wasn’t the best, still my favorite.

Pretty cool place!
We went there for the cupping ceremony. What is cupping ceremony you ask? Something amazing I would answer.
So basically, you get a pretty apron, they take you to the special room… And you have a chance to try 6 different coffees. Try them the PROPER way.
Yeah, they will teach you how to do it (involves loud sipping) and they will talk about all the coffees you’re going to try.
Also — at the end you can choose which one you liked best, and you will get 250g of it to take home with you.
The whole ceremony takes about 2 – 2.5hrs. Really nice way to spend your afternoon! Especially it costs $ 30 — which is very reasonable price for such a cool event!
The person who was taking us through the ceremony was really well educated in the topic and was happy to answer all the questions we had.
Oh and let’s not forget the coffee — It. Was. The. Best. So many choices! CHOICES. Of the ROASTS. You get it? you can DECIDE which one you want to drink!
Not many coffee shops do this. Campos is special. In the best way.
It’s tasty, it’s different, the place is pretty and nicely designed, the cupping ceremony is the best!

«How do you like your coffee?»
That first sip of coffee in the morning is like a warm hug on a cool autumn day. Some might say it’s more important than breakfast. Which is why, excellent coffee is essential.
Campos is synonymous with amazing coffee, and one of my favourite cafes in Brisbane. The flagship store on Wandoo Street is nestled behind the James St Market in a converted laneway /​garage. All of this of course adds to its laid-​back charm. Admittedly, I have never had breakfast, brunch or lunch at Campos, however, I have had coffee here of course, and I’m here once a week to pick up my 250g grounded Roma Espresso Blend. If you’re like me and like your coffee strong, (so strong that it hits you like an over-​hand right from Mike Tyson), then the Roma Espresso Blend is the strongest of the lot! It is Campos’s foray into Southern Italian Coffee, a high quality robusta dark roast coffee. Chocolatey and full of flavour, it is definitely «not for the faint of heart». I always look forward to picking up a bag every week, with the aggressive and aromatic smell piercing through. I know there are cheaper options around, but I am happy to pay the $ 14 knowing it is of the highest quality.
One of the best things about Campos is the staff. They are friendly, and obviously have a passion for coffee. They seem to know the products intimately, answering any of your questions and explaining it as if it were food to be eaten. That kind of passion is infectious.
I will definitely have to try a meal here for once, as well as sign up for a «cupping experience» which will teach you all about the coffee buying operation, the processing of the coffees on the table as well as a tasting session. To quote Campos «It is one experience every coffee drinker should do at least once in a lifetime».

There was quite a line when I arrived at Campos, and hoped to secure a seat indoors to snap some shots [where the décor was more interesting] — but given the seating arrangements, I sat outside. Oh well, next time! Campos’s look was not at all what I expected — but then again — most of Brisbane’s cafes seem to be garages or hole-​in-​a-​walls, and maybe that’s their charm. For some reason, the ceiling fans reminded me of Jungle Cruise at Disneyland, and I love their beetle green espresso machine! The waiters were attentive and friendly, so I was happy with the wait time, even though I was starving.
I had plenty of sleep [the first time in a while], but I felt that I should try their coffee, so I got my usual skinny latte (3.3), though they offer quite a variety of iced coffees, milkshakes, and the sort. Maybe next time! Their latte was very fragrant, and was very smooth, and not at all acidic. Mmm, it was indeed good coffee!
Their menu had a wide variety of items, but I ended up going for the Red Braised Pork Belly (with grilled bok choy, mushrooms, and ginger oyster sauce), as recommended by the waiter. I was quite satisfied with the Asian-​inspired pork belly dish (17) [even though it’s always a bit of work for me to strip away the fat] but the skin was deliciously crispy and the meat was flavorful. I would’ve liked my mushrooms with more ginger oyster sauce, but overall, the flavors were in balance, the ingredients fresh, and the dish a generous portion. I would definitely like to try their breakfast sometime, and hopefully get to sit indoors!

Was lured here by the fact that Campos is arguably the best coffee in Brisbane. I like the fact that their menu changes every month too. The only downside was the wait (about 15 minutes in the sun). The restaurant itself is quite funky and the wait staff are really friendly. I ended up getting the corned beef hash and it was AMAZING! The corned beef tasted like it had been cooked in garlic and the potatoes tasted like rosemary. Overall a really solid place to go for brunch. and of course. the coffee is fantastic.

Campos Coffee is a my favourite café in Brisbane. It’s monthly menus are always sure to please (they often have teasers on their Facebook page), the coffee is fantastic, the bean selection is diverse and the cupping is a must!
I have been to one cupping session here. A cupping class has about 6 people in it and you learn about the different coffee bean processing methods and differences in tastes (often dependant on region or processing method).
Atm Campos are featuring a ‘special’ coffee — it’s called Panana Esmeralda Special Geisha and is actually the most expensive coffee in the world! (minus the cat poop one).
All-​in-​all a great hour or so learning and tasting coffee, and then at the end you choose your favourite coffee from the class and you get a free take home pack of it! I would highly recommend for any coffee lover! :)

