Thunderbird Cafe brings a playful streak to the Featherston Street business district. The licensed, deliberately kitschy room serves through the working week and opens on weekends as well, shifting easily from an early coffee stop to a relaxed lunch. Southern, Cajun and Tex-Mex flavours give the food its identity, while the kitchen's emphasis on making dishes fresh in house keeps the approach grounded in cafe cooking. Friday live music adds a sociable end-of-week rhythm without turning the venue into a bar first and restaurant second.
Breakfast covers quick starts and plates that warrant a longer pause. A bacon-and-egg bun sits alongside house-toasted muesli, pancakes and eggs on toast, while a fish stack layers hash browns, spinach, grilled fish, a poached egg and hollandaise. Eggs Benedict can be built around spinach, mushrooms, bacon, ham or salmon. Huevos rancheros, breakfast tacos and a burrito bring Mexican beans, salsa and achiote cream into the morning, and a dedicated vegan plate avoids simply removing ingredients from the standard breakfast.
From late morning, burritos, quesadillas and tacos become the menu's flexible core. Chicken, pulled pork, grilled fish or mushrooms can be matched with melted cheese, Mexican beans, slaw and house sauces, making the format easy to adjust without losing its character. Salads take a bolder route: the Texas Tosser places Southern fried chicken over ranch-dressed lettuce with parmesan, pico de gallo and guacamole, while a crisp tostada can carry chicken, mushrooms or halloumi.
The Southern side of the kitchen becomes clearest in the chef's specials and burgers. Brined fried chicken comes with mash, slaw, blackberry chutney and bourbon-pecan sauce, while fried-chicken tacos use a house Coca-Cola barbecue sauce. Pulled pork, grilled halloumi and beef each have their own burger treatment. Jalapeño poppers, smoked wings, chilli con queso and curly fries make natural sharing food, and the cafe's attention to vegan and other special options helps a mixed group enjoy the same exuberant menu rather than split into separate dining plans.
Address: 154 Featherston Street, Wellington Central, Wellington 6011, New Zealand
Moved or closed? Tell us: Moved·Temporarily closed·Permanently closed
Thunderbird Cafe Menu
Kids Breakfast
EGG HEAD
One fried, poached or scrambled egg served on buttered sourdough toast
PIKELETS
Kid’s sized pancakes served with maple syrup & banana
TOAST & SPREADS
Toasted sourdough with your choice of spread – jam, peanut butter, nutella
Kids Lunch & Dinner
CHEESY CHOMPER
Ham & cheese in a toasted sourdough sandwich
CHICK’A DOODLE DOO
Fried chicken bites in a basket with curly fries
MINI NACHOS
Crunchy corn chips topped with melted cheese, black bean & guacamole V GF
MINI SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN
Chicken breast battered southern style, served with creamy mash and housemade bourbon pecan sauce
T BIRD JUNIOR
A beef patty with melted cheese & tomato sauce in a toasted buttered bun
Breakfast
Available till 11.30am | Scones & Muffins are baked fresh daily. Hollandaise is made fresh everyday.
BACON & EGG BUTTIE
Grilled bacon and a fried egg in a toasted bun.
