Review Source Cafe - Pakuranga - Auckland Central

Have been here twice and it’s been good both times! The staff are super friendly and helpful and a nice selection of food. The food is good (my daughter LOVED her French toast), my soup was average and my fresh juice was nice but would have been nicer if it had some ice in it. So whilst the food wasn’t amazing it wasn’t bad either and would definitely go back - the place has a really nice feel to it!

I'm gonna be a Regular here, I can just see it 😀 Loved the decor inside and out. The vibe was chill and relaxing. The staff were friendly and the cabinet and menu selection is really good. It's small and almost secluded so it makes you feel like your out of Auckland and away from all the noise. That panut butter sauce on that French Toast though.... Gimme the recipes 😅 Ooh, and my fave part is they have Metal Reusable Straws!!!!!!!! Love this place and I am going back!!

Nice atmosphere lovely food. I had eggs benedict with salmon. Tip for first timers to this dish ask to go lite on hollandaise sauce as there is a lot of it. Coffeetae as 3 out of 5 though nicely made

It's great to see a cafe opening up in this area, and finally got a chance to try. Nice environment with use of lots of natural wood. Tried the Elvis waffle. Quite nice tasting and pretty too. Feel it was slightly too small though.

Great local cafe, come here often for good food and good coffee. Fast and friendly service. One of the best cafes out east

Great little spot with delicious food and drinks. It prides itself on sourcing products locally.

Nice atmosphere, not too busy. Staff was really friendly. Got the veggie burger and a dessert from the cabinet. Both delicious. Portion was huge and price very reasonable. Would recommend it to anyone in the area - has glutenfree, vegetarian/vegan options!

Nice to have a new café in the area that serves good coffee first thing in the morning but it could be better signposted. We drove by a few times before we found it. It looked like it might have a river view but sadly not. The outdoor seating could potentially be nice but as it was early morning it was too cold to sit there. I personally wasn’t too keen on the cushions and pillows inside as it’s hard to keep them spotless. Having said that, the service and coffee was outstanding. We didn’t try the food as the kitchen hadn’t opened yet (they opened half an hour later) but would certainly come back for the coffee.

Food was lovely and the coffee was flavoursome. I loved their peanut butter slice so much I went back the next day for it again! Menu is a little limited but definitely a cafe I will return to again.

Went there for the first time about 2 weeks ago and had a very pleasant visit. Food was extremely tasty, atmosphere was fantastic and everything that came out was presented so nicely. The only disappointing thing for me was that they completely forgot about my drink and I had to ask about it. Staff were friendly though and got my drink out right away. Will be back for more!

Drove past this cafe a few times and decided to go in and try their coffee. Came in with my family on a Sunday afternoon, was after 2pm and it wasn't too busy.<br/><br/>The environment was nice, but it wasn't a very pleasant experience. We walked in and noticed several tables have not been cleared. The waitresses were not friendly and didn't seem to know their drinks. My sister had asked about the 'Lemon Toddy' and the waitress did not know what it was, instead of asking her fellow workmates about it she just asked if my sister wanted to try the drink. My sister decided to order it and give it a go.<br/><br/>My parents had ordered a flat white and cappucino and I a long black. Our order came fairly soon. The waitress who served our coffee seemed like she was in a real hurry, pretty much slammed our coffees on the table and had coffee spill all over the plate. The flat white and cappucino were both cold and the long black tasted burnt. The 'Lemon Toddy' took a while, and again when the waitress brought over the drink, she basically slammed the drink on the table. Drink was tasteless and looks super diluted.<br/><br/>I have been to so many cafes around Botany and Howick and this is by far one of the worst experiences I have ever had. I honestly think the staff are poorly trained and seemed boaderline racist as we were the only few asians there. A non-asian couple walked out before us and the staff greeted them goodbye, whereas we walked out and said thanks (while looking straight at the waitress) and had no response.<br/><br/>Would definitely not recommend.

The staff were very friendly and professional and lovely to talk to. The location is amazing. Tucked away a little. The interior is gorgeous and gives a peaceful ‘lazy day’ vibe which I enjoyed. The food was absolutely amazing and I enjoyed every minute of being there. Would 100% recommend

What a Nice little spot for lunch. Plenty of parking outside which makes it easier to access. The place has a nice wooden feel and decorated well .The service was excellent, food came and quickly and more importantly tasted delicious!

