The Grille Café turns a meal at Bill Richardson Transport World into part of the attraction rather than a pause from it. The cafe sits within the Tay Street home of more than 300 classic vehicles, and its welcoming American diner character echoes the wider collection while retaining a destination identity of its own. Regular service runs from 8am to 4pm every day, covering breakfast, brunch and lunch in one continuous sitting. That schedule works for locals meeting over coffee as well as families building food into a longer day among vintage trucks, cars and transport memorabilia.
All-day breakfast is generous and highly configurable. The Grand Slam combines eggs, potato rosti, tomato, mushrooms, bacon, sausages, ciabatta and house relish, while the vegetarian version brings spinach, smashed potatoes and braised onion into the same substantial format. Eggs Benedict is built on rosti with spinach and can be extended with bacon, salmon or mushrooms. Diners wanting something sweeter can choose waffles or pancakes with bacon and banana, seasonal fruit, or Biscoff, while granola and creamy mushroom toast provide lighter and meat-free alternatives.
The lunch side leans decisively into diner food. Double-cheese beef, pork belly with bacon jam, and several buttermilk-fried chicken combinations headline the burger section, each served with fries. A grilled frankfurter becomes The Hound Dog with cheese, braised onion, pickles and mustard, and loaded fries arrive with combinations of gravy, bacon or pulled pork. Beyond those classics, seafood chowder, fried-chicken salad, mac and cheese, and chicken tacos give the menu enough range for a mixed table without abandoning the playful retro theme.
Families receive more than a simplified adult menu. The children's list includes a miniature cooked breakfast, pancakes with bacon and banana, a diner dog, chicken and fish bites, and a picnic-style plate with fruit, cheese and crackers. Reservations can be requested in advance, coffee is central to the daytime service, and the museum setting makes the cafe especially useful for a multigenerational outing. The combination of familiar food, colourful Americana and an extraordinary vehicle collection gives The Grille a sense of place that a standalone diner would struggle to reproduce.
Address: 491 Tay Street, Hawthorndale, Invercargill 9810, New Zealand
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