Pub Of The Week: Tony Leonard reviews the Railway Hotel, Warragul

Railway Hotel

81 Queen Street, Warragul.
5623 1623
www.railwayhotelwarragul.com.au

When? September 2, 2022.

VENUE 

In the main drag of Warragul, across the road from the station, the Railway hotel is a real surprise packet of fine country hospitality.

Comprising four areas, the front bar greets first and the impression is immediately a typical public bar that you can easily spend a few hours watching the horses or the footy or a game of darts or pool.  (no pokies).  A smallish area to have a feed is slightly elevated to the rear.

This however is not the main eating area.  Through to the rear, up a small passage, the pub reveals a smart, warm bistro,  fireplace dominant,  polished floor boards, exposed brick, and sturdy wooden tables.  Seats around 35.

The Railway has a separate and comfortable function room, (to the side of the bistro) with a very colourful beer garden, 50/50 covered/exposed for the warmer days. (not this one however!).

The Railway’s website and facebook exudes a confidence in its offer  and this is not misplaced. It is a most effective selling/marketing tool that genuinely attracts.

Good beer – CD at $6/pot but a wider range offered – with attentive and helpful staff almost completed the package but…

In a first (at least to me after 27 years of talking pubs), the Railway has a barber shop attached to it, no doubt laying claim to Gippsland best looking pub patrons!

This is a pub that has a lot going for it.

FOOD/DRINK

The Railway offers generous, fully plated meals that easily fall into the category of.. “Pub Grub with some really nice tricks”.  Slightly higher prices for sure, but real value in its offer.

Small selection of entrees, 5 types of breads, S&P Calamari, it is the mains that see the kitchen come into its own.

12hr Lamb shoulder braised in rosemary and red wine, pea mash, glazed, carrots & peperonata, (34.90) starts the other table food envy, along with the Prawn, Scallop Linguine (32.50), that includes candied chilli and the crunch of fried breadcrumbs.

3 types of Parmas, and in keeping with my assertion that pubs want to put anything on top of the humble chicken breast, the Railways offer is the Tex-Mex Parma: Crumbed chicken breast, red pepper and jalapeno sauce, blended cheese, guacamole, lime crema, Served with chips and salad. $29.50.

Be my guest.

A touch of the CWA kicks in with desserts, the highlight being Golden Syrup Dumplings,  Anzac crumble, warm golden syrup, vanilla ice-cream & honeycomb (13.90).

Wine list, like the above mentioned dessert, follows old school makers such as Tatachilla, Tintara, Hardys, St Hallett and at $9/glass for most is very fair pricing.  Grant Burge Chardonnay was the preferred.

• Entrees – $16
• Mains – $32
• Desserts – $14

Tried was;

• Scallop and Pork Belly. $17.90. Served with carrot puree, date chutney,  rice noodles, generous cubes of belly (crunch, meat, fat in the right order) work so well with the support cast.  Fresh Scallops, roe intact, (one  red, one brownish?? hmm) were fine playmates with the Pork , good and filling start.
• Triple cooked Pork Belly. $36.50. So enjoyable was the entree, let’s double so a main arrives with potato rosti, sauerkraut, broccolini, apple sauce, port cider reduction. Everything you would want from this popular pub dish was delivered. Massive plate knocked over.
• Fish and Chips, salad, tartare. $29.50. Flathead tails, fresh, hot,  and fabulous. Fish changes daily. Extra tick as this was also offered Grilled. (Always challenge a pub if this is offered and if not why?).

SUMMARY 

Walking into the pub to be greeted with a hearty and exuberant… G’day there, Beer, Meal or both love? from a longtime hospitality worker whose basic and friendly welcome would have been often repeated over the years.

But it was something as simple as that,  which convinced me that the long drive was worth the effort.  And similarly it continues through to the rear of the pub in the bistro,  where nothing was too much trouble from the staff working the floor on a dreary, miserable, wet day.

The Railway Warragul displayed hospitality 101 in spades so no surprise really to find a good crowd in for lunch.

Typical country pub, (although the suburbs in the south east spread even further and get closer) doing all the right things, and succeeding at their trade.

And of course a haircut (literal) completes the one stop shopping!.

Score: 14.2/20