It’s obvious what the highlight is at Campos Coffee — it’s in the title. This little hidden café is close enough to James St that you still feel hip, but far enough away that you don’t feel the need to wear heels and a designer dress (I don’t even own a designer dress).
All the other reviews have summed up the food already– tasty and ever-​changing, but not what you go for. No, a trip to Campos is all about the coffee. I recently went to cupping ceremony with some of the Unilocal gang and was blown away. Even when I have just stopped by for a takeaway, ‘I’ve noticed that the passion the staff have for their product is just outstanding. The cupping ceremony took it to a whole new level.
Cupping (which I’m sure Google will explain better than me) is a way taste, judge and grade coffee. Obviously we were doing it just for fun and to expand our knowledge, but it was a fascinating process. Conducted in a specially built room at the Campos premises, the process involves smelling the dry and wet aromas of five different coffees, as well as tasting them of course. Throughout all this, a coffee specialist is talking you through how coffee is made, where these beans came from and the cupping ceremony in other countries. It is an awesome experience and something I’m planning on doing again — they select different beans seasonally.
The other thing that I just have to mention is the level of service. Staff are enthusiastic, pleasant and very attentive. It really is five star.

Campos, to me anyway, feels a bit like the Mother of Brisbane Coffee. The brand is seeping through the east coast, and a trek to Wandoo Street is a bit like a trek to Mecca (… uh, as in «the holy city», not Mecca Espresso, just to make things a bit awkward). The one thing I find a bit frustrating about going to Wandoo St is the parking — being just behind James St, things can get awfully busy, particularly on weekends. Consider public transport instead.
The food menus change regularly (the «new menu» tweets on @CamposCoffeeQLD — photos included — really tickle my fancy), and the coffee beans can, too (their regular blend is the Superior Blend, and even that can change flavours from season to season). I had my first ever proper coffee milkshake at Campos and I may not ever forget it — a companion shoved it in my face and said «TRY THIS. NO, REALLY» and with that kind of spruiking, I couldn’t refuse. WORTH IT.
The biggest treat at the Wandoo Street store is their cupping sessions. For $ 30 and 45mins of your time, you get a 250g bag of coffee beans (your favourite out of the four beans you taste during the cupping) and a look into the behind the scenes action at Campos. Cupping is the process that the industry uses to sample coffee around the world. Not only do you get to experience the process yourself in Campos’ special cupping room, but you also find out about the background of the coffees in front of you and just how Campos works with each producer. Really, really interesting stuff. A cupping session at Campos would be a really unique present for any caffeine addict/​s in your life.

There’s no faulting the coffee at Campos. It’s delicious. Maybe even sublime.
Every working day, I pick up a flat white made on Campos beans from a city retailer, but nothing really beats finding yourself a table at the Wandoo Street flagship store and taking it all in without the pre-​work hustle.
Don’t get me wrong, it can get a little hectic in this coffee mecca. I have occasionally had to forego worship at the Campos coffee alter in favour of a quicker fix when the crowds get a little too large on a sunny weekend at around brunch — but I have mostly regretted my impatience.
A good food menu that changes each month, splendid coffee, great people watching and just far enough away from the James Street action so you don’t feel like you’re getting a fashion show with a side of brunch. What’s not to love, really?

It’s my ritual to call into Campos on the way to work on the weekends. It’s got to the point where it just doesn’t feel right starting the day without my Campos caffeine fix (and often a sneaky pastry).
I discovered Campos, tucked away in a little lane on Wandoo St behind the James St Markets, when I moved to Brisbane over 2 years ago. It quickly became my favourite café, and has pretty much remained at the top of my list ever since.
Not only do they have consistently fabulous coffee, their breakfast menu is pretty amazing. I am a fan of the big breakfast, and even though it’s massive, the Campos Fry Up is often my choice. I do always mention to the staff that they should make a «girls» version for those without a massive appetite. :) *hint hint*
Other great breakfast menu items include bubble & squeak (with roasted roma tomatoes and haloumi), and their eggs benedict. I’ve also been told their pancakes are great (I’m yet to try).

Their menu might change monthly but one thing that you can rest assured remained consistent is the coffee. Campos is known for their coffee and regardless if you’re stopping into their Wandoo Street flagship store for a takeaway flat white or for take-​home beans you know what you’re getting is five-​stars.
The last time I was there I happily perched myself towards the back of the room and set up my laptop to work from Campos for a few hours. Their sweets cabinet tempted me enough to try the chocolate and beetroot cake which was, unlike any chocolate cake I’ve tried before. Superb! And, all baked on site by their own chef.
Also, I’ll let you in on a little secret. Campos Coffee is one of only a few places in Brisbane that you can book in for coffee cupping to learn more about your favourite brew.

The folks at Campos sell some seriously good coffee. It’s not for the uninitiated, so if you prefer your coffee American style (aka milky and sugary, aka crap) be ready with the sweeteners. However, if you like your coffee the proper way — strong, rich, slightly bitter — you’ll be a happy Campos camper.
The little laneway that houses Campos is covered in astroturf and has a cute little dog parking area so your four-​legged friend can join you (if your dog is disciplined enough not to scuffle with other dogs which I can’t say mine are, unfortunately). Outdoor seating in the laneway is very nice owing to the potted palms and milk crate stools. Inside is dark and cool and has banquette seating as well as tables.
The food at Campos can be a little bit hit and miss so I’d recommend sticking with a piece of cake or something basic, but the drawcard here is the coffee and that’s all Campos needs to attract Brisbaneites from afar — be ready to fight for a table on weekend mornings!