Potato Potahto

Potato Potahto is a neighbourhood cafe and deli in the Carine Glades shops at 3 Gemstone Boulevard, built around honest scratch-made food and barista coffee. The name tips you off: potato is the house specialty, from crispy rosti bases to loaded fries, and the kitchen works with local ingredients across an all-day breakfast and lunch menu.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome at the outdoor tables in the courtyard and along the footpath, while indoor seating stays for service animals. The team is used to four-legged regulars and will often bring out a water bowl on warmer mornings. Keep your dog leashed and settled at your feet, and time your visit outside the weekend brunch rush if your pup is still learning cafe manners.

Worth knowing

The signature Avocado Rosti stacks sliced avocado and two poached eggs with house-made hollandaise and dill on a thick potato rosti cake, crisped outside and soft within. The Popeye sandwich pairs buttermilk fried chicken with pickles and iceberg lettuce on a milk bun, and the cabinet usually holds house-made pies, gluten-free frittata and vegetarian slices. There is a kids menu too, so it works for the whole household. Hours run Tuesday to Friday from 6.30am to about 1.30pm and weekends from 7.30am to 1pm, with walk-ins welcome and bookings by email.

Getting there and parking

The cafe sits in the Carine Glades shopping centre on Gemstone Boulevard, with free parking right out front and flat, easy access from the car park. It is an easy stop on the way home from an early walk, and the kitchen opens earlier on weekdays for the coffee-first crowd.

Make a day of it

The Carine Fenced Dog Park inside Carine Regional Open Space is only a few minutes away on Okely Road, with a double-gated entry, walking trails and water fountains, so a proper off-lead run can come before the rosti. If you are building a north-of-the-river day, the North Beach Dog Beach is a short drive west for a swim before breakfast. More dog-friendly coffee in the area includes Toasted Carine and the Regular Coffee Company, both nearby in Carine.