There’s no doubting Aussies love a good barbeque…whether in the backyard for a weekend catchup with mates, or at a restaurant specialising in flame-cooked temptations.
Did you know the history of the word barbeque goes back to the indigenous people of North and South America?
The Spanish word ‘barbacoa’ was used by the Tainos, who inhabited Hispaniola, Jamaica and Cuba, to describe the slow cooking of meat over an open flame.
Here are three of our favourite joints for a flamin’ good barbeque feast:
Bowling Green Vistas
Dine with views over the bowling green and beyond, capturing the best Mosman has to offer, at Rolly’s Bistro @ Warringah Bowls on Bradleys Head Road. Find a light-filled and stylish dining room, or dine alfresco and watch the bowling action, as you catch up with family and friends over a delicious meal and drink.
Expect an elegant and fresh menu designed to share from bar snacks of sizzling chilli and garlic prawns or Provencal mussels and crusty bread to mains such as a Texan smoked rack of ribs. Chow down on BBQ chicken wings with chips, slaw and pickles, before devouring specials such as a tomahawk steak with chips, mash, steamed vegetables and choice of sauce, best enjoyed with a glass of Shiraz.
Healthy, Hearty Food
If you are looking for healthy, hearty food in Bella Vista head down Celebration Drive to indulge taste buds at Zac’s Great Food Restaurant. An indoor-outdoor vibe makes this an ideal place to linger over a meal with family and friends, chill out in a rustic ambience of exposed brick, banquette seating and a well-stocked bar promising cheeky cocktails and more.
Stop in for a seafood tasting plate of twister prawns, prawn cutlets, calamari, Afghani fish, grilled prawns, arancini, falafel, peri peri sauce, garlic aioli, Afghan salsa, salad and lemon; then share a BBQ platter with lamb backstrap skewers, saffron chicken, lamb patties, chips, salad, flatbread and chips.
Tantalising BBQ Aromas
Immerse yourself in a family-style diner with a relaxed atmosphere at The Thirsty Beaver on Bulcock Street in Caloundra. Find an eclectic industrial-style