We came to the Robina Tavern one Saturday night a few weeks ago as it was recommended by the friends we went there with.

I have never been here and to be honest first impressions didn’t really strike me well - blue neon lights illuminated the oddly shaped triangular building and it all looked very dated and 80’s. Inside is slightly better though the neon love affair doesn’t end - there’s a neon palm tree outside on the deck.

Anyway our table ordered 3 parmagiana’s which were aroudn $17 each. You have a choice of it coming with mash or chips, one of us ordered the chicken burger which was around $16 and someone ordered the steak and mash for around $23.

The parmagiana had plenty of cheese and sauce and the mash was honestly divine. The vegetbales however should have been cooked longer as I bit into a carrot which was still frozen on the inside. It’s a great winter meal.

The steak had good reports as did the chicken burger though with crispy turkish bread it looked rather hard to eat.

Overall it’s a good family friendly pub. As it was a cold night however there was no one keen to sit outside on the balcony and the inside dining area is very small - we almost left because we couldn’t find a table but a group were leaving just as we were about to walk out the door.

Robina Tavern
Pub/Club/Tavern/Bar

Cnr Cheltenham Drv & Ron Penhaligon Way
Robina, 4226

Phone: 07 5593 2600

The Robina Tavern - The look is a bit tired and very 80’s with all the neon

The chicken parmagiana was around $17

The chicken burger was approx $16

Inside the tavern - there is a large deck area but as it was a cold night. Everyone wanted to sit inside - try to book as there’s very limited seating inside. The neon palm tree can be seen in the background - enough with the tacky neon!

The Steak and mash meal was approx $23

Technorati Tags: robina tavern, tavern review, restaurant review, gold coast restaurants, gold coast pub, robina

We went here for lunch a couple of weekends ago.

We always seem to have dramas when we try to come here - one time it was completely booked out and another recent time the entire venue was hired out for some nipper awards. So this time we rang to make sure there would be a table free.

It’s a very popular surf club - the food is very reasonably priced, the service prompt and the views worth literally a couple of million dollars!  

We ordered a parmagiana $16.90 and an ‘ironman’ sandwich $12.90 (chicken, bacon, egg, cheese, salad, avocado and chips.) I had to give half my sandwich away as I couldn’t eat it all.  

It’s a great place to come for a casual breakfast or lunch. Carparking is a real hassle though as there are very limited spaces at the carpark out the front. We usually park a few streets down and walk.

Northcliffe Surf Life Saving Club
Pub/Club/Tavern/Bar

51 Garfield Tce (Cnr Thornton St)
Surfers Paradise, 4217
Phone: 07 5539 8091
Web: http://www.northcliffesurfclub.com.au

 The ironman sandwich

The chicken parmagiana $16.90

Inside the Northcliffe SLSC

Technorati Tags: surf club, surf lifesaving club, northcliffe surf club, pub meal, parmagiana

An article from today’s Sunday Mail laments the fact that pub meals are no longer cheap.

It seems that the days of a cheap steak, roast or parmagiana meal are gone and are instead replaced with $30 gourmet meals.

Some of my friends who rarely dine at fine dining restaurants often comment that they can’t afford a ’swish meal at a top restaurant’ because it’s too expensive yet quite often a steak meal will cost the same or have very little difference whether you’re ordering it at a pub, an American style steak chain restaurant or a fine dining restaurant. I’ve stopped going to pubs so often now becuase of this because I’d rather pay $33 at a top restaurant for an amazing steak with quiter, intimate surrounds and fine dining level service as opposed to a pub where it’s noisy and crowded with poker machines providing background music.

It’s a shame that pubs are losing touch with their target market such as students, families and people on a budget. When I lived in Melbourne it was common to see pubs displaying their daily special on a chalkboard outside such as: Steak night, roast night or pie night - all for $10 with a $2 pot of beer.

What are your thoughts? And where’s your favourite local pub to get a great cheap meal?

Technorati Tags: pubs, pub meals, restaurants, cheap restaurant meals, dining, Queensland

We went to the Oxenford Tavern last night to catch up with some friends. Apparently this used to be a bikie hangout but now this unassuming pub is more family friendly and has a kids playroom.

It’s a cosy, rustic feel pub and although it isn’t one of the biggest the food they serve up makes it one of the best. The meal prices are also very reasonable and averaged around $22. They also serve up some decent steaks and it’s nice to find a venue on the Gold Coast that has friendly smiling staff!

Our group ordered chicken parmagiana’s which were approx $17 (or is it parmigiana?), fish and chips and a vegetarian pizza which was $17.50.

