Cranky Cafe

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#3 of 15 Quick Bites in MerimbulaQuick Bites, Cafe, $$ - $$$

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Cranky Cafe

Review

At a glance

Closed now

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Website

+61 403 735 169Improve this listing

About

Funky family owned cafe/takeaway by the sea. Situated opposite Merimbula's main beach and Ford Park. Open 7 days a week for early morning coffees, fresh cakes and rolls. Breakfast and lunch options. All cakes, bread, preserves made in house, locally sourced smoked bacon, fresh fish off the boats in Eden, free range eggs straight from the farm in Bemboka, and when we can, fresh homegrown vegetables.

Features

CUISINES

Cafe, Australian

Meal types

Breakfast, Lunch, Brunch

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

FEATURES

Accepts Credit Cards

Gift Cards Available

Highchairs Available

Outdoor Seating

Parking Available

Playgrounds

Seating

Table Service

Takeout

Waterfront

Wheelchair Accessible

Location

33 Ocean Drive, Merimbula, New South Wales 2548 Australia

Parking Available

Does this restaurant offer takeaway or food to go?

Yes

Unsure

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Hours

Suggest an edit

Closed now

• Opens at 7:00 AM

Sunday

7:00 am - 3:00 pm

Monday

7:00 am - 3:00 pm

Tuesday

7:00 am - 3:00 pm

Wednesday

7:00 am - 3:00 pm

Thursday

7:00 am - 3:00 pm

Friday

7:00 am - 3:00 pm

Saturday

7:00 am - 3:00 pm

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4.1

669 reviews

Excellent

296

Very good

243

Average

Poor

Terrible

Bruce B

1 contribution

Cranky Cafe definately worth a visit👍

July 2024 • friends

Had breakfast there twice. Very friendly and the Cranky Pants buttermilk pancakes with fresh fruit, crunchy Granola and marscspone was delicious. Also loved their coffee as life is too short to drink bad coffee 👌

Written 6 August 2024

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

M J

Canberra248 contributions

Memorable BLAT

Feb 2022 • none

With the in-your-face name, you expect some rough edges – and I suppose there were some. Breakfast was at outside concrete tables but the greeting wasn’t cranky (in fact, friendly). The weather cooperated and the ambience was pleasant. I had the BLAT (remember I’m on a world-wide crusade to find the best BLT IN THE WORLD). It scored well but two factors dragged their score down. The roll (though tasty) needed more crust or to be warmed. The avo was an enormous serving but made the whole meal (with the soft roll) too juicy and so I ended up with slop all over my hands. So I need to learn to eat more delicately or Cranky needs to crisp up their rolls and balance the ingredients. Could make them a contenders for the best BLT in the world.

Written 27 February 2022

Bad_Seed4

Canberra824 contributions

Looks are deceiving, a great find

Feb 2024 • family

So, this place looks ordinary from the outside, a beach shack kind place but the food was terrific -we had the standard breakfasts -pancakes and bacon and eggs but they were awesome. The pancakes in particular were terrifically light and fluffy, really tasty. Coffee was good too, recommended.

Written 21 February 2024

DaveNowra

North Nowra236 contributions

Too much!

Mar 2023 • solo

In my life I’ve never paid $8.50 for bog standard savoury meat pie. No matter the filling, in this day and age, in a popular town and location anywhere, have I paid more $5.50. What’s going on here?????

Written 26 March 2023

Patrick C

HI, the first thing that comes to my mind is you could have saved yourself a lot of angst by taking the sensible decision as a consumer and not bought the pie. We did not force you to make that decision. So your public (electronic) outcry is silly. As for the pricing, its real, its accurate, its what it costs with a Small margin built in. A pie is not just the filling. Overhead, building insurance, maintenance, energy costs, rates, and so on. Staff labor costs. Cost of ingredients all gone up by a big margin. Then there is the ingredients! Our pies are made by hand by an experience, award wining pastry Cheff. The meat is first class Australian beef, the pastry hand crafted from scratch. The cost ends up at $8.50. So hears the challenge, bring in a $5.50 pie (fresh and warm) with the purchase receipt (and yes I don't trust you) we will cut it up with one of ours and do a taste test. The catch is you will need to put your money where your bog standard mouth is. I'll put up $100 any day on this challenge. How about you?

Written 28 March 2023

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Sherilyn D

18 contributions

Brace yourself

Jan 2021 • family

Have been a return customer to Crankys over the years but this year this once great little Cafe has had its day. No more table service, no atmosphere, over priced food in takeaway containers - and yes I get the restrictions with COVID but seems other cafes and establishments (eg MorMors, Nosh & Dulcies) in Merimbula have adapted and can still provide excellent table service and fantastic customer service. Unfortunately today I experienced its namesake in a man working there, whom I asked for table water to fill a dog bowl while we had lunch (yes I decided it was worth giving this place another shot). The man launched into a tirade about why he can't give out tap water (council restrictions apparently on this side of town) & instead told us we could buy some With sarcasm he told us we could buy the water at the front of the cafe or otherwise he could give us the same bottled water he stored in the fridge at the back. As we stood looking at the menu dumbfounded at his terse response he opted to bring in yet another staff member to the conversation, which was all one way at this point, to serve us up with a second healthy dose around the water issue but with more emphasis on customers unreasonably complaining about it (note: we had not made any complaint). Clearly the man was not in a savoury mood and to save further embarrassing himself in front of all his customers we left the cafe (whilst he bemoaned our departure) and went next door to Fishpen Takeaway, where we were met with a polite customer service team and good food.

