Samuel's Blog

Coffee Shop Review: Tammetts Car Wash Braddon

October 25th, 2005 at 02:02pm

It might seem odd that I had coffee at a car wash, but this is an interesting car wash. Canberrans will have seen the ads on TV for this car wash, even if they didn’t take any notice of them, basically they are the second (and smaller) Mobil service station on Lonsdale Street in Braddon, which also contains a car rental service and a convenience store. Most service station convenience stores are pretty dismal, they offer an unusual array of products at (mostly) inflated prices, but not this one in Braddon, quite possibly as it appears to be a family business.

People who have worked in industrial areas would know that service station coffee usually comes out of a vending machine tasting like dishwater, with a strange froth on top that disappears by the time you cross the road, and this is what sets Tammetts apart from most service stations, they have real coffee.

Let me go back a bit and explain why I was having coffee in Braddon. I had just walked into Braddon to return some DVDs and was feeling a bit thirsty, I couldn’t decide whether to walk home and have a coffee there, or find somewhere that serves coffee, then I remembered the ad for Tammetts Car Wash which states that you can enjoy a coffee while your car is washed, and I remembered seeing a coffee machine in the ad, so I thought I would go and try it.

When I got there I noticed something which, whilst not surprising, did surprise me a little bit. One of the people washing a car was the man in the TV ad who hands the car keys to a somewhat surprised looking lady who appears to be a bit camera shy. The ad alone would prove that she was a real customer and he was a real car washer as an ad with models would have lots of overly happy people making the car wash look like some euphoric water recycling and car shining extravaganza filled with people who can make a car shine by simply smiling at it and dancing nearby. The fact that the ad doesn’t contain such events is a breath of fresh air, and shows a level of trust and honesty which is rare in advertising, and somewhat refreshing.

I walked in to the convenience store feeling quite good about the place and walked over to the counter. I asked for my usual beverage, which is of course a cappuccino and was served by a lovely and courteous lady who made the coffee (which cost $2.70 from memory) and kindly directed me to the sugar and spoons. A lot of places direct you to the sugar and spoons when they aren’t in an entirely obvious position, but few do it in the nice manner which the lady at Tammetts did.

I collected my sugar and spoon and sat down in a position which overlooked the collection of maps for sale (at what I would consider quite reasonable prices) and the counter. I then proceeded to enjoy the froth on the coffee, the froth was very nice, it was of a good consistency and the sprinkle of chocolate mixed in very well. Then I moved on to the coffee itself, and it was wonderful. The strength was just right, as was the consistency, they managed the mixture of milk and coffee perfectly, and it showed as the coffee was very smooth and rich.

As I was enjoying my coffee and admiring the range of maps and car oils which Tammetts had for sale, the man from the ad walked in and (I think) collected his lunch. As he walked out he greeted me and I greeted him, he appears to be a very nice person, as do all the staff at Tammetts.

Overall I was very impressed with Tammetts, their staff and their coffee. They appear to be a very friendly and courteous business, and I’m sure that they have a lot of loyal customers as a result. I know that next time I’m thristy in Braddon I will be dropping in for a coffee.

Samuel

Entry Filed under: Restaurant/Cafe Reviews

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