404 Titirangi Road, Titirangi, Auckland 0604
Teresa has owned and operated The Hardware Cafe since 1996, she and her bustling cafe are definitely part of Titirangi's social fabric. The cuisine is a collection of Asian, British, Greek, Italian, Mediterranean, Moroccan and Middle Eastern. So no excuses for anyone not finding anything on the menu to tempt.
Outdoor seating is available, as well as The Toolroom for private functions. The emphasis is on relaxed eating. Should you be up up in the early hours it is not unknown for a singing barista to give you a coffee hit as early as 5.30am.
Overview
| Price Range | Reasonable |
|---|---|
| Ambience | Lively |
| Accepts credit cards | Yes |
| Noise level | Bustling |
| Licence | This venue is licenced, This venue has BYO |
| Food Options | Vegetarian |
Products and specialities
cafe, coffee, lunch, brunch, dinner
Hours
- Mon -
- Tues -
- Wed -
- Thurs -
- Fri -
- Sat -
- Sun -
- HolidaysClosed
Reviews
We came here on Anzac day because it had the appeal of having no surcharge and the added bonus of being close to the beach for the kids. We hit it in the late afternoon and were unfortunate enough to get the 'middle of the day' menu which consisted of mainly pub type food - nachos, wedges, hot chips type of thing. This would have been perfect had we been settling in for a few 'hair of the dog' beers in the sun and needed sustenance at the same time - and I can see that's what it is designed for but did not hit the spot. We ordered coffees and Apple juice for the wee lads with Kumara chips and The 'Middle eastern platter' to share. My coffee was terrible - rather than being a flat white it was a cup of burned tasting foam, the Husband's long black was fine. The middle eastern platter was ordinary - the pita bread was clearly straight out of the packet, the olives were plentiful and plain - no marinade and dull. Hummus and cous cous. The whole thing could have benefited from a fresh vege or two - maybe the youghurt mint dip you sometimes get with turkish food? Probably no more special than I could have done at home by opening some jars and packets so it felt like it was a rip for $17.50. The Kumara chips were fine and the aoli was good. We also tried the gluten free orange cake out of the cabinet and that WAS good. All in all we left disappointed - the boys were full and that was the point but not an experience we will rush to repeat.
Probably the most famous cafe in Titirangi, I thought I'd give this a shot on our way through to Cornwallis one afternoon. It was super busy but we managed to find a table outside by the sun, service was friendly though sometimes it was hard to flag down the attention of the wait staff. We ordered beef nachos and bruschetta with sardines, I mistakenly assumed (and optimistically hoped) they would be fresh, but nope, canned... it was not too bad with the lemon caper sauce on the toasted ciabatta, but didn't blow me away either. Overall, nothing incredible but it's a good spot to get the true Titirangi experience!
Went to Hardware just before Christmas and the place was busy as usual. Have always driven past and thought wow that place is busy. We got a close park and even got a seat without a problem, the man that served us was friendly. We ordered our food and it came quickly, to our surprise the food was massive, neither of us ate our whole meal but it was delicious and I enjoyed every mouthful.
As a thank you for ferrying my friend to and from Onehunga she offered to buy me breakfast. Being an avid fan of French Toast it was an 'I have to have it' moment and I wasn't disappointed. 3 pieces of bread, bacon, a banana, strawberries, cream and a generous drizzle of maple syrup for $17. Tasted just as good as it looks.
