Glengala Hotel

214 Glengala Road, Sunshine
9361 1007

When? June 28, 2019.

www.glengalahotel.com.au

VENUE:

Looking a cross between a 70s display home and brownish (mainly) Lego set, the Glengala Hotel is part of the monolithic Woolworth/ALH group, doing mainly what these pubs do dotted right across the suburban landscape of straight up and down food/drink.

It is strange to a point to have such a massive pub, basically in the inner-burbs in such an anonymous location, not set on a big road but more in the outer reaches of Sunshine.

Big pokies and TAB, meal deals, UFC , sports bar in such a setting that is so spacious. Accommodation and function rooms, massive bottle shop, the pub trades 20 hours a day, 10am-6am.  That is a real commitment in a pub, and given its location could easily shave a few hours off.

All bases are covered on the food and drink side, with the ubiquitous Graziers steak headlining the menu.

There isn’t a great deal more that can be added as this offer is familiar to millions.  You have seen and sampled before.

FOOD:

Entrees tend to follow the chips/bread route, and all mains fall under $30. More fair play to the pub is the 250g rump with chips, salad and a sauce for $24, with all 3 cuts of meat heavily discounted on Tuesdays. When there, a number of specials supplement the standard menu, including Chicken, Mushroom gnocchi (20), and panko Crusted Lamb Cutlets, creamed mash, , seasonal greens (27).

Tried was;

• Hakka spring Rolls – 6 for $13. Standard spring rolls, vegetable based with cabbage dominant, arrive with a dipper. Easy enough eating,
• Half Chicken marinated in Tandoori Spices with Rice – $20. Good flavours through the chook and plenty of it as well. Salad a tad dry, but overall was fine,
• 250g Rump. $24. My only issue is, and continues to be, this steak presented being flatter than what most of us  like and that is thick cut.  Quality is not a problem, chips good, but can we have it slightly thicker.

DRINK:

The drinks run to a typical CUB list but good on them in such a large pub, that the Carlton Draught was very well presented – with the right taste – throughout the pub.  All popular brands represented here.

Massive tick to the pub for the $34 bottle of pepperjack shiraz.  This price for this popular brand doesn’t come much cheaper anywhere in a full retail setting.

SERVICE:

No problems here.  Happy to see you with plenty of staff in this cavernous area to ensure no waiting for anything.

MUSIC LEVELS: 

Stock standard MOR soundtracks going quietly in background. Noise level good; track selection. Hmmmm. 6/10.

SOMETHING DIFFERENT:

These massive Woolworth/ALH pubs tend to be located on major arterials; Glengala Rd Sunshine is not one of them. Closer to Ardeer, it seems at odds to its landscape, with enough room to comfortably house 3 games of cricket without the new ball landing in the children’s playground.

SUMMARY:

The expression “meh” is believed to have yiddish origins and as the world understands it, has a range of meanings/applications to denote indifference/unremarkable as two of them.

That descriptor is apt when applied to this pub.  It is not bad by any means but it does fall into my catch-all of ..’seen one of these big pubs, you’ve seen (most) all’.

The look, the menu, is a formula repeated throughout the suburbs. It’s OK for sure and serves a purpose, but there are more interesting options slightly closer in to town.

SCORE: 11.5/20