When you first visit the cafe the first thing you see is how comfy, casual and beautiful the place is decorated. Their food was good but was quiet pricey too. I would recommend the vegetarian burger which comes with a small side of fries for any vegetarians out there or even meat eaters to try as it is filling. Though I would sat that they do not have a large variety of vegetarian options.

Just another cafe<br/>Drove pass a few times and notice a nice set up<br/>But a little disappointed when realise it not open to the back yard where river and forest are<br/>Group has some coffee and smoothies and yes just another cafe in the area<br/>Will be back for food<br/>

Honestly, I had a bad experience with this place previously but I thought I’d give it another go. However I went again and I was disappointed again. The food took soooo long, after over an hour I received my meal after having to ask how long it would be. We were still waiting on another meal 30 mins after I finished mine so I thought I’d ask again how long it would be to be told they hadn’t even started it! We left after requesting a refund...

Our first time here and it was quite easy to find Look for the bridge and it's by there. The cafe is below the road level and only the roof can be really seen. It can be tricky to pull in and out the entrance as this road can get busy at times? Be weary<br/>Pulled in n happy to see lots of parking for customers, The layout of the building is nice, reminds of a Lockwood homes with the use of timbers and plants. Furnishings are eclectic mix of 70/80's but cosy and comfy. <br/>The menu didn't seem extensive so assumed the cooks may be inexperienced? We ordered the lasagna from the display case for me, the salmon bennie for slave girl and veggie tofu stack for wifey? Drinks were a large late and a large mocha. Came to $55.00. I thought it was bit pricey but thought I'd wait to see what the portions were like. Lasgne came out rewarmed, it was a good portion and it wasn't nuked to death. It tasted good, nice balance of tangyness, not too salty, cheese hadn't been obliterated into a perforated membrane so good all round. Wifey veggie stack looked very fresh and mouth watering with lots of salad, slave girls salmon bennie was well presented as bennies go. Both were very tasty, portions were good size neither were dry, overcooked or too salty! Consumed very quickly. Compliments to the cooks<br/><br/>The place has a great vibe is comfy, airy and well lit. nice ambiance with a mix of elderly, young couples and families. The building is modern with excellent insulation in the big windows, so nice and warm. Outdoor area looked very inviting but the showers earlier shut that option out! The service is good with very nice young cheerful polite staff.<br/><br/>The two seater tables are bit too small for my liking, big enough for a game of chess I guess but not for my frame. Violation of airspace with the neighboring table may be concerning<br/><br/>Will be back to try other dishes on offer. Place should be great during the summer! Thank you source. Really want to grade you a 4.5.

Came here for lunch and ordered the chicken burger. The shoestring fries that came with it were hot and well seasoned. However the chicken was a little dry and tough. Plating presentation was nice and rustic. <br/><br/>Staff were super friendly and I love the aesthetic decor and nature elements in the cafe. It’s really unique and different 😍<br/><br/>Food - 3.5/5<br/>Ambience - 5/5<br/>Service - 4/5

I visited the Westgate branch, Great little shop staff were very friendly but not a great menu selection and the food was very disappointing I didn’t enjoy it at all

Had brunch here with friend. Firstly impressed by the spacious car park and nice wooden decoration. Staffs were friendly and the serving of food was fast. Ideal place for daytime chill out. <br/><br/>The only downside, there was too many flies around outside tables.

I love it when cafes deliver on quality and quantity, rare feat in fact as cafes I feel don’t think you can have both quantity and quality, Source Cafe is one of the few places that provides both quality and quality!<br/><br/>The big breakfast actually is a big breakfast, and I adored how they put minimal salt and pepper on the meal( some might not like this so just a warning ). We also had the sausage roll which is what a sausage roll is suppose to be, not like one of those flimsy Big Ben ones you get from dairy’s. This one had real chunks of meat, and the filo was thin and crispy. Also as a little treat we had a berry chocolate muffin, pretty standard you will assume but the muffin here actually has a chocolate block in the middle! Imagine my surprise when I sliced in half to see the melted brown gooey goodness leak out.<br/><br/>It’s quite clear here that Source Cafe puts a emphasis on food that they will be serving and they should be applauded for doing so. I want to give credit to the owners of this fine establishment for doing cafe food right.<br/><br/>Showstopper: Fresh, creative and tasty cafe foods done right.<br/><br/>Overall Grade: A<br/>

I especially loved the interior design of Source Cafe. The extra details gave it a point of difference such as the illustrations on the placemats. The granola was nice but a little over priced. That aside, we had enjoyed our time here and the staff were welcoming.

