I’ll admit it. I’m a coffee snob. I’m also a firm believer that roadtrips and good coffee goes hand in hand. I was having a conversation with a parent of a boarder a little while ago who lives out of Longreach. We were chatting as I had recently gone through that area. I said, ‘Oh I just have the problem that there’s such good coffee in Longreach, Ilfracombe AND Blackall, but they’re all too close together to have three coffees in the time span of 2 hours.’

A few weeks earlier, my boss was off on a marketing trip with work, and I gave her a few coffee shop recommendations for the rural town she was visiting. Then, two weeks after that, we were on a trip to Dalby for a school event and discussing where to eat breakfast. I piped up and said ‘Oh! I know a great coffee shop.’. My colleagues nodded approvingly, but my boss laughed and said ‘Bloody hell Hannah, do you do anything else but drive around drinking coffee in the middle of nowhere?… This got me thinking, perhaps I need to be sharing my tried and tested coffee recommendations. So here we are, I’ve done the hard work for you – here’s my fave coffee shops in rural QLD.

The Urban Paddock 

Location: Dalby

A crowd favourite of both locals and tourists, offering breakfast, lunch and takeaway. 

Rex Coffee 

Location: Roma 

Blink and you’ll miss it! Nestled on a side street opposite The Royal, their coffee is fabulous and their food (which they post on their Instagram account) has me drooling from 500kms away.

Heinemann’s Country Bakery 

Location: Charleville

The most unassuming place for a good coffee (and the most obvious place for a good pie). 

The Drawing Board Boutique 

Location: Blackall 

If you’ve been around here for longer than 5 minutes you’ll know The Drawing Board is one of my favourite shops in Western QLD. Browse their gifts, clothing and homewares (and try not to spend too much money), as you wait for your coffee. 

The Hatch Coffee Shop (In Wellshot Pub)

Location: Ilfracombe 

A hole-in-the-wall attached to Ilfracombe’s Wellshot Pub, this place it not one to be missed. 

The Branch

Location: Longreach 

Step inside and you’ll feel like you’ve been teleported to a high-end cafe that belongs in Brisbane. Their industrial, gold trimmed interiors and beautiful outdoor seating area means you can spend hours enjoying the atmosphere at The Branch.

Godiers Café and Marketplace 

Location: Julia Creek

If you walk into Godiers in Julia Creek, you’d be forgiven for thinking it was an ordinary supermarket. But head to the back of the building and you’ll find a little nook where they’re making coffee, lunch and food to-go. 

The Larder 

Location: Goondiwindi 

Boasting good coffee, great food and lots of products from small businesses, this place is your one stop shop for a bite, a drink and thoughtful gifts. 

Forage Kitchen and Coffee Bar

Location: Millmerran 

A relatively new kid on the block in Millmerran, this family run business has Dad cooking, Mum serving and the children making the coffees. Their garden area is a lovely place to sit, relax and watch the world (or just the main street…) go by.