South Side Diner - Review

My sister and nephew (hereinafter referred to as Blondie, and the Brillo Pad) were up from the Gold Coast recently to take me out for a belated birthday treat.  She had bought tickets for a ride on The Wheel, even though she is scared of heights (as am I). But bravely we took our seats in the only-slightly swaying cabin; she kept saying "see how well I'm doing?" in a panicked voice and with her eyes closed.  It was great for me, 'cos if she screamed, it meant I didn't have to:) 

From up high, we could see the containers for the tv restaurant, and decided to check it out for lunch, not realising it wasn't open on Tuesdays.  We ambled back along Grey Street, and came upon South Side Diner, looking all cool and retro and '50s.  By that time, the sky had darkened and it was starting to rain. The waiters rushed to light the gas heaters for the hardy souls eating outside, but we headed inside to the booth seats. These were incredibly long and took us about an hour to slide in and out of :).  (I bet they get rowdy groups of teenagers filling up the booths on Friday nights.)

great wall panels! 

By this time, the Brillo Pad was starving (he is very lanky and burns up calories fast) so we dove into the menu post haste.  He and I both chose the Snickers shake, while Blondie chose a Pepsi.  

Snickers shake $8

This was delicious, peanutty and chocolatey.  We both scoffed it down.  And happily for us, they have $5.00 shakes on Tuesdays.   You can also get the regular shake flavours like strawberry, vanilla and caramel. Or splash in some liqueur for $8.00.  Blondie had a Pepsi so I didn't bother to take a photo:).

Blondie regretting her mistake in not choosing a shake :)  

There are a lot of choices on the menu; sis went with the ceasar (sic) salad, while I decided on fried duck, and nephew had the Texas Longhorn, with a side of onion rings and aioli.  

Blondie is a vegetarian so no meat for her)  $16.50 

crispy fried duck $26.50  

Blondie loves iceberg and cos lettuce so in that regard this was a winner for her. The croutons were a bit sad (as is usual with most cafes/ restaurants, these most likely came out of a box).   I wouldn't normally choose fried duck, but this was very tasty.  The coating was spicy and interesting, and the duck well cooked.  The waffle that came with it was quite soggy, and I am not sure it was necessary to the dish.  And the pumpkin puree, and candied apple and shallots were a wee bit sweet for me.  I enjoyed my duck given that this is diner food, so you have to expect it to be fried and sweet!  

Texas Longhorn $16.50; onion rings and aioli $4.50  

Ah, the ubiquitous wooden board used as a plate - eek!  (One of my pet hates).  The Longhorn is a wagyu beef patty with caramelised onions, chutney, cheese and aioli. The Brillo Pad wolfed it down.  I am guessing the burger and fries were tasty, but as they disappeared so fast and the Brillo Pad had his mouth full, I didn't really get a chance to ask him how it was.  
  

I did actually take a photo of the Pepsi:) $4     

This diner covers a lot of culinary territory: you can get burgers, steak, pancakes, pies, sides like mac 'n' cheese, and buffalo wings. The list goes on.  They do takeaways and functions; they have a kids' menu; they have hearty dishes after 5pm, including beef cheeks, seared tuna, and steak.  A bit of all things to all people!

specials every day of the week  

a peephole into the kitchen with interesting pendant lamps

a glorious day in ol' Brisbane town     

the dinosaur exhibition at the Museum     

By the time we had eaten, the rain had stopped and the sun came out again.  We went for a walk up to the Museum, to check out the dinosaurs.  Doesn't every kid big or small love a dinosaur?:)  

The verdict?: a not too expensive place to hangout, with tasty and filling food in a retro atmosphere.