One of the very few decent cafes out east. They make their own hollandaise sauce, annoys me how almost every cafe around here uses the gross packet stuff. Fresh and local ingredients. Nice atmosphere and friendly staff. Lots of parking. We had salmon and bacon eggs benny, both awesome. Enjoy!

Mentioned to staff there were a couple of flies inside the food cabinet. She goes half heartedly to remove the flies only to disturb more flies then aborts the mission when she sees a friend walking in.<br/>We won't be coming back.

We’ve been at Source Cafe for dinner a number of times in recent months, the dinner menu is somewhat limited but the quality of the food and service is very good. The wine is also reasonably priced. We’ve particularly enjoyed the gourmet beef/bacon/cheese burger.

Came here very excitedly one morning for brunch. I have driven past it a few times and always been intrigued. When we walked in, the place was quite busy and the waitstaff offered us blankets if we wanted to wait outside or alternatively wait on the bar stools. We waited for about 15 minutes but the staff was very accommodating for the time being. <br/><br/>When we got a seat I was quite uncomfortable with how close I was to the table beside us. This is one thing I do not appreciate as it makes the dining experience a bit awkward. <br/><br/>Unfortunately, the menu here did not excite me and there was nothing I particularly thought I'd enjoy. We also waited for a very long time for someone to take our order, when someone finally came to clean the table next to us, we were told we need to order at the counter. It would have been nice to been told this!<br/>I opted for a wrap from the cabinet and my partner got the chicken burger. I found everything to be quite bland and boring. <br/><br/>Personally, other than the place being nicely decorated, there are not many pluses. I do not think I would visit again.

I'm sorry to say this but I had such a shockingly unpleasant experience at Source Cafe that I just had to give it 1.5 stars. There were lots of issues during our visit, so I'll just place my comments in the appropriate categories below.<br/><br/>FOOD:<br/><br/>- we had to send back two chicken burgers as they were completely overcooked and dry. The ones we got back were edible but not much better<br/><br/>- the rest of the cabinet food, such as the chicken pie and the quinoa salad, were very average and took a long time to arrive despite only needing to be reheated and served. However I was told that the fish and chips were okay<br/><br/>SERVICE:<br/><br/>- the staff were polite, friendly and apologetic, however they seemed very inexperienced and forgetful<br/><br/>- during our meal the staff forgot about one order and delivered another order wrong. They also couldn't keep our drinks or food orders straight and had to keep coming back to ask our table about our orders<br/><br/>- aside from that, when we went to pay they couldn't find our bill and offered no solutions as to how we could pay for our table. I had to suggest writing down what we remember ordering just so we could pay our bill and leave<br/><br/>- eventually a bill was found but it looked like it was somewhat incomplete, however me and my party had had enough at that point so we just paid and left<br/><br/>- we're not sure why the service was of such a terrible standard especially since the cafe wasn't busy. They were also not understaffed as we could clearly see at least 5-6 people working behind the counters<br/><br/>All in all it was a very disappointing experience. The only positive things I can say about Source Cafe is that it has lovely decor and very well-mannered staff, so it definitely has the potential to be a great local spot if all these issues are addressed.

Great ambiance, but the food is not worth what you pay. My partner and I each ordered an Eggs Benedict, the eggs were drowned in hollandaise sauce which had too much vinegar it was the first thing I smelled before the plate was put in front of me. The bagels that the eggs were served on was very tough to cut through and all in all just a very unsatisfied experience. For the price it was definitely not worth it.

Ordered a chicken burger but was really disappointed when it arrived with Fried chicken just like KFC. The seasoning was below average too! No great taste! And quite pricy for the quality and quantity of the food!

