Review Tongue & Groove Cafe - Birkenhead

Very delicious breakfast and well presented. Great price as well. Wasn't keen on the hash brown as no flavour, but that's my taste buds and no reflection on the establishment.

'A' food rating displayed. Beautifully presented food with generous portions. Lovely glimpse of Waitamata Harbour over a pocket of stunning native bush. Recommend to all.

Excellent and tasty food. Large portion. I swapped the bacon out for mushrooms to make it a vegetarian option. Coffee is great too. Hubby loved the mince on toast. Not greasy at all.

The food was nice with reasonable price. Really enjoyed my time here!!

Located in Highbury, Birkenhead on Auckland's North Shore this spot was perfect for brunch after my Nephew's rugby game. The Staff were lovely and the corn fritters were amazing!

Amazing brunch and perfect coffee ☕️

This is a cute cafe in Highbury. I had a delicious hot eggs benedict! And honestly the tastiest iced chai I've ever tasted. Thanks for a great lunch

Loved their eggs Bene with salmon, avo and hash brown for $11. Lovely lady at the counter. Nice cold tap water. Great Allpress coffee $4 flat white. Just a nice place and I'm sitting by the window reading my book undisturbed. What celse can you ask for your Monday off?

Got a cappuccino bowl and eggs on toast. A great breakfast with a chill ambiance. Staff were also very nice. What's even greater is that it's BYOW 💕

Delicious breakfast and they have many special options.

Very good service and food always delicious! Thank you.

Very well made coffee, averagely priced with breakfast meals around the $16 mark, never had a bad meal here and friendly staff

I can only say good things about this café. Lovely décor, great seating. We were served quickly and the staff were friendly. The food was prompt, presented nicely, with generous but not 'american sized' portions (which is good IMHO), and absolutely scrumptious. The coffee had rich flavours. It felt like good value as well. Good on you guys for maintaining these high standards, we will see you again.

Fantastic Eggs benedict as always. The olive oil and balsamic syrup around the plate not only adds more flavour but makes the dish more elegant. Never disappointed with tongue and groove. Highly recommend this place.❤️

Great service and coffee. Well worth the visit. The customer service was really prompt and friendly, the vanilla latte I ordered was well priced and well made. Really enjoyed it, now because I had a great coffee, it may become a weekly thing for me when I pop over these ways from West Auckland.

Place was packed, but wait staff catered to our group size and the food came out at a decent time and tasted fantastic. Highly recommend the big brekkie. Coffee is also nicely roasted and well made.

We ordered the soup of the day and Thai chicken sandwich. Soup was veeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrryyyy salty. Gordon Ramsey would have spitted out lol And the bread of the sandwich is very hard that it’s so hard to cut though with a knife. I was feeling very hungry so I’m very upset being served food like this 😭 the soup is very salty I can’t eat ☹️<br/><br/>

Friendly waiter, and good coffee. They still do 2+2 drinks despite Covid! :)

I love this place, by far my favourite cafe in Birkenhead. Food never disappoints and coffee is alway good.

Had lunch here a while ago. Got the Hash Stack and Chicken Fettucine. Food was alright but the avocado was not soft at all so was hard to eat :(<br/>

Went in this morning for brunch and was absolutely blown away by the coffee. It was fantastic super smooth and really creamy I’ve never had a coffee that tastes that great before. Also ordered the potato rosti and BLAT and they were both fantastic. Very generous serving sizes and great value for money. Service was also fantastic very quick even considering that the place was packed we were seated straight away and our order taken straight away. Would highly recommend.

Food was nice, missing that something special though. Kids pancakes were fantastically light but canned whipped cream could use being upgraded. Service was great and all were very family welcoming and friendly. Coffee was a tad hot as a default but as some like it that was it’s not an issue.

The staff were lovely, and so friendly, but the coffee was average and the cabinet food didn’t look the most appealing. Will return for a cooked meal in the hopes that it’s better than what was on offer today.

I've been here several times and never been disappointed with the food. Lots of selection to choose from in the menu. This time I got the Cajun chicken salad and the staff were so willing and helpful to make it mild for me, and it was delicious of course. Great atmosphere and there's a beautiful view if you sit up on the top level

Love love this cafe! Staff are so on to it, I’ve never received slow or bad service here. Food is always A+ & there is an 11$ mini version of every meal on the menu (which aren’t very mini!) will always come back here for feeds.