FISH STACK
Hash browns, spinach, grilled fish, a free-range poached egg, house-made hollandaise and chutney
MINCE ON TOAST
Beef mince cooked with spices, onions, cheese and capsicums on sourdough
TOAST & SPREADS
Sourdough or grain toast with your choice of spreads Jam, Vegemite, Marmite, Peanut Butter, Nutella. Extra spread 5 | Extra toast 3 | Vegan
BREAKFAST BURGER
Grilled bacon, fried egg, hashbrown, lettuce, pickled onions, chipotle mayo in toasted bun
T-BIRD MUESLI
House-made toasted muesli served with natural yoghurt, milk, plum compote, fresh seasonal fruits and nuts
EGGS ON TOAST
Free-range poached, scrambled, fried eggs on toasted sourdough or grain. GF toast 3. Extra egg 4 | Extra toast 3
T-BIRD VEGAN DELIGHT
Portobella grilled mushrooms, grilled tomatoes, crispy spuds & wilted spinach on toasted Sourdough bread
BREAKFAST TACOS
Free-range scrambled eggs, and house-made Mexican beans, cheese in flour tortillas served with salsa de molcajete and achiote cream
Breakfast Burrito
Free-range scrambled eggs, house-made Mexican beans and cheese wrapped in a grilled flour tortilla served with salsa de molcajete and achiote cream. Add: Bacon $7 | Chorizo $3.5 | Capsicum $2.50 | Spring onions $2.5 | Guac $3
EGGS BENEDICT
Free-range poached eggs on toasted sourdough with house-made hollandaise
Man Scram
Free-range scrambled eggs with chorizo, capsicums, chilis, spinach and cheese on your choice of toast OR rolled in a flour tortilla. Add: Bacon $7 | Hash Browns $6 | GF Toast $3
Huevos Rancheros
Free-range fried eggs, hash browns in an open flour tortilla topped with Mexican beans, melted cheese, pico de gallo and achiote cream
Buttermilk Pancakes
With grilled banana and maple syrup. Add grilled bacon $4 | Add ice cream $6
Vik’s Vege Delight
Free-range eggs of your choice on toasted sourdough with portobello grilled mushrooms, wilted spinach, grilled tomatoes, crispy spuds and house-made hollandaise
Thunder Biggy
Free-range eggs of your choice on toasted sourdough with Bacon, sausages, portobello grilled mushrooms, grilled tomatoes, crispy spuds and house-made hollandaise
Brunch Sides
AVOCADO (Seasonal)
BACON
CRISPY SPUDS
GRILLED TOMATOES
HALLOUMI
HASH BROWNS
HOLLANDAISE
MEXICAN BEANS
PORTOBELLO GRILLED MUSHROOMS
SALMON FLAKES
SAUSAGES
WILTED SPINACH
Lunch
From 11:30am-CLOSE | please notify us of any allergies special & vegan options available
BURRITOS
Filling of your choice with melted cheese, Mexican beans, tahini dressed coleslaw rolled in a flour tortilla served with achiote cream on the side • Chicken • Pulled pork • Grilled Fish • Mushrooms. Add Curly fries 5 | Jalapenos 2 | Guac 3
QUESADILLAS
Your choice of filling served in a grilled flour tortilla with melted cheese, queso sauce, herbs & spices with a fresh side salad (Swap salad to curly fries 4) • Chicken • Pulled pork • Mushrooms & capsicums V • Jalapeno V
TACOS
Filling of your choice served in flour tortilla with Mexican beans, melted cheese, tahini dressed coleslaw, salsa de molcajete and achiote cream on the side • Chicken • Pulled pork • Grilled Fish • Mushrooms V vegan* Add Jalapenos 2 | Guac 3 | GF 2
Nachos
Crunchy corn chips with Mexican beans, guacamole, pico de gallo, salsa de molcajete, achiote cream, melted cheese and queso
T-bird Toastie
Ham, melted cheese & chipotle mayo in a toasted sourdough sandwich served with tomato relish
Salads
Texas Tosser
Southern fried chicken on ranch dressed cos lettuce with parmesan cheese, pico de gallo and guacamole
Tostada
A crispy corn tortilla topped with Mexican beans, fresh salad (mesclun, coleslaw, lettuce, pico de gallo, cherry tomatoes) with achiote cream on the side
Chef's Specials
BIG BERTHA
A toasted flour tortilla stuffed with southern fried chicken, curly fries, tahini dressed coleslaw, melted cheese rolled as a burrito served with achiote cream Extra cheesy 1
Fried Chicken Tacos
Southern fried chicken served in two flour tortillas with cheese, tahini dressed coleslaw, pico de gallo and house-made Coca-Cola BBQ sauce
SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN
Tender brined chicken breasts battered southern style, served with creamy mash, tahini dressed coleslaw, house-made blackberry chutney and house-made bourbon pecan sauce.
