Refresh Cafe NPD is the cafe at NPD's Redwood fuel stop on Alabama Road in Redwoodtown, Blenheim, part of a 100% New Zealand-owned fuel network. It holds a 5.0 rating from one Google review, whose author reckons the chicken rivals, and often beats, KFC for taste.
Roadside cafes attached to service stations are a quiet staple of New Zealand driving, and the good ones surprise people. Expect counter service, coffee made to order, and hot food that goes well beyond the cabinet-pie minimum — the sort of place truckies and locals eat at because the cooking is honest, not just because it's handy. The tell of a good one is food cooked fresh on site and a steady stream of regulars who could easily drive somewhere else.
At 143 Alabama Road, this one gives Redwoodtown drivers and neighbours alike a reason to fill the tank and stay for lunch.