Love tongue and groove, have been coming here forever! Hash stack and creamy mushrooms are 10/10. Hearty hangover feed. A lot of good competition locally but still a great choice.

So glad we were recommended this place from Billy's (down the road) as they had a power cut. Tongue & Groove was warm and cosy with really friendly staff. They serve big portions for a decent price. I had salmon eggs bene which was stacked like a tower and included a hash brown (my pic is after I took it apart), they were so generous with the salmon. Partner had the hot cakes and French toast which were lovely as well. Would go back without hesitation.

I had the creamy mushrooms and it was delicious! I got not bacon which they happily swapped for avocado for no extra charge. The portion was massive too. My only complaint was that the "homemade" hashbrown definitely wasn't homemade and was bland and dry. Apart from that everything else was great!<br/><br/>Service was fast and friendly.

A cozy and warm place for a winter break. My first time been there today and definately will go again soon. Friendly staff. Tasty food. But I just don't like the jelly top on their cheese cake that much.

Lovely staff & atmosphere. It's a cute lil cafe with heaps of different place to sit. Very relaxed feel with great coffee & yummy food. We got the breakfast option with coffee and for $10 was great value.

I ordered eggs bene, $18.50. I got two buns, a hash brown, bacon and two eggs. I didn't really enjoy the eggs bene, the putting in the pic tasted like a vinegar or soy sauce of some sort and I did not like that at all!! I also got this meal without the spinach. I didn't really get much bacon and the bacon was more fatty than meaty. The hollandaise sauce was alright and enough. Overall the meal was average, the staff were lovely though, fast service and cleaning cafe even when it was busy, just a low score as I am an eggs bene fan and compare to my other eggs bene experiences at other cafes!

Absolutely my favorite cafe in the neighborhood - wonderful coffee, nice food with friendly prices, chill staff etc. I’d recommend anyone to this place if they are looking for a nice meal in Birkenhead.

Service was great! Food was well presented and tasted delicious. I ordered the hash stack which was a decent sized meal. Standard pricing for food and the coffee was great! Would definitely come back again 😀

Always super friendly service at Tongue & Groove, they have a great menu and everything is always done just how I like it. Allpress coffee is consistently perfect and prices are awesome. $10 menu is great for students and food is delicious. My favorite is the mushrooms and the salmon bene.

That was the first place where I’ve tried coffee in New Zealand! And I’ve completely fallen in love from the first cup! Was nice to find the staff so creative with menu and coffee! Highly recommended indeed!

Friendly staff-members but we've had to wait 30 minutes for our coffee and then an additional hour for our food today... They should probably consider having more staff on their peak hours, especially on Public holidays

Great service, coffee and food and quiet for breakfast on a rainy Sunday morning. Great to be able to use entertainment book for a BOGOF on mains too 👍🏻

Amazing food and great service! As a regular (my partner and I) they always remember our order and are friendly when engaging in conversation. French Toast on a Saturday afternoon with a mocha and trim-latte.

Cute little café, warm and sunny. Service is always great from beginning to end. Good coffee and my fave place on the Shore for French toast and eggs bene! 😊

Great place for breakfast , service is great , downfall cannot handle large groups , or else you will be waiting for a while.<br/>My favourite dish is the mushrooms and bacon meal.

Very prompt service even though they were pretty busy. Our food came pretty quickly, I was impressed. Veggie Grill was great, wholesome clean food. I enjoyed it. Only downside which wasn't too bad was I like my smoothies cold and it was more like room temperature. Otherwise was good!

Fantastic service, coffee and food! Cannot go past their $10 breakfast, which includes a great flat white! Their homemade hash brown is extra delicious too

Dined here on a Sunday with my young daughter and a friend. The staff member (waitress with short dark hair) was friendly and super efficient. The drinks came quickly and both the coffee and oj were superb. The meals followed just as quickly and we're both generous and delicious. The brilliant service continued from our waitress when we went to pay. Haven't had such a great brunch experience in months. Will definitely<br/> be back

Love having Sunday Breakfast here. Always busy but worth the wait. Eggs bene with bacon is my fave and love there iced coffees and chocolate.

