Cowbell 808

Got the Groupon deal, took 10 mins for my coffee, then another 10 mins for my girlfriends’ coffee to come. Took a lol to my right, staff playing on their phones for 10 minutes still waiting for order. 40 minutes later still no food, table to our left waited 38 minutes.
If your trying to make a good impression with first timers on Groupon — do a good job. This was terrible. Food was good, just toto ally disorganised.
Coffee rating 4 out of 10.
Recommended some leadership, organisation skills.

A Nice restaurant & retro décor. It’s something different. Staff are not knowledgeable thought (at least the waitress when I asked about the menu). They also look nervous when delivering coffee. In the end I didn’t get what I wanted to try because it wasn’t convincing at all that the menu can be flexible (ie. mild spicy instead of hot). Unfortunately, we sat near the washroom (which is adjacent to the kitchen door) and my friend saw cocroach.

Cowbell 808 sits along Bourke Street amongst the mass of suburban homes and small businesses. It’s a very cute and funky café with some nice wall murals and some pretty cool accessories like a giant lego head.
Its quite small with about 10 – 15 tables inside and a few outside too. There was so heavy construction going on outside so sitting outdoors wasn’t really an option on this occassion. The café offers table service and I quickly sat and ordered. The waitress seemed very confused when I asked for something that was on the menu and said they didn’t have it. So i told her to check whether they did or not but she just ended up bringing me a different tea then the one I requested anyways. What you gonna do right! The tea was served in a nice tea pot and tasted good anyways so decided to let that one fly.
I then decided to order the baked eggs vegetarian style which was baked eggs, spinach, eggplant, braised tomatoes and chickpeas and came with some toast. The serving plate was perfectly sized and the egg combo was beautiful. Really enjoyed the large varied spicy flavours that combined in this dish.
The service however wasn’t the best and when i was settling the bill she seemed to have some more problems with that. All things considered the food made up for the minor service issues.

The food is yummy. The first taste is pretty good, but it s too oil or sweet， I couldnt finish it. And the price is expensive (as a café), for 3 persons it cost 75 dollars

Oh dear. Funky hip Cowbell has changed owners, at least that’s what my friend told me. We sat down, and yup, it seemed to have a Sydney café vibe, a regular vibe, rather than cool Surry Hills. I was skeptical. It wasn’t helped by my coffee, which came out within seconds… and wasn’t quite right. Bitter? The breakfast special was corn fritters with bacon, a poached egg and rocket… and… you know: it was really good. Very crispy fritters, crisp fresh bitter rocket. $ 12. Cheap, and you still get the lovely atmosphere of all the local Greek oldies walking by (and everyone else, I love the neighbourhood feel). But it’s a bit worrisome. If the original owners couldn’t make it work (and I liked it then, both the vibe and the food), I think it’s going to be hard to keep it going.

My fiancé and I came here at 2.30pm on a Sunday and I had looked up the menu and I knew they had all day breakfast which is a total win for me!
We had parked in the adjacent street and walked up the road as Bourke street is usually a pain to park in, but surprisingly it was quiet that day.
I wanted to come to Cowbell 808 to try their Ricotta Pancakes: two ricotta pancakes, BACON ice cream, maple syrup and mixed berries — $ 18. YES it sounds amazing doesn’t it?
We also ordered «The Works» burger for $ 18, as I wanted a bit of savoury before my pancakes so my partner and I shared everything.
Firstly, the burger. We ordered it with onion rings which came out hot and crunchy. The onion rings were quite large, and they were crispy. There was a bit of a kick to it with some spicy sort of seasoning which just made you want to go in for more.
The burger was tall and juice. I believe they used a brioche bun, and the meat was juicy. My fiancé and I halved this burger and it was such a good idea because after that burger, I was stuffed. But i keep a «dessert stomach» ready for these situations so I had enough room for the ricotta pancakes.
The ricotta pancakes were beautifully presented, and there were two fluffy pancakes in the middle of a plate with two scoops of bacon ice cream with real bacon pieces through it. It tasted freaking amazing. If you like the «salty and sweet» combination, the bacon ice cream is right up your alley. Even if you don’t usually go for that combination, I bet you will like it. The pancakes were delicious and fluffy and moorish. My mouth is melting thinking about it.
The overall service was great, and there was a nice vibe. We sat outside because it was a beautiful day, and the sun was shining down on us. I would definitely come back to Cowbell 808 again!

