If you are looking for an unpretentious and welcoming spot in Strand to enjoy a meal or a cuppa with a chat, then this family-run, rustic eatery is your go-to!

Where is it?
56 Newton Street (corner of Fabriek and Newton), Gants, Strand, Western Cape

Why go there?
This charming family-run café in the industrial part of Strand is perfect for a well-priced and delicious breakfast, lunch, or (on selected evenings) dinner.

How much am I going to pay?
There’s a R50 special nearly every day of the week and pensioners pay R45 on Tuesdays for all day breakfast with coffee. Their dinners on Wednesdays and Fridays are R50 per person (bring your own drinks, no corkage) and other menu items are R75 or under.

When is it open?
Mondays to Fridays from 08h00 and Saturdays from 08h45.
On Wednesdays and Fridays they are open until 20h00.
Chess lovers are welcome to pop in on Thursdays from 17h00 to 19h00 and join the chess club at R10 per person.

Contact details
Telephone 067 838 5759 or follow their Facebook page.

A friend of mine who lives in Gordon’s Bay was very quick to recommend The Coat Rack Café when I was thinking of going to another well-known eatery in Strand. I am well aware that locals always know best and I am very glad that I listened to his suggestion!

The Coat Rack Café is “my kind of place” – laid back, friendly and unpretentious, with excellent wallet-friendly prices.  Plus they have an extensive collection of vinyls that you can ask them to play and a whole lot of interesting knick knacks to poke through. In fact, all their décor, including the chairs and tables has a price – if you like it you can buy it!

We were there on a Wednesday which is Burger Special day so we decided to have burgers for R50. When it came to choosing the toppings we had a lot of deliberating to do as there are so many sauces to choose from! I opted for the peanut butter and cheese sauce to go with my chicken fillet burger and my friend had a beef burger with creamy mushrooms. When they found out that she liked hot stuff, they were kind enough to bring her some cheeky sauce on the side at no additional cost. Suffice to say the burgers were absolutely delicious and the helping was huge!

Apart from tucking into a really good homemade meal, I loved chatting with the owners and snooping through all the bits and pieces on the shelves. It is definitely a place I will go back to and like my friend in Gordon’s Bay, recommend them wholeheartedly to everyone I know. It really is well worth a visit for good homemade food at excellent prices!

Coat Rack Café weekly specials

Tuesday :
Chicken Sosaties with chips or a salad – R50
Pensioners all day breakfast with coffee – R50

Wednesday:
Burger (beef or chicken) with a topping of your choice and chips or salad – R50
Meal of the day for dinner – R50 / bring your own drinks (no corkage and they supply glasses and ice)

Thursday:
Savoury chicken and cheese / savoury mince and cheese wrap served with chips or salad – R50

Friday:
Crumbed chicken schnitzel with a sauce of your choice and chips or salad – R50
Meal of the day for dinner – R50 / bring your own drinks (no corkage and they supply glasses and ice)

Dinner at The Coat Rack Café

They are open for dinner on Wednesday and Friday. Their dinner menu is announced on the day and has included Chicken Schnitzel served with chips or a salad and a sauce of your choice; Chicken Thai Curry served with rice; Beef Rump Curry served with rice; and Beef Potjiekos with rice and Cheese & Onion bread. Families are most welcome and they have a selection of board games for everyone to enjoy.

The menu at Coat Rack Café

Chalkboard menus line the walls and include:

• Scrambled eggs and toast – R30
• Breakfast roti – R52
• Kassler breakfast (Kassler chop, eggs, mushrooms and tomato) – R75
• Coat Rack breakfast (cheese grillers, eggs, bacon, mushrooms, chips, tomato, toast and coffee_ – R75
• Crumbed mushrooms (starter) – R35
• Smoked salmon salad (starter) – R48
• Chicken livers plain/spicy (starter) – R35
• Toasted tuna and mayo – R45
• Toasted chicken and mayo – R45
• Toasted bacon and cheese – R45
• Baked potato with chicken mayo – R45
• Breakfast tattie – R45
• Salad with bacon and avo – R60
• Salad with salami and feta – R60
• Tramezzini with bacon, feta and olives – R65
• Tramezzini with chicken, feta and peppers – R65
• Kassler chops with mash or chips – R70
• Waffles and ice cream – R35
• Ice cream with chocolate or berry sauce – R30

The Coat Rack Café has some interesting and rather yummy sauces to choose from if you order a burger, including:

• Beetroot and feta
• Salami and cheese
• Chilli,cheese and onion
• Pineapple, chilli and cheese
• Peanut butter and cheese (a winner with a chicken burger!)
• Nachos

There’s also a wide variety of other more standard sauces to choose from, including garlic, creamy mushroom, cheese, avo and feta, avo and bacon and vegetarian.

Drinks at The Coat Café

Apart from tea, coffee, hot chocolate and cold drinks, they also have fruit shakes, ice cream floats and an extensive milkshake menu.

• Tea (various types available) – R15
• Coffee – R18
• Hot chocolate – R30
• Fruit shake – R45
• Ice cream float – R35
• Apple and lemongrass milkshake – R45
• Banana and Oreo milkshake – R45
• Salted Caramel milkshake – R45
• Watermelon milkshake – R45

With a menu like that, coupled with a homely atmosphere, a great selection of music and friendly owners, there’s every good reason to pay them a visit when you are next in Strand! Don’t forget to leave your name on the wall (and look out for mine!)

Published September 2019 | Own cost (except they refused payment!)