Visit Joe’s Garage Wigram for a café, coffee shop, breakfast, and burgers near you. A local restaurant in New Zealand for casual dining and great food.
Joe's Wigram sits at 98 The Runway, right in the heart of Wigram Skies, Christchurch — a friendly neighbourhood eatery that opens its doors at 7am and keeps the kitchen going until 8.30pm, every day of the week. It's part of the wider Joe's Garage cafe family, but this branch is firmly a local: the kind of place where the playlists matter, the service gets named in reviews, and the dog is welcome to settle under the table.
Mornings at Joe's Wigram start with coffee. The baristas take their craft seriously, and from 7am they're already pulling shots for early risers grabbing a coffee on the way to work or settling in for a slow breakfast. Locals describe the vibe as having a "fantastic casual atmosphere" — this is a spot designed for lingering, not just grabbing and going.
The food menu runs all day and covers a lot of ground. The Brekkie list is where Joe's characters live: Gorgeous George® stacks smashed spuds, streaky bacon and two free range eggs under Joe's-made hollandaise; Teddy Best® pairs grilled chicken with caramelised onions and seeded mustard aioli; Clever Trevor is classic mince on toast topped with a free range egg and parmesan; Little Queenie brings grilled halloumi over house-made beans; and the Jose Burrito® wraps bacon or mushrooms, scrambled egg, beans and caramelised onions into a flour tortilla. The Local is the full works — bacon, two eggs, mushrooms, slow roast tomato, smashed spuds and a choice of spicy bratwurst or pork Cumberland sausage.
Ask around and one name comes up again and again: the Autobahn®. "Try the Autobahn," regular Becky Howie advises — and it's easy to see why. A crumbed schnitzel, beef or chicken, arrives with your choice of Joe's chips, creamy mash or slaw, plus a pick of mushroom sauce, garlic butter or gravy. Simple, generous fare done well.
Elsewhere on the Faves list: Steak, Egg & Chips with a 200g beef rump and crispy fried egg; Ham Steak, Egg & Chips; and a proper Fish & Chips using lightly battered East Rock market fish with Joe's-made tartare and slaw. Burgers run from the JFC Burger — fried chicken brined overnight in buttermilk, with slaw, pickles and Sriracha mayo — to the Deer Joe, a premium NZ venison patty with streaky bacon and beetroot relish, plus a pumpkin, pea and lentil Vege Burger. Hand-held rolls cover the Sweetie (bacon and egg), the Jo'Boy (spice-dusted shrimp with cocktail sauce) and the Brat (spicy bratwurst with melted cheese).
Lighter appetites are covered by salads from the classic Joe's Caesar to the Thai Beef Salad and Cobb-style Handsome Bob. Share plates — Pork Belly Candy with its hot honey butter glaze, Chicken Wings X SpicyBoys, Popcorn Shrimp, Overloaded Fries and the famous Joe's Chips with gravy — are built for the middle of the table. Save room for sweets too: an Affogato made with Joe's blend espresso, the Cow Lane hot fudge sundae, Sticky Date Pudding and a New York Baked Cheesecake.
Joe's Wigram is proudly dog friendly, so four-legged friends are welcomed with open arms. Families are well catered for with a dedicated kids menu spanning pikelets, Egg on Toast, the Lola Burger, Joe's-made chicken nuggies and Lulu's Teddy Mac'n'Cheese — a winner of Joe's own kids' competition — plus a Magic Carpet ice cream to finish. Vegan diners get their own section, including granola with coconut yoghurt, a plant-based Little Queenie and a Vegan Burrito, and whether you're gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian or vegan, the team is always happy to customise a dish.
Planning something bigger? Joe's Wigram has spaces for everything from small dinners to big celebrations: The Hanger seats 16 (20 standing), The Bar seats 30 (55 standing), and the full restaurant takes 90 seated or 135 standing. Enquiries can be made through the contact form on the branch page.
Loyalty is handled through the Regular Joe app: download it on iPhone or Android, scan every time you spend, and bank points for rewards and exclusive deals. You can also order online or book a table directly through the Joe's website.
As one happy diner put it after a night at Joe's Garage Wigram: "The food was absolutely delicious and the service just outstanding." Open Monday to Sunday from 7am to 8.30pm at 98 The Runway, with walk-ins always welcome — though bookings are recommended for busy times and larger groups.