Pumpyard Bar Ipswich - Review

Okay, I'm going to tell you a secret.  I am a member of a secret Instagram pod.  Oh yes indeedy.  So keep it to yourselves, my friends:-)  We got together recently for a Winter instameet, (dragging husbands along with us), to have a nice lunch, and to take some IG photos. 

We went to historical Ipswich, home to many fabulous old buildings, an art gallery and some trendy cafés.  Oh, and did I mention the local brewery, the first to open there in over a hundred years?  We did a wander along the river, taking some interesting photos, but lunch was calling our names.  So we headed to the Pumpyard Bar at 4 Hearts Brewery where they brew beers made without chemicals, and also create small seasonal batches.  (Nope, I'm not being paid to mention them, you sillies.)  

looking into the Bar - Dr. Who and the Daleks much?

We sat outside in the winter sunshine, after asking a staff member if they could turn down the music (a bit loud for Mr P. and me).  They were happy to oblige, and were helpful and pleasant all round.  We sat and perused the menu eagerly.  They have burgers and pizza, and the usual pub suspects like chicken, a seafood basket, and a couple of salads.  And delicious eggplant chips!  If only we'd had room for the sweet potato fries too...    

ginger beer $4 and sparkling piccolo $10

Yep, Mr P. had his usual - ginger beer, while I had the Dunes and Green sparkling piccolo.  Mine was a zesty little number, while the ginger beer was its usual gingery self.

a beer and a lemonade?

Sorry, not sure what the other pod people drank.  Yep, remiss of me I know.

eggplant chips with tomato relish $12

         
These were ever so crunchy on the outside, and tender on the inside.  The coating was a wee bit salty for me, but the relish was a spicy and delicious winner.  The pod people were very happy with these little numbers.  Our pod leader chose a pizza, while her mum had brisket sliders.  Mr P. went for a polenta stack; I had calamari while hubby no. 2 chose a pumpyard burger.  And yes, there were beer-battered chips, which were freshly made and delicious.   

Italian pizza with pancetta $20

  
This was a tasty pizza with a thin and crispy base (yay, my fave kind).  So there was pancetta, and fresh basil and black olives, salami and mozzarella - all the good things.  It was a wee bit too salty for my tastes, but all up, this was a delicious pizza.  Ah, come on, I only ate one piece:-) 

7 spice calamari with lemon and aioli $16 

I enjoyed the calamari; it was delightfully spicy and not at all greasy.  A bit more aioli would have been nice, but I managed.  It was tender, it was tasty; I liked it.  And I had it all to myself:-)  Can I help it if some people just don't eat fishy things? (sniff).  

brisket sliders $16

The pod leader's mum chose the sliders, but they defeated her, and she only ate two of them.  She enjoyed them both though; the slow-cooked brisket with slaw and BBQ sauce was flavourful and tender.  And terrific value, too!

Pumpyard burger $20

The burger came with onion, Swiss cheese, pickles, tomato, beetroot and bacon, tomato relish and beer-battered chips.  This was a hefty sort of a burger, and thankfully not on brioche or any of those fancy buns!  Hubby No. 2 hoovered this down.     

polenta stack $26

Mr P. always loves a vego option, so he went for this dish.  It included mushroom, eggplant, capsicum, red onion and a napoli sauce.  He loved the large pieces of polenta, with their crispy outside and tender interior.  The tasty yellow capsicum and red onion added flavour and texture to the dish.  I found the flavour of the polenta a bit odd for my tastes, but Mr P. was happy with his choice.  It's gluten free too for all those coeliacs out there.

the outside wall of the Bar

The brewery and bar is located inside a beautiful old building which has been refurbished in recent times.  Part of a precinct originally built as a College, the buildings had been left to run down over the years, but were restored and rescued, and now house the brewery, bar, a restaurant, an ice cream shop and function space.  

heading down to the Bar

We finished our meals, and wandered off to take some more photos of this photogenic town.  Well worth a drive out from Brisbane to indulge in some tasty food (and ice cream!), and to check out the historical buildings (and antique shops!).  

beautiful local church dating from 1849

looking to the pedestrian bridge over the Bremer River  

This meal was paid for by us, the pod people:-) 



Open Wed- Sun

88 Limestone St.,
Ipswich QLD 4305
Ph: 07 3282 9076