We both had meals with Avocado.
Both served with rotten, black and brown avocado, absolutely disgusting.
Sent them back, then served the same ones“smashed” in bowls, with all the bruises and rotten parts mixed in.
They couldn’t understand why we sent them back again.
Finally served fresh avocado without the «extra rotten bits».
The Chef/​cook should be mortified to know that rotten food was presented to customers. Obviously not as he was happy for the stuff to be smashed, to try and disguise it, and to be represented.
Rotten avocados taste foul, and to have the hide to charge $ 4 for rotten food is atrocious.
Am sure we wont be back .
Such a shame ad the food is usually tasty and edible, and value for money.
Doesn’t deserve a star at all, but you can’t post unless you give something.

Came here Saturday morning since we just moved in down the block and I’ve heard about this place. Diggin’ the vibe, feels like you’re back in the 80s.
It looks like there’s been new ownership? I’m not too sure but service was only OK… looks like a lot of new employees.
I ordered the Brando, which is a Reuben but with bacon instead of corned beef. My partner got the Club Sandwich with avocado… which was more like a chicken burger. We expected it to look like a Club sandwich (stacked with plain sandwich bread) due to the description of bacon, lettuce, tomato, chicken and the like, but it looked like a chicken burger and the avocado was on the side.
I also got onion rings on the side, but they put it on her order instead of mine.
My Brando was pretty tasty, not going to lie. It was cheesy and delicious. The onion rings were on point too. My partner didn’t like the Club Sandwich since expectations were different, and there was far too much bread. Coffee was just OK.
Big gripe is that they charge 25 cents for EFTPOS or credit cards… why? I can understand for credit cards or having a minimum, but EFTPOS? Lame.
They also advertise FREE WI-​FI which was blatantly false.
Probably won’t be coming back, though the Brando was good.

Great spot to chill over lunch, very relaxed, we were served by a very pleasant waitress and the food was great! My partner had the 808 burger with the onion rings, it was delicious. I haven’t had onion rings that good since I left the US. I had the baked eggs which was equally as delicious. The coffee could have been a little stronger in taste but it was good. Overall the meal was great. I love this place!

Think they’ve changed management. The menu is different, the staff are different. most importantly, where did the barista go!?! The coffee isn’t bad per se, but it’s definitely not the quality it used to be. And worse, it’s no longer consistent :(

My mob met up with another mob of friends for brunch here yesterday. It was fantastic.
I’m not bothered by the hipper-​than-​thou vibe of trendy Surry Hills spots so long as they deliver on their prime purpose: drinks for bars, and food for restaurants. So go ahead and name your brunch spot after a landmark ‘80s drum machine. Just make sure you deliver the tasty goods.
The 5-​star rating should be the tip-​off: they did.
First: getting in was a bit of a feat. Between us we were four adults, two kids, and a baby. Cowbell 808 isn’t that big, just a dozen or so crowded little tables and wobbly iron chairs, with barely enough room for the embattled servers to squeeze around. But the brunch gods were smiling and we nabbed two adjacent tables from a group that were leaving.
Everyone’s food was amazing. But bring your appetite, and don’t be afraid of a bit of grease. I had the baked eggs with sausage: creamy, spicy, and intense. Another person had the vegetarian version with eggplant and kale. My partner had the lamb toastie; I had a bit and it blew my slow-​cooked rosemary-​flavoured mind. I could feel the yummy, oily calories settling in.
The food came quicker than I expected given the packed crowd (but not all at once). The service was friendlier than I expected too, right from the order-​taking to the service to checking on where our food was to paying the bill.
Trendy + service + delivers the taste = champion.

My friend and I ordered the Ricotta Pancakes with Bacon Vanilla Ice Cream and Sucuk Baked Eggs. The pancakes were perfect, fluffy and the flavours worked beautifully together! The Sucuk Baked Eggs hit the spot if you’re craving for something savory.