Written 21 January 2021

Danoir02

11 contributions

Great coffee despite only 2% milk available

Jan 2024 • family

Delicious coffee! I ordered 2 cappuccinos, one full cream and the other skim. I was told they only do coffee with 2% milk. I’ve heard of this from American TV, but was not sure what it meant here in Aus. I thought mainstream milks were full cream and skim. I said okay and waited with curiosity, looking at the well worn concrete tables patrons use. I thoroughly enjoyed my coffee! So did my partner (probably because she was expecting watery milk in her cuppa). We have bought two cappuccinos from the Cranky Cafe everyday during our short break! A great caffeine hit!

Written 25 January 2024

dgtravelbug

Wollongong114 contributions

Amazing breakfasts

Jan 2023 • none

This busy cafe serves up great breakfast food with a smile. The smoked salmon bagel with herby lemon cream cheese was so good I have tried to recreate it at home. And the bacon and egg roll was crammed with bacon and also delicious as a reward for a long walk. We didn't have to wait too long for the food - in both cases it was ready before the coffee!

Written 11 January 2023

Loislovestravelling

Melbourne929 contributions

They serve very very good food!!!!

July 2023 • couples

We decided on the Reuben roll each and it was incredible 10/10. $16.50 each but worth every cent. The flavour combinations of the dressing, cheese, pickles, meat and roll was perfection…. I should know I make a darn good Reuben myself and order it at every place that has it on their menu. 🤣🤣 Their coffee though not a strong brew (single shot) had a very good caramel flavour to the beans. We will be back in Merimbula next month on our way back to melbourne and guess where we will be stopping for a meal? ….. ‘cranky cafe’

Written 11 July 2023

Emma W

3 contributions

A delicious lunch spot!

Dec 2022 • couples

We stopped in as we were driving through Merimbula and wanted something that wasn’t fast food but also wasn’t a full sit-down meal. Our expectations were completely blown away with how delicious our lunch was! The food was fresh and tasty, the staff good-humoured and efficient, the setting chill and good vibes. The Reuben was the tastiest I’ve ever had (and I’ve eaten a fair few!) and the chicken wrap was excellent too. Next time we’re in the area we’ll be back!

Written 1 December 2022

Light chaser

New South Wales50 contributions

Best food in Merimbula with a Friendly quirky happy vibe!

June 2020 • couples

Seriously awesome food !! You can’t go to Merimbula and not have a feed at Cranky’s. They do the best flathead fillets the girls told me they use fresh local fish from Eden and they bake their own buns. The coffee is brewed to perfection and make sure you order some of that mouthwatering carrot cake, it’s to die for. You can grab your fish n chips and eat them on the beach just across the road 👌Perfect

Written 22 June 2020

CrankyCafe

thanks. Our first review since covid. Thank you for our support. Cheers, the Cranky crew x

Written 23 June 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Carla J

Wodonga46 contributions

brekky while on holidays.

Oct 2020 • family

Went for brekky while on holidays. Was super impressed with the service and food. Due to Covid they were only offering takeaway service we order 2 wraps, a BTAT and a salmon roll and 4 coffees, food came out quickly, Everyone was super happy with the food and coffee and we will be back next time we are there.

Written 31 October 2020

janeblaikie

Melbourne18 contributions

Great breaky!

Dec 2022 • family

Been twice now; really yummy breakfast food! Highly recommend 😊 Meals around the $15 mark. Avo toast with feta and roast toms yum; as were cranky’s pancakes with berries, marscapone, maple syrup and smattering crunchy muesli. Benny burger (egg and bacon roll) was huge.

Written 16 December 2022

Evan S

Canberra4 contributions

Great fish and chips, just really oily.

Apr 2021 • none

Love the cafe and loved the takeaway fish and chips. The staff even added some extras into our takeaway, which was really appreciated. The fish was good and the batter was light and crispy. My only complaint was that the fish batter held on to so much oil that this spoiled the experience. If there was some way to reduce how much oil remains in the batter, this would be near perfect. We will be back!

Written 13 April 2021

Cynarina

Greater Melbourne75 contributions

Cranky Chipless

June 2023 • couples

I dont know where the very happy customers ate, but it couldnt have been here. We had lunch there today ... Flake and Chips and 2 potato cakes. The fish was excellent, the potato cakes were poor and the chips we ordered and paid for were not in the package. The fish and potato cakes were dripping with oil. I would go elsewhere next time, really pretty ordinary.

Written 8 June 2023

Patrick Cornthwaite

Carina, thanks for the heads up on the purchase. Had you have asked and been polite our staff would have immediately without question rectified the problem. We sell literally tons of fish and chips every year. We do occasionally make mistakes. We try our very best to rectify said mistakes. However, when someone decides to take the cowardly slagging approach of writing reviews we can not help you. I personally look at this from the point of view that the type of people that will lob out a spiteful comment should be ignored. We will look into the process to ascertain what happened but due to the high volume it is difficult to check what specifically occurred to get said oily results. We do fry with good quality frying oil and at the recommended temperature. As for the chips why did you not ask for them. I know I would. I would also take into account that mistakes can happen and look to see how they are remedied. You short changed yourself by being unable to communicate politely and in a timely manner then being mean and spiteful. Good bye.

Written 10 June 2023

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

BronzPet

Melbourne14 contributions

We’re back and it’s great!

Jan 2022 • none

This is a little corner place, by the beach. Very casual. You can sit undercover or takeaway. We Ordered take away off the Crankys menu. Rolls, chips, burgers for about 10 of us. The fish burger was tasty and tender, the Benny roll with added hash brown was yum, smashed avo was delicious and the milkshakes were great! Great place to eat in or takeaway. Plenty of options for vegetarians too.

Written 17 January 2022