I love the $10 half size portions as that seems to always be enough for me to eat. The location is very close to catch up with friends who are in Beachhaven and Albany

Really dispointed by the last experience with my girl friend. That place looks not very busy on Friday morning. Both of us try theirs 10 dollars meal with coffee. However, both of our coffee are lukewarm and little bit burn even we asked for extra hot. My hash cake looks very oil and lack of flavor and my girl friend poach egg are overcooked. I didn't finish my meal. I think I will not come back.

Fabulous. What else to say. The food, the service, the coffee were all fantastic. Waiter service was discrete yet always there. We had 8 people for lunch. We were able to book a table. Everyone was served at once, and the food was fabulous. We had a great catch-up with family. Thanks Tongue & Groove Cafe.

Was one of the few cafes open in Birkenhead on a public holiday. Lovely service, attentive staff and delicious, tasty and well presented food. Will definitely be back.

Tongue & Groove are located on the bustling Birkenhead strip, and a short walk away from the Chelsea Sugar Refinery. The cappuccino was large but had a mild burnt flavour (always a killer for me), and the chips were also cooked too much and looked more similar to the quality you'd expect from your corner chicken and chip store. The bread was also very hard and difficult to chew. The service was also a bit lacklustre; our server didn't really seem to know what she was doing.

The menu had a large selection of items. We opted for the big breakfast and hot cakes. Everything was tasty and came out fast. We were happy with both our plates

I was here just yesterday thinking about how the Paleo Grill is my FAVOURITE breakfast ever.. It is really truly amazing (especially with aioli instead of relish, the aioli is so flavourful!). Amount of food you get for less than $20 is astounding - two generous pieces of chicken, bacon, vegetables, poached eggs.... And all together it is a flavour explosion. <br/><br/>The service is always fast and friendly which is just an added bonus on top of the amazing food.<br/><br/>P.S. I can't figure out why people write reviews and say everything was amazing and perfect and then give it a 3 or 4...?!

Have been here only a few times, great little cafe & good coffee, food is great well priced with its competition in the area. Service & staff are great very helpful & prompt.<br/>Good menu options to select from for Breakfast .

Had breakfast here this morning, was really reasonable and great food.<br/>Scrambled eggs on toast (as per always) for me and the 5 grain bread was dense and chewy and good. Eggs were fine, also came with a hash brown. Coffee was nice, my partner had the big grill and was really happy with it, special shout out to the mushrooms- lots of flavour and lots of them!<br/>Kids had pancakes and chicken nuggets, and were v happy with both.<br/>The waitress was friendly and service pretty quick. We got a park right in front, and they have a nice outdoor area in front.

I usually always go to my fave Cafe' Fika Me but I thought I would try somewhere different. After being told by my friends to come here and that not only was the food delicious but cheap. <br/><br/>I order the $10 special and was absolutely amazed at the beautiful plate I was presented with. <br/><br/>2x Poached Eggs<br/>An amazing home made hash brown<br/>with delicious relish. <br/>And coffee<br/><br/>All for $10<br/><br/>I WILL DEFZ BE COMING BACK<br/><br/>Well done!

Thank you for the consistently good coffee and food! Since I live in the Shore this cafe is a sure go-to whenever we wake up late on weekends and wanting good brunch. They serve Allpress coffee too.<br/><br/>My favorite from the menu is definitely their rosti. It's absolutely delicious, topped with a house smoked salmon with perfect richness and poached eggs. Generous on portion, however the hollandaise lacks citrusy flavour/tang that's described on the menu. Their side pork and fennel sausages is also so good. I have seen tables around me ordered their corn fritters with bacon, which looked really good so will order that next time I go.<br/><br/>Ambience and decor is just basic and clean.

A great and inviting café with friendly service and no pretentiousness! Been our local for past two years and never lets you down. Coffee and food both good

Absolutely awesome staff, very friendly and great customer service! Food is reasonably priced and delicious, we especially enjoyed the Potato Rosti - definitely recommend visiting! A lively start to our Sunday, we will be back soon!

Me and my partner always come here for a good cafe breakfast! Nothing extravagant but we've never been disappointed. The pancakes are fluffy and come with praline, fresh banana, mascarpone and rhubarb compote!