Went when it first opened. Lovely staff and great venue with easy parking. Food was fine but severely over priced. Haven't been back. Shame as it's my local.

I'm such a sucker for trendy and hip cafes and this place takes the cake and is so close to home! Always love a place that's easy to get to and park at.<br/>The decor here is so beautiful! Absolutely love the vibe here. The staff here are super friendly and provide great service.<br/>I ordered their chicken burger which comes with a side of shoestring fries. I'm such a sucker for shoestring fries..theyre my favourite 😍😍 the burger itself is amazing too. Definitely recommend. Source cafe also have an incredible variety of sauces which I love as im such a hot sauce fanatic.<br/>Give this place a try you'd be amazed

Coffee was weak. Their standard large coffee is a single shot of expresso with an extra shot to be charged only if asked. Food was average, at least the cafe deco does look nice.

We were the first customers to visit Source Cafe on this chilly, windy & rainy Saturday evening. We were told that Source only started its evening service 2 weeks ago, although having opened for quite a while. That must be the reason why there weren't a lot of choice on the menu - 4 dishes for the main. That left us not many options. So we chose sirloin steak with fries & roasted chicken breast with peas & bacon braise. Steak was a bit tough but cooked nicely. Chicken breast was not our favourite but again, it was juicy & well-cooked with creamy mash.  I'll definitely come more often if more varieties of mains & drinks are available.<br/>(food - 4/5; Service - 4/5; Ambience - 4/5)

The place is beautiful and have just recently moved into the area so wanted to find out new local coffee go to so tried it this morning. We had to wait half an hour for two takeaway coffees. Both in which were watery and lacked taste. Really disappointed as absolutely loved the look of the place!

First of all, the review is not based on the food as we didn't even manage to have any. <br/>I wanted to try here as the menu looked interesting and I finally thought it seems like there's a new decent cafe in east Auckland. The decor and atmosphere was nice and the cafe was huge. <br/>We grabbed menu ourselves and was told by the waitress we can sit anywhere. The problem came to the ordering, the two items we wanted to order was not available, mexi brekki which is apparently taken off the menu and the green fritters which weren't available on the day. <br/>All I want to point out is, the service is really not good enough, either cross it off the menu or tell us when we grabbed the menu (not to mention the menu options was tiny). <br/>If this cafe wants to survive, they need to up their game.

Pretty happy, nice warm welcome and a good looking range of cabinet food. Seated easily and provided a baby chair. Food came pretty quick and my calamari rings were cooked well and even had a gf crumb, nice! Burger was nice and generous serving of delicious avocado. The toddler loved the chips. <br/>Only down side was no water on the table, however when I discovered still and sparking water on tap at the counter I was happy again. Maybe the staff could point that out on arrival. <br/><br/>Really like the sustainable source concept and the nice twist of donating your price of the coffee card free coffee is a nice option.

Really nice environment to enjoy a weekend brunch! Service was exceptional and staff were all very friendly, made me feel totally comfortable:) had a great variation of sauces for my food too lol^^ also loved the idea of serving two kinds of water - sparkling and normal. Overall I had a really really good experience! Will definitely come back again!

Stopped by here for lunch and was quite surprised at how nice and fresh it looked (compared to what was there before). Fairly large parking area and a fair number of tables. There were options for indoor or outdoor seating but there was only indoor seats when we got there. It was quite busy the whole time we were there.<br/><br/>The service was alright. We got seated and it took a while for the waitress to clean the table and get us menus. We ordered at the counter. It was disappointing that their brunch menu stopped at 11.30am, which included the Eggs Bene. <br/><br/>Tried the vege fritters with the calamari. The fritters were quite dense but tasty, especially when paired with the crispy calamari. The iced chocolate I ordered tasted mostly of milk. The food was a bit hit and miss but the portions were decent. The cabinet food looked tasty particularly the lasagna and frittatas.

It is the first time we have been to the Source Cafe this morning.  My husband and I are pretty fussy about food and coffee.  There are not many cafes producing outstanding coffee here in East Auckland.  We can say that we love everything about this cafe.  Love the coffee, love the food, love the place!  Even their staff are very friendly and customer service is great!  They have us as their loyalty customers now, and I have already recommended them to many of our friends.  Hope they are keeping up the good work!

