Wednesday 2 November 2011

Drayton Road Cafe - Norwich

85-87 Drayton Road
Norwich
NR3 2DN


Opening times (breakfast available all day)

Monday-Saturday
7am - 3pm

Sunday
10am - 2pm



Look closer at Bob Basted car sales and you will spot Drayton Road Cafe nestled within it.



Order at the counter in the corner.



Plenty of places to sit at the front of the cafe.



If you chose to sit towards the back things get a tad more up-market with fun table cloths on the tables.



Plenty of breakfast options at reasonable prices, I went for the large breakfast and added black pudding for just 50p extra.



Good quality ingredients are used which is great considering how low the prices are.



Drinks are cheap too but...



The coffee was not great.



Classic condiments but remember to collect salt and pepper satchets when you collect your cutlery from near the counter.



The huge plateful arrived and presentation was good.



The sausages may have looked a bit undercooked but did taste delicious.



Doorstep slices of toast and a good pair of eggs.


Over the years I have sniggered whenever I pass Bob Basted cars on Drayton Road but a couple of years back I noticed Drayton Road Cafe which is pretty much inside the used car lot. Finally the day had arrived to try it out, I had heard good things so was looking forward to my visit...


Upon entering - It is a lot bigger inside than it looks from the outside and there is a vast seating area, the cafe has a very traditional feel to it. You can choose what you want from the blackboard on the right as you walk in or sit and decide at a table as each one also has a menu. Place your order at the counter, pay and grab some cutlery, remember to take some salt & pepper satchets too if you want them. 7/10

Service - Fairly standard and friendly enough, once you have ordered everything will be bought over to you. 7/10

Contents - I chose the large breakfast it consisted of.. 2 sausages, 2 bacon, 2 fried eggs, mushrooms, grilled tomatoes, 1 hash brown, mushrooms, beans and toast & butter. I also ordered black pudding as an extra. 8/10

Presentation - It arrived on a huge plate and the layout was looking good. 8/10

The food - The sausages looked like they could have done with a bit longer in the pan but did taste well nice, the bacon was great too. The fried eggs were cooked nicely, the black pudding was fairly standard as was the hash brown. Nice stodgy beans, tasty tomatoes and mushrooms that were cooked perfectly. It was a nice change to be served nice chunky cut slices of toast with plenty of butter on. 8/10

Value for money - I payed £5.45 for my large breakfast with extra black pudding, good value for money considering quality butchers sausages and free range eggs are used. 50p for extra's was a real bargain too. 8/10

Veggie option - Yes - Sausage, egg, beans, tomato and toast for £3.50

Overall - There are not many cafe's in Drayton/Aylsham Road area so well worth a look if you are passing by. Quality ingredients at a good price too so you can't go far wrong really. I noticed after I had left that they do fried bread so a return visit is on the cards soon. 8/10



27 comments:

  1. Been to this cafe a few times and been disappointed each time. Often a number of issues each time such as eggs hardly cooked and cold, chips cold, bacon very fatty, oily and undercooked. One time they had run out of some condiments no sail, pepper or vinegar. Although spoken to staff each time quality has not improved.
    Sorry, but will not be going again.
    Deni

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  2. This could be a cracking cafe if only they did some basics well.

    1. Cook the eggs as getting fried eggs with a pool of uncooked white is just not on.

    Warm the plate...not rocket science.

    Brown the sausages and make sure they are not pink on the inside. waste of a good quality sausage.

    When asked to cook the bacon crispy, do so and don't serve it with uncooked and white fat..

    The toast is really good normally and proper thick cut bread, not plastic sliced.

    It is a pity as this cafe has good parking, lots of space and if they sorted out the food it is well priced.

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  3. Im not sure what the 2 reviews above are about i had a delicious breakfast in here today, they have friendly staff, use quality ingredients and its reasonably priced! absolutly delicious and i would recommend a visit !!

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  4. Lovely food served here, nice to find somewhere that serves good quality ingredients defiantly be back!

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  5. Lovely breakfasts served here, bread is delicious lovely to find somewhere that uses quality produce customer service great ! Highly recommend !!

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  6. Damn good fry up for me, tasty ingredients and plenty of it... full belly, happy me!