Haven't been here for any food on the menu yet but the coffee is excellent and the staff are very friendly. Next stop is lunch :)<br/>Update: breakfast here this morning was incredible

It's really an amazing experience for lunch at Tongue & Groove. Coffees were hot; "Big Grill" with bacon, fennel sausages, eggs, harsh brown, mushroom, roasted tomatoes & toasted ciabatta were almost perfect; potato rosti with smoked salmon, spinach, capers & soft poached eggs were beautifully prepared. <br/>(Food - 4/5; Service - 4/5)

A tip for you Tongue and Groove:  If the wait is going to be over an hour for food, PLEASE tell your customers when they order!  If we had known there was a wait, we would never have sat down in the first place.  Today, we had to wait over an hour for our meals and only found out there was a delay by watching the constant number of people going to the counter asking where their food was, and demanding refunds - the cafe was by no means full either.  I should've known after 15-20 mins when our coffee and two milkshakes hadn't even arrived.  Every time I asked how far away things were, I was told "It's not far", and when I asked what exactly "not far" meant, I was told "10-15 minutes."  Ten to fifteen minutes later there was still no food, I'd ask again, was told "not far" and the whole cycle started over.  We had a very tired hungry three year old who desperately wanted his eggs and soldiers otherwise we would've walked.  Was the food worth the wait?  Unfortunately, no... the eggs were tiny, two maybe size 6 eggs with bread so hard it was hard to eat for me let lone a three year old - for $7.50 we felt a tiny bit ripped off.  My calamari salad had a plate full of greens and four tiny bits of calamari on, all of which were underdone so the batter, instead of being crunchy, was floury and doughy.  And my partner's burger was so dry he had to keep drinking water throughout the meal as his mouth was drying out.  We ate it though - we had waited an hour, we were bloody starving, and didn't want to risk sending it back to have to wait another hour!  When paying the bill I advised the man at the counter the above, and he was decent enough to take the calamari off the bill, which I did think was great.  He said "Maybe it'll be better next time..."  Unfortunately, there won't be a next time for us, I'm very sorry to say, for we are well and truly put off.  We will not return.

Really yummy food! Lots to choose from, never disappointed. Friendly staff and great. I love the creamy mushrooms with bacon - always super filling but the cabinet food looks delicious too

Yet another amazing meal here. Beautifully cooked eggs on my salmon rosti as well as on hubby's big breaky with all the trimmings. Topped off with great coffees to finish. Will definitely be back

Gorgeous local which I just keep going back to.  The eggs are the best I've ever had at a cafe - cooked to perfection every time.  Went for my birthday lunch today, and they went above and beyond... thank you!!

Truly awful. Poached eggs tasting of vinegar, bland hash browns, can't make a decent smoothie to save their life and unable to take orders correctly - had to send plates back so breakfast took twice as long. Will not be coming back.

Veggie grill and spinach bruschetta are the two items I had on my most recent visits for breakfast and brunch respectively within the last couple of months. Both meals were good (would not give it a wow due to seemingly reduced portion sizes over time + upped prices + standard taste). <br/><br/>This place is crazy busy on the weekend. Staff were friendly but were clearly very rushed on their feet.  There is some creativity on the menu which is good. <br/><br/>This is a nice chill out space with a nice vibe. Good for weekend brunch meetups.

First time visit, a friend recommended we go for their eggs benny she told me how amazing it is. Was really impressed with the food and the fresh smoothies we ordered, can definitely say the egg benny is on my top 5 favourites.

I really love this place,I had have lunch with my friend.We sat near the window,it has cozy atmosphere,delicious food and great coffee.The only disappointment was that the service was poor.First,the woman forgot to give us some water,and then forgot to bring our order of coffee.The most unbelievable thing is that when we reminded her politely,she was annoyed and she said she was very busy in a very abrupt manner.I felt very disappointed.Now,we don't feel like going back again.

Have been here a few times and every time the food is delicious especially the eggs Benedict and very good service. Coffees are great and the cafe itself has a good vibe about it

We really liked this place. Went in on sunny morning for breakfast. Big window at back presents a decent view. Wait staff very friendly. Food well presented and yummy. I'd go out of my way to go back.