Our first brunch stop in Sydney was Cowbell 808, a quirky café with décor that would look just fine in the early 1950s. I’m talking vinyl topped tables and plastic cushioned chairs. But while the look is vintage, the food is anything but. I started off with an affogato which is normally a good shot of espresso enrichened by a small scoop of ice cream but in Oz they do things pretty much the opposite. Still, it’s pretty damn tasty and any excuse to eat salted caramel ice cream!
For the mains, I opted for the Cowbell burger — I do love a good burger — which turned out to be a bit of a hit or miss. Everything but the patty was excellent with the bun (baked on site) being a particular standout. The patty was cooked well with a good line of pink in the middle but lacked sufficient seasoning to bring out any meaty taste. It’s supposed to be home-​made but the rigid circle shape makes me wonder otherwise.
Price wise, our bill came in around $ 50 for the two of us including two mains and two drinks. Quite reasonable although I’d probably give the burger a miss and go for something more breakfasty next time

Old records, Lego regalia and Fleetwood Mac in my ears. Cowbell 808, I’m digging your 60s vibes. As well as your delicious dynamite coffee. The strongest I’ve had in Syd so far. Relaxed, honest and not an inch contrived.

If you’re a Melbournian looking for refuge in Sydney, this is the place to go! Salted caramel Affogato is a must try.
You might not find your average ‘Aussie big breakfast’ on the menu here but everything on they serve is a delight. The food and staff here are amazing. It’s one of Sydney’s hidden spots, yet on weekends, you might find yourself in a little queue to get a spot in this little cozy food heaven– It’s always worth the wait!
Also the graffiti artwork on the walls is amazing.

Ok this place is getting the buzz it deserves. Its tucked away on a non café strip part of bourke st. But what they have done in the buildling of a former convenience store is set up an original café. The styling is retro, and menu is interesting, with some american-​ish inspiried dishes, and some menu items that made me smile, even if I am too fussy to eat them.
Can’t you always tell the difference when the owners are actually on the floor? This seems to be one of those places, the service was great, efficient and when they made a very slight mistake, were so courteous about trying to rectify it, but it really wasn’t a big issue, but a miscommunication.
Check this place out… but don’t tell too many people, we don’t need another brunch space to line up at.

Came here on a Friday morning for a caffeine pick up me to cope with MasterChef LIVE. Cowbell 808 is a good two blocks walk from the Entertainment Quarter at the old Fox Studios backlot.
The most filling food you will come across. Come here with the metabolism on an eight year old, and you’ll be set for the day. Funky ambience. Cowbell 808 is the answer to many of the local residents’ prayers in the Surry Hills area. Different, yes. Great ambience. You will come across a South Sydney Rabbits piece of art at the front counter with Sesame Street’s Elmo. Also, expect to see a series of vinyl records at the front counter… think the Fine Young Cannibals in tandem with a yellow cone head lego man perched in the corner.
The good news is, if you want your coffee and you can’t be bothered coming inside and opening up sesame, you don’t have to. You can order your coffee in a take away cup directly from the source.
Great milk bar theme, and superb coffee. Unconventional, yet friendly service. No hiding here, everything is out in the open. Nice one.

I’ve only been here once (so far) but I can already tell there will be many more visits. We were greeted by a lovely gentleman who we later found out was the owners father. We had to wait about 10 minutes for a table (Labour Day weekend), but it was worth the wait. The Hotcakes with Maple and Bacon ice cream were AMAZING. The Spanish Eggs were delicious accompanied by some awesome spicy sausage. Love this place. Great addition to the neighbourhood!

Grooooannnn
That is the sound of me plonking myself at my desk and unbuttoning my jeans as I write this. I had brunch with a friend Cowbell 808. It hurts to even type this, but I ate Ricotta Hotcakes with Bacon Ice Cream and Espresso Syrup.
Ricotta. Hotcakes. with. Bacon. Ice. Cream. and. Espresso. Syrup.
I’m normally so safe when I go out for brunch. Eggs. Salmon. Muesli. Today I thought ‘to hell with you thighs, you too lovehandles — Imma eat what I want’. And I did. And then I practically had to be rolled home. But dammit, it was gooooood.
It should be noted that I didn’t finish it. I ate about half and was ready to explode (although I did polish off all of the ice cream, naturally)
If you’re looking to completely obliterate your diet and eat a weeks worth of calories in one sitting, I highly recommend this dish. From memory it was $ 15? Take a friend and share it.

Delicious coffee!!! Incredible food & funky tunes. What more could you want?
I had the Baked eggs (with sausage) also had labaneh which they make in house and Mediterranean style bread also made it house.
Great attention to details– beautiful layout and good size. Sure to be a new hot spot in Surry Hills and will maybe pull the crowds from Bourke St Bakery.
Good work guys! I think its exactly what Surry needs :)