Kokolanis Cafe & Kitchen

Kokolanis Cafe & Kitchen runs a Pacific Island flavoured menu out of a Hillcrest plaza just off the Mount Lindesay Highway, and it has become the local standby for big breakfasts, acai bowls and eggs benny. It is a family first spot with a playground in the mix, but dogs are not an afterthought here: the outdoor undercover seating welcomes them, and the staff have a habit of bringing out a water bowl before you have to ask.

The dog setup

Dogs sit with you in the outdoor undercover section at the front of the cafe. Keep them leashed and inside that area so the indoor tables and the playground crowd stay undisturbed. If the kitchen exhaust is working hard, patrons suggest a table further back in the outdoor zone, which suits a dog anyway, out of the smoke and the foot traffic.

Max: Ask for a spot toward the back of the outdoor section and the water bowl usually beats your coffee to the table.

Worth knowing

The cafe opens Wednesday to Saturday, 7am to 2pm, and closes Sunday through Tuesday, so weekend brunch here means Saturday only. The menu leans generous: steak and fish burgers, acai bowls, carrot cake and frappes all come up again and again, alongside steady praise for the welcoming staff. Expect kids and strollers as part of the atmosphere rather than a surprise.

Getting there and parking

You will find it at Unit 1, 7 to 11 Central Court, Hillcrest, a few minutes from Grand Plaza. Parking is the easy part: the plaza lots sit directly in front, so there is no street hunting with a dog in the car.

Close by with the dogs

For a run before breakfast, Hillcrest Off leash dog park is the obvious pairing, and Regents Park Fenced Dog Park adds a fully fenced option a few minutes south. If you are chaining stops together, Karawatha Forest Park at Drewvale is a bigger bushwalk day out, and 107 Coffee Terminal / Sabroso covers the coffee run on the Browns Plains side.

For more of the same across the south east, browse dog friendly cafes in Queensland or see what else is nearby in our Hillcrest guide.