The Cauliflower Hotel

This is a local pub serving simple food that people actually want to eat. Manager Mark Mitchell lives 137 steps away from the pub and over a punchy Bloody Mary ($8) he explains that the menu serves the varied needs of the area so ‘Chef’s not afraid of putting on a grazing plate for the fuddy duddies.‘ Perhaps revealing something about myself, I order a Grazing Plate ($12/$20) and particularly enjoy the spicy prawns with avocado dip. I also try a Pork Schnitzel ($17) with apple sauce and braised red cabbage, and a 450g grain-fed T-Bone Steak ($19) served with great steak-cut chips and a decent pepper sauce. Serves are big, and the food is certainly not a bad representation of pub bistro fare. They even do a good value Weekend Breakfast ($10). During my meal I was pleased to note the entrance of the slightly sunburnt Publican William Ryan. He’d been out training with the pub’s ‘over forties’ cricket team because, in the name of community building, he’s arranged a match against the pub’s young blokes. If there’s one thing I can guarantee about coming to The Cauliflower Hotel, it’s that you won’t be a stranger for long.

The Cauliflower Hotel
123 Botany Road, Waterloo
Ph: (02) 9698 3024
Pub Bistro $-$$