Kowhai Eatery is a cafe at 174 Main Highway in Ōtaki. It holds a Google rating of 4.7 from 50 reviews, and reviewers often mention the beef burger, the hash base and the friendly staff. Reviews are mixed on one dish, as one reviewer found the pāua pie stodgy and said it had no pāua.
A good cafe serving breakfast and lunch is judged on its basics: coffee that tastes balanced, eggs cooked as ordered, and fries that come out hot and crisp. Hash bases and burgers show how a kitchen copes with larger orders during a busy morning. Pies and scones are a useful test of the baking, since pastry should be light and fillings should taste fresh. When choosing a cafe in a town like Ōtaki, ask what is made in house that day, and go early for the best choice.
For brunch or a beef burger on Main Highway in Ōtaki, it is a cafe worth a visit.