    I won't just recommend it... I'll keep coming back myself.

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  7. Breakfast Gourmet28 March 2015 at 09:03

    I wholeheartedly agree with Annonymous, The Full Monty is not only a great breakfast, but super value at only £6.00. Like him I will keep going back and maybe one day we will make one anothers aquaintance there !

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  8. I called in at the Drayton Road café yesterday after hearing that it had changed hands recently, I had used the place before, but stopped because the food was so unreliable. The new man there, Dean, is friendly and amiable and cooks a mean Brekky at a very good price. If he carries on with what he did for me yesterday, a large breakfast, that was done to perfection, he will turn the place around in no time. Keep up the good work mate, and you'll see me on a fairly regular basis.

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  9. Awful !! Bring back Laura and bring back the butchers sausages, no one wants a breakfast with a cheap sausage

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  10. Breakfast Gourmet15 April 2015 at 21:00

    Again a great breakfast today, and how good to see that the new man there has a 4 star rating on the front door. Just shows that lots of people including the council have recognized the effort and hard work you put in to upgrade your cafe. Well done and keep up the good work.

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  11. Disappointing and had to wait ages for food Order was also wrong

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  12. A very disappointing breakfast
    After waiting for what seemed like ages the food finally arrived with cold beans and cheap sausages . When I pointed this out to the chef (owner) he was very very rude and came across quite aggressive with bad language. Avoid this cafe there are better places to eat without being abused

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  13. Whatever the previous problems may or may not have been, Pam is taking over the cafe as from 1st June 2015. Drop in again and see what things are like under her management !

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  14. Update, Pam's son Robin has taken over the cafe, having been managing a well known fast food outlet since he left college some 17 or so years ago. We look forward to hearing your comments in the future....

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  15. Quite a few comments since my visit, I will revisit again soon hopefully! :-)

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  16. Butchers shop bangers back please .....

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  17. I expect the comments will start flowing now that Robin has put free Wi-Fi into the cafe for the benefit of his increasing customers!

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  18. Mushrooms were like water! Rubbery bacon! Sogey bread (ment to be toast) never again will I waste money there ..... gross

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    Replies
    1. Breakfast Gourmet12 January 2016 at 23:27

      You sure you weren't still well hung over from New Years, If it was as bad as you say, did you even complain to the management ? I've never had a bad breakfast there yet !

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    2. Breakfast Gourmet12 January 2016 at 23:28

      You sure you weren't still well hung over from New Years, If it was as bad as you say, did you even complain to the management ? I've never had a bad breakfast there yet !

      Delete
  19. I went there today for the first time and I was very happy. A little more than a wetherspoons but far tastier. Would happily recommend and revisit.

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  20. This cafe used to be heaving ( back in the allowed smoking days of 80s/90s can you believe that looking back] and the food was great.So were the ladies who worked there . The pork dinner was sublime. BUT. it changed hands and crashed and burned.I tried to believe there was hope but when one day i ordered egg and bacon and received literally one rasher and one egg on a large plate.... Well i thought they were joking, apparently not.Your reviews and blogs and website pass my quality inspection with distinction. Keep it going FUI. Oh as an aside i know the best indian and chinese takeaways in Norwich and they are almost side by side. Harry.

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    Replies
    1. Do spill the beans on the Chinese and Indian takeaways, would be good to know!

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    2. OK. The Lucky tandoori and Furama.I know Chinese food can be somewhat 'samey' but try the special foo yung and the pork balls ( half curry/half sweet and sour ) and anything from the Lucky. I also know a Chinese that purveys possibly the worst pork balls ,by comparison,in the whole world, to the point of utter disbelief! ( off Dereham Road too ) Harry P+H.

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  21. 7 dec 2016...Harry 37

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  22. OMG, i have just discovered the unmistakably best pies available, possibly in the world, too now. And in Norwich! Harry 37.

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  23. Core Fire & Security Systems Ltd There is only one café in Norwich to go to and that is Drayton Rd. The service, quality and the premises are second to none, the lads and I pop in at least twice a week you cannot go wrong. Norwich, Norfolk and the world come on down and see Rob,Pam and Kelly and see the dream team in action.

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