Blackstar Coffee Roasters

Blackstar has been roasting out of this converted garage on Thomas Street since 2007, long enough to count as one of the businesses that shaped West End's specialty coffee identity rather than followed it. The roaster runs out the back, the cafe operates under an awning and a scatter of umbrellas out front, and the furniture leans toward careworn couches and battered metal chairs rather than anything precious.

The shop was among the first in Brisbane to pour cold brew and to commit to fully organic, fair trade sourcing, and it now runs as a carbon neutral operation with a Coffee for Trees program tied to every bag sold. Breakfast and lunch stick to a short, well executed list rather than trying to compete with the neighborhood's bigger kitchens, and dogs are a regular part of the scene on the footpath tables.