Burgers
All sauces are House made | Mayo made with free range egg yolks
Bacon me crazy Burger
Marinated grilled chicken breast with grilled Bacon on lettuce, pickled onions, tomato with chipotle mayo and house-made Coca-Cola BBQ sauce in a toasted bun
Big Hands Burger
Fried chicken with grilled Bacon, melted cheese, jalapenos, lettuce, pickled onions, spicy aioli and chipotle mayo in a toasted bun
Heavenly Devanly Burger
Fried chicken served on tahini dressed Mexican slaw with house-made Coca-Cola BBQ & chipotle mayo
Muddy Pig Burger
Twelve hours cooked pulled pork served with tahini dressed Mexican, house-made Coca-Cola BBQ sauce topped with jalapenos in a toasted bun
Southwest Burger
Grilled halloumi, grilled mushrooms served with melted cheese on top, lettuce, tomatoes, pickled onions and chipotle mayo in a toasted bun. (Add curly fries $5 | Add Guac $3 | Add Cheese $2 | Add GF bun $3)
Thunder Burger
Herbed beef mince patty with melted cheese on lettuce, pickled onion, tomatoes and spicy aioli in a toasted bun
Sides
Jalapeno Poppers
Cheese stuffed whole poppers battered southern style served with house-made chipotle mayo
Buffalo Wings
House smoked BBQ spiced chicken wings with house-made Coca-Cola BBQ sauce
Calamari
Deep fried calamari served with house-made chipotle mayo
Chilli Con Queso
A spicy, cheesy dip served with crunchy corn Chips & house-made guacamole
CURLY FRIES
Basket of fries served with chipotle mayo
FRINGS
Basket of curly fries and onion rings served with house-made ranch and chipotle mayo, best of both worlds
Loaded Wedges
Topped with melted cheese and bacon served with sour cream and sweet chilli
Kids Drinks
FLUFFY
KIDS JUICES
Any of our homegrown juice options, served kiddie size. Apple | orange | cranberry
KIDS SHAKES
Chocolate | vanilla | caramel | lime | banana | strawberry | raspberry
SPIDER
Coke | Fanta | Sprite | L&P
Teas
Teas
English Breakfast, Green Tea, Earl Grey, Peppermint, Tokyo Lime, Vanilla Raspberry Rooibos, Chamomile, Kawakawa Fire, Ginger Quince, Berry Coulis
Others
Chai Latte
Fluffy
Hot Blackcurrant
Hot Chocolate, Chilli Hot Chocolate
Lemon Honey & Ginger
Iced Drinks
ICED COFFEE / MOCHA / CHOC
Served with Ice Cream & Cream
ICED LATTE
MILKSHAKES
Chocolate, Caramel, Lime, Vanilla, Strawberry, Raspberry, Banana, Peanut Butter, Orange, Maple. Mix in other flavours: Snickers, PB&J, Jaffa, Caravan, Banoffee, Perky Nana, name your flavour!
SPIDER
Any Coca Cola / American range Soda. Served in a tall glass with Ice Cream and ice
Non-Alcoholic
AMERICAN SODA
Dr Pepper, A & W Root Beer, Cherry Coke, Vanilla Coke
COCA COLA
Coke, Coke No Sugar ,Diet Coke, Sprite, L&P, Fanta
FRESHLY SQUEEZED JUICES BY THE GLASS
JARRITOS MEXICAN SODA
Cola, Mandarin, Lime, Guava, Mango, Pineapple
JUICE BY THE GLASS
Orange, Granny Smith Apple, Cranberry
Beer
INTERNATIONAL BEERS
Corona Extra (Mexican) (4.5%), Tiger (Singapore) (5%), Hoegaarden white (Holland) (4.9%), Heineken (Netherlands) (5%)
LOW ALCOHOL BEER
Croucher Low Rider (2.5%)
NZ BEERS IN BOTTLE
Panhead Supercharger APA (5.7%), Panhead Port Road Pilsner (5.2%), Panhead Stout Blacktop Oat (5.5%), Parrotdog Hazy IPA (5.8%), Garage Project Garagista IPA (5.8%), Magners Apple Cider (4.5%), Fortune Favours IPA (6%), Fortune Favours Pilsner (5%), Double Vision Chillex XPA (5%)
NZ CRAFT BEERS ON TAP
Kereru IPA & Kereru Pilsner
Wine
MERLOT
Rabbit Island Merlot, Nelson
PINOT NOIR
Seifried Estate Pinot noir, Nelson
ROSE
NGA Pari Rose, Wairarapa
SHIRAZ
Chalk Hill Luna Shiraz, McLaren Vale Sth Australia
SPARKLING
Ca’ Vescovo Prosecco Brut NV
Sangria
BLANCA
White wine, orange juice, rum and berries (Carafe for two)
TINTO
Red wine, orange juice, brandy and berries (Carafe for two)
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+ Log your visitHow prices compare
Against typical prices in Wellington
- Eggs benedict Typical in Wellington: $24.75 $22.00
- Hot chocolate Typical in Wellington: $6.00 $5.50
- Nachos Typical in Wellington: $20.75 $24.00
- Chai latte Typical in Wellington: $6.00 $5.20
- Pancakes Typical in Wellington: $20.00 $20.00
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