Everyone was happy with their meals and the serving sizes were really huge. The parmagiana’s were chicken breast meat so they were tender with no fatty bits and the vegetarian pizza had fetta, sundried tomato and other veggies. I couldn’t get through all my pizza so I had to give a few slices away to the hungrier guys at our table.

The only gripes I had was that our table wasn’t wiped down after the previous customers had left and two of our mains came out about 10 minutes after the first two were delivered (they were ordered on seperate dockets but the couple who ordered after us received their meals first) although when we asked how long they’d be the waitress was prompt in getting straight back to us to say it was on it’s way out.

Recommended for a casual cheap dinner and it’s lovely in winter as they have a fireplace going. It’s a nice down to earth cosy pub. 

Location: 179 Old Pacific Hwy, Oxenford. Ph: (07) 5573 1224

The chicken parmagiana

The vegetarian pizza

Fish and chips

Technorati Tags: oxenford, tavern, pub, gold coast, review

The railway hotel also known as the railway friendly bar (and as the locals term it ‘the rails’).
It is positioned back from the road on Jonson street in Byron.
It’s a funky bar that is hugely popular with backpackers and we also saw lots of quirky locals (hippies) downing a few beers and watching the live entertainment that was on. Apparently they have live music every night of the year which is awesome - finally a pub that has music instead of pokie machines! Although to be fair I didn’t see any pokie machines in the whole of Byron.
We only went for a few beers and I didn’t see anyone eating but apparently they do good burgers and the food is meant to be fairly cheap. I will definately come back here again if I’m staying overnight in Byron. I think the beach hotel is great for lunch but this place goes off at night.

Location: Byron Bay Railway Station Jonson St Byron Bay. Ph: (02) 6685 7662

The outside of the Railway Hotel (also known as the railway friendly bar and the rails by locals)

Inside the bar - fishing reels and rods hang off the roof and the shelves are cluttered with bottles

Being a popular backpacker hang out - currency notes from all over the world are pinned to the shelves

The band playing was fantastic and the volume was perfect - you could still have a conversation.

If you want to post a review on this pub then click here.

Technorati Tags: railway hotel, the rails, railway friendly bar, byron bay, pub

We were lucky enough to have had yet another weekend away (this time to catch up with my sister who was up from Sydney for her b’day) so after we arrived we all headed down to one of Byron’s icons - the Beach Hotel.
This pub is located right opposite the main beach in the heart of Byron and it is popular for casual lunches, to soak up the sun with a beer at one of the outside tables and to catch some live entertainment. Because it was raining on and off we sat inside (the inside of the pub is huge). They give you a table buzzer to know when to go up and collect your meals and even though the pub was really packed inside all of our meals were ready within about 20 minutes. Mains ranged from $13 - $21 and all were decent sized meals. Nothing flash but they were good value pub meals.

Location: Jonson St Byron Bay. Ph: (02) 6685 6402

The Beach Hotel in Byron Bay - the weather was a bit on and off

The menu and table buzzer for the brasserie at the Beach Hotel

Bangers and mash with buttery peas and gravy

Crumbed fish and chips with aioli

Tuna burger and chips

Portuguese style piri piri half chicken and chips

If you’ve been here and want to write a review then just click here!

Technorati Tags: byron bay, beach hotel, nsw, new south wales, pub, pub food, restaurant review

I was at the Dog and Parrot tavern in Robina the other night catching up with a friend after work when I thought I’d stumbled into a strip club.
The sports bar area had a girl in a bikini walking around tables serving beers. Seriously, this could only happen on the Gold Coast (and also perhaps Darwin.)
Maybe this new marketing ploy is to try to maintain their loyal tradie clientele now that Hooters has opened on the Gold Coast. The girl had the classy look of blond hair with brown underneath. I thought she was particularly appealing when she picked out a wedgie while handing out a beer….noice. Why not have a crew of beer wench’s - at least you wouldn’t have to queue to get a beer!
Why are so many pubs on the Gold Coast going so downmarket. It seems most of the nightclubs, taverns, pubs have a bikini girl, lovely legs, miss blah award and only cater for sports fans with TV’s or gamblers with pokie machines.
What about catering to customers who have a little class or better yet catering to female pub-goers (yes we do drink beer) with a comedy night, live music that serves to add atmosphere - not blast out or even dedicate a night for book clubs or poetry reading nights like they do in the cities.

Technorati Tags: gold coast pubs, taverns, dog and parrot, hooters