Went in with a voucher<br/>Ordered salmon eggs Bene and Vege grill<br/>Food came out promptly and was very nice - fantastic portion size and amazing service<br/>Will definitely be back!<br/>Thanks tongue and groove!

Been waiting to visit this place for a long time. So I finally decided to take my little boy out to lunch and he loved it just as much as I did .<br/>Service was great, felt completely welcomed and my little boy had a lot to entertain him normally it's hard to keep kids at the table and this is the first place he stayed sitting at so big ups to that 😊<br/>Food was just as amazing as staff ordered and open chicken sandwich which is best by far with a chocolate milkshake . It was so good that I decided I'll take my partner there for breakfast. He enjoyed it too <br/>And there wasn't a very long wait for food <br/>I'll totally go back there again <br/><br/>Trying new cafes is always scary because you don't know what to expect . And when finding a good cafe it's hard to try new ones because all you want to do is go back to the one you know was great and this is how I feel 😊<br/><br/>Thank you tongue and groove

Tongue & Groove is a nice cafe a lovely light environment making it perfect for a catch up with some old friends.<br/><br/>The staff are wonderful and the food arrives in a prompt manner. i had the paleo grill minus the bacon with creamy mushrooms - it was wonderful but the food was lacking seasoning and the WOW factor.<br/><br/>good cafe that i'll probably visit again but not as memorable as i'd hoped it to be.

A very dear friend of mine owned this cafe with her brother under the name, Lounge. For a long time it set the standard in modern brunch and beautiful breakfast. I lamented their eggs benedict as the best in Auckland, and their salmon rosti was out of this world with perfect crunch, and a stunning salmon fillet. It's changed hands now and the standard has slipped. But it's still a great first choice. Their coffee is some of the best tasting I've ever had, their cabinet food is varied and always looks delicious. They used to do the best big breakfast I had ever had in my life. The creamy mushrooms alone were orgasmic.<br/><br/>The atmosphere is always crowded, and their seating is hit and miss with small tables. It's not a good place for a conversation, and is definitely not intimate. It's small and the weekend crowds are overwhelming.<br/><br/>Room for improvement: the new hash browns in the breakfast are not the best. The mushrooms are sad and disappointing and I don't think the hollandaise is made fresh anymore. The salmon rosti is still great but the salmon has been demoted to packet cold smoked slices.<br/><br/>I only return to Tongue and Groove for their brunches, but am slowly moving away. I also don't like their enormous straws.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: in need of a quick bite, I popped in here with my sister and partner and we found a table with ease. The cafe felt light and airy with retro touches around the room (backgammon anyone?). Menus were provided but we were impressed with the counter food on offer. <br/><br/>FOOD: I settled for the chicken salad wrap and found it tasty and packed with lots of veges. My companions enjoyed their dishes too - my sister had the wedges and she liked the blend of bacon, cheese and sour cream. <br/><br/>SERVICE: We were promptly shown to our table and the waitress was friendly and efficient. <br/><br/>The cafe looks lovely in all its wooden glory and I am keen to come back to try some substantial meals.

Honestly the best eggs bene I have had in Auckland. The hash was absolutely phenomenal. This is my new go to for brunch on a Saturday. Even though the place is packed the staff and service is always spot on.

T&G was busy on this late Sunday arvo and as it was cold outside, we opted for something nice and hot, so we ordered a warm toasted chicken wrap and wedges w. Bacon and sour cream. The staff are friendly and service fast. We're really glad we decided to pop into T&G this arvo. Andrew @anjeats

Been around for a while and still a very good choice for a breakfast or brunch. A place wit character, friendly staff, very reasonable pricing plus healthy options and the coffee does not disappoint either!<br/>

We had our breakfast here one day. The coffee was normal. But I kind of like their French toast. It was served with bacon, cream and blueberry. The price was a bit pricey but good to try out.

We eat here at least twice a week, sometimes 4 or 5, we have very rarely had anything to complain about, the food has always been spot on. Service has always been quick and friendly. Value for money is 10/10! <br/>You can get 2 x eggs on toast with hash brown, and a small cappuccino and caramel latte for $20!!!<br/><br/>Thankyou, we enjoy eating here.

