Friday 19 July 2019

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
Pumpyard Bar - 4 Hearts Brewing Company Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato  


22 comments:

  1. Oh yum, everything looks amazing ☺

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    1. Hi natalia
      Yes we had a delicious lunch. And it’s a really pleasant place to sit and relax. Cheers S

      Delete
  2. The world is so small -- I would expect an experience like that in many smallish to big towns and cities in the US, UK, & Canada too (and I suspect from my one brief stay in New Zealand). A nice refurbished old building in a gentrifying neighborhood... good food with a slightly Italian touch but mostly a mainstream descendant of US bar food/UK pub food, and brew pub atmosphere. Your specific experience just sounds delightful!
    best... mae at maefood.blogspot.com

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    1. hi Mae
      yes it's happening everywhere. thank goodness some of the old buildings are surviving and thriving due to new uses. thanks for dropping by.

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  3. Now I really want calamari for breakfast!! And yes a bit more aioli for me too ;)

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  4. Replies
    1. hi david
      yes we had a fun day. It's always fun to meet up and take IG photos. thanks for stopping by. sherry

      Delete
  5. oooh all the snacky things look delicious! i'm a sucker for crispy calamari, and the eggplant sounds so tasty.

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    1. hi heather
      yes the eggplant chips were delicious. we had a fun lunch. thanks for dropping by. cheers S

      Delete
  6. I love a local brewery - we've spent the weekend exploring some of Brisbane's best. We have friends out Ipswich way so next time we're in town we'll have to check out Pumpyard. The beer and bites look delicious!

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    1. hi Sammie
      yep we all enjoyed our lunch! and it's such a great spot. cheers sherry

      Delete
  7. Sherry, your photos are making me terribly hungry! The eggplant chips and that pizza sure did grab my attention! Delicious!

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    1. you're so right kelly. that pizza was the bomb!

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  8. Oh Ipswich, I lived there long ago before there was a brewery. My babies were christened in that beautiful church! Thanks for poppi g into my blog.....funny we know about the places we each blogged about 😁

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    1. i'm always surprised and pleased to find another brisbane blogger. they seem so rare! thanks for dropping in.

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  9. Ipswich seems like an awesome little town! I love finding places like that for a good day trip. :-) That brewery sounds fantastic, and all of the meals look amazing. I have to admit that I'd be all in on the pizza though! The crispy prosciutto did it for me. Glad you had such a fun day out, Sherry!

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    1. thanks david. we had a lovely day out, and a fun meal. yep that pizza was a really good one. cheers S

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  10. Sounds like a wonderful time! And also sounds like your group (or pod, I guess I should say :-) got to sample almost the entire menu! Really fun post -- thanks.

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    Replies
    1. thanks for dropping by KR. yep it was a fun day and a good meal. cheers sherry

      Delete

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