Macarthur Tavern, Macarthur

foovler (63)in #food • 8 years ago

In the corner of Gilchrist Dr and Kellicar Rd is just a pub. So that's what I thought, it is just a pub.

Been passing by this place on my way to shop, never caring much about it. One day, we decided to stop by for a quick dinner after shopping.

That quick dinner turned into 3 hours of eating and enjoying a chilled, relaxing night.

It was a Thursday night, right after our shopping session in MacArthur Square.

Having been to most of the restaurants in MacArthur, I thought of going to some place new. So I suggested this Macarthur Tavern and made our way.

There aren't much parking spaces near the entrance but there is a separate underground car park so I assume there are more spaces down there.

We did a few laps, passing the entrance door a few times. The security guard must've been laughing at us. Luckily someone had enough, decided to go home and we took his car park.

As we entered the Tavern, we were greeted by a security guard with a smile on his face and a door man, who kindly opened the door for us.

AMBIANCE

When I walk into a pub I expect it to be rowdy, full of people yelling how the other team is full of it. That was not the case here.

First thing you will see is a food truck inside the veranda serving burgers.

As you walk a little further, an open kitchen where you can see chefs cooking, empty pans on heat waiting for the next batch of orders, a guy kneading dough and behind him is a huge clay oven.

In front of them is a counter to order your food. Once you order, they will give you a buzzer and once it buzzes, your order is ready to be picked up. Come back to the counter to give back the buzzer and grab your order.

Opposite is a bar where you order drinks. Walking in further reveals lounges and huge LED's to watch sports.

Outside is a huge veranda where you can see a bit of the outside but it's nothing worth looking at.

If you like looking at cars driving by a busy street, then you should definitely sit outside.

They spared no expense in providing customers comfort. Great comfy lounges, and almost every table has 4 overhanging heaters.

You will surely be warm in a cold winter's night. We had to take off our jumpers because the heaters worked exceptionally well.

People seem to be dressed smart casual here. Not your typical pub dress code. Some even come in looking like they are going clubbing.

It's a great place to have a few drinks with friends, family or take a date. It's a pub with a classy vibe.

STAFF

Some of the staff were actually just walking around or talking to each other. It wasn't particularly busy so I guess they had nothing better to do.

They were polite and cleared our table when needed. Quite attentive of them. I would really like to see them when the restaurant is full and busy.

FOOD

CHICKEN AVOCADO PIZZA

We ordered the Chicken Avocado Pizza, cost $19. The pizza is quite generous in size and toppings. There was a lot of chicken and avocado on top.

The base was freshly made and baked in that big clay oven. I knew I should have taken a photo of it. I'm so shy sometimes.

The toppings also included semi dried tomatoes, rockets and aioli. This pizza tasted so fresh with those fresh rockets on top, balanced by the creamy aioli. It was made with love.

SURF AND TURF

This surf and turf was quite cheap for the quality of the meat and how it was cooked. Today was a $15 surf and turf day. That meat was cooked to medium perfection.

The meat was tender and seasoned well. The prawns were delicate. Most of the chips weren't soggy, but the ones under the steak, were. Understandable because of the juices and sauce.

It looked like there wasn't much sauce on the plate at all, but when you dig in, it's not dry at all. The amount of sauce was perfectly enough, I wasn't left needing more.

Garden salad made things fresh but the sauce was something else. I don't know what kind of sauce it was because they don't say.

They call it the house sauce. It's a secret. It was tangy, mildly sweet, balance well thought out sauce.

SALMON AVOCADO PASTA

The pasta that we ordered which cost $28. Most expensive dish that we ate and it was the least of our favorite. In fact, avoid this one. It's just too rich.

Avocado, the salmon and the sauce was just too much. There was no break from the creaminess and fattiness, it was just full on. We added a bit of tomato to cut through the fat and also some pepper, lots of pepper.

RECOMMENDATIONS

These are my top recommendations for you to try when you are here. The freshly baked pizza and the perfectly balanced surf and turf on a Thursday because it's only $15. Pub food at it's best.

Avoid the pasta, it's just so sickeningly fatty.