Scouted this place out when I saw the menu posted online, I'm a sucker for cute patterns! The decor reminds me of an urban treehouse 🌲. If you want to feel like you're back to your roots... 😏 then this is the place for you! The food is all organic and locally grown where possible which is a plus for the Auckland eatery scene. The menu is slightly limited but I found it was easily customizable. The staff are well presented and friendly ☺️. Perfect presentation and great tasting, wholesome food. Definitely going to be bringing a group of friends back here for a Sunday brunch ✨

I'm always up for a great cafe. This one has a great interior and exterior decorations. Food? Pretty good too. I ordered the big breakfast and the partner ordered fish and chips. He also got the iced coffee. I loved my dish as it was flavourful and a nice big portion which is always a plus. <br/>The fish and chips were average in my opinion, but I guess all fish and chips are similar in taste. The iced coffee was ok but would've probably tasted better if we opted for the ice cream option rather than without. Oh well, that's what you get for trying to cut down on sugar haha. But overall, it's a nice place to enjoy a chillaxing meal.

Being locals it took us far too long to finally check this place out. It is different and refreshing for Pakuranga. For breakfast we ordered french toast roll ups,  mexi breakie and my partner had a chocolate. He said the hot chocolate is one of the best, it was very dark and not too sweet.<br/><br/>We shared both plates starting with the mexi breakie. The portion of cornbread was generous but there could have been more topping to go with all the cornbread as it overpowered everything else.<br/><br/>I was initially hesitant about ordering something sweet for breakfast but the french toast roll ups were great. Not too sweet with plenty of yoghurt to compliment.<br/><br/>The service was prompt and all up it cost less than $40.00. Keep up the good work as Pakuranga has needed a place like this for a long time.

Really loved this cute little spot. The fact it is so aesthetically pleasing really upped the marks for me. <br/>Friendly staff & a decent selection of food. Will definitely return

I went to this cafe a while after they first opened, and I feel like they've sorted out a lot of the service issues that they had in the beginning. Staff were attentive, the atmosphere was great. Food looked and tasted delicious and brought out in a timely manner. The seasonings in mine were pretty on point as we're all my friends' (as they said).<br/><br/>Drinks tasted great but I question their sizes. Had a large juice, while a friend got a small. Both the drinks were served in the same cup in the same size. Same happened with the large and small coffees. Don't bother paying for a large drink when the small is exactly the same. Other than that, a pleasant experience.

Easy to drive past this cafe being on a busy road, but well worth seeking it out.<br/>Service was excellent - friendly & efficient. Table or counter service. Lots to choose from in the cabinet, but also a full menu. <br/>Meal wasn't cheap at $30 for the cornbread, side of bacon & a latte, but everything was delicious.

Food: Source Cafe’s concept is to use fresh ingredients from local grocers that provide eco-friendly and ethically made produce. They have a small brunch and lunch menu that is time dependent as well as a few items that are available all day and a cabinet that is filled with many scrumptious offerings. I had wanted to order from the brunch menu but missed the cut off time, so I opted to pick the scrambled eggs and avocado smash from the kids menu with a bowl of fries.

Extremely disgusted and disappointed as I found a curly short hair inside my potato cake. The staff quickly took the plates back and came out and did a refund and asked if I want a free coffee. I felt so disgusting and don't want anything from the cafe ever again.

Very good atmoshere, friendly staff, tasty&healthy food, big portion! Will difinitely come back!! We got there after 11am on Sunday, it was just before getting crowdy.

Fantastic cafe. Great vibe. Unfortunately the service and food is not great. Stood there for a while waiting for a table with no one attending to us. I can see they are short staffed and front of house is not really managing the customer very efficiently. Nice people, very polite. <br/><br/>Food is average. Ordered savoury mince, burger and bagel. They were out of all day big breakfast which was odd since they should be all day. Savoury mince is very basic mince. Over priced at $18. Beef burger patty were so small it was only half the size of the bun. Overcooked. Sauces had no flavour or character at all. Didnt really add any value to the dish. <br/><br/>Ordered juices, were basic. Wouldnt pay $9 for the size we got. <br/><br/>Disappointed. Probably wont be back. Maybe in a year or so as they improve.