I used to come here quite often for a girls day brunch. I can't fault their hash stack, very generous portion. Their chocolate frappes were a bit disappointing though. One morning the staff were a little pushy and rude though. Other than that, in my opinion it's good value for food and it's a cute little atmosphere.

Went with a group of 8 for breakfast, the food was yummy and arrived in a timely manner. However one of our party order pineapple juice and was brought apple juice, which was quickly rectified. Then when the coffees came out the cappuccino and mocha were mixed up also. Maybe a little more attention to detail next time. Otherwise a pleasant meal, kids menu was great, would defiantly return.

Have bee here for a few brunches. Such a cute little cafe. Most of the staff are friendly food is served promptly & is nice. Great if your after a quick bite.

Whats not to love about babe'n staff and great coffee and food. Would definitely go back again. Prices were decent and bagel was delish ???

Been here a few times and I've loved everything that I have ordered here! The eggs bene, big breakfast, and the chicken (cajun I think?) wrap were absolutely delicious. The staff are very pleasant and relaxed. Will definitely be returning!

Waiters were brilliant, pleasant and considerate. The food was fantastic, and besides some bagels that were tough & difficult to cut, was top-notch. Shame the experience was brought down by the barista.<br/><br/>All started when we were trying to find seating for our group of 7 and ended up pushing two adjacent tables together, where he condescendingly remarked "what's wrong with the shared table?" Well for starters our group wouldn't have even all FIT there properly since there were customers at either corner. So yeah, not a great observation off the bat mate. Secondly, we were catching up with guests from Japan, and a communal table with strangers isn't the optimal setting for that kind of meeting anyway. <br/><br/>His glaring, miming shooting himself in the head, and forced, sarcastic smile as we left made us all too happy to oblige him and leave his presence after our meal. He sure as hell didn't embody the intimacy and coziness of the shared table he seems to be so fond of. Don't know what came over him, because we've had plenty of good experiences at Tongue & Groove over the years and he'd never been so obnoxious before... but we didn't feel welcome this time, and won't be returning.

One of the first coffee shops that we've tried in Birkenhead. Pretty cosy, but too busy for me, so if you're after a quiet morning then this isn't the place for you. Overall, nice staff but not very attentive (which is reasonable for me, knowing that they're always packed). I would recommend this for those who've been meaning to try and just need a little encouragement to do so.

Best cafe in Birkenhead. Awesome food and great location. Nice tables to sit outside for Sunday brunch with our dogs. Food is always great, reasonably priced and service is always good!

Nice spot, good food well presented and priced.<br/>Will definitely be coming back to try other dishes<br/>The service was crisp & professional <br/>@stanleychan

Terrible service... a staff member messed up our coffee order and when we pointed this out to the barista he swore, wouldn't believe us and walked away. A simple apology and a replacement would have been so easy. Shame - the coffee was great but you can't treat customers like that and expect them to return. Food is average. Bungalo round the corner is a much better bet.

I love the guys at Tongue and Groove. Every chance I get when I'm in Birkenhead I spread myself out at the big coffee table with all the mags and sample the best coffee of the North Shore hands down!

Good quality above average cafe food, always really friendly.

Been going here for a while, LOVE their bacon and egg baps. Always found food delicious and staff really friendly. Excellent coffees and really good breakfast and lunches

We have becoming quite a regular to this cafe. Wonderful coffee and great food, and quality has been consistent for us. Really enjoy their food (ordered from menu, have not yet tried their cabinet food) can taste their ingredients are fresh and poached eggs are always cook just right! Recommended to all.

New to the area and decided to try this cafe over Easter. The coffee was very good but wasn't overly sure about the breakfast. I ordered poached eggs on toast with a side of hash browns, I found the meal very bland, the hash browns were very strange, like lumps of mash in batter. It could have been heaps better, was very disappointed :-(

Have been several times now when too lazy to go elsewhere. Long long waits, bleak looking food cabinet - and bland unremarkable food. Service smiley but not so efficient. Coffee ok, but variable depending who makes it.

This has become our new fav local for breakfast!<br/><br/>Use to be known as Lounge but now has new owners. Fantastic staff, very friendly &amp; helpful.<br/><br/>Have been here several times and the food has been outstanding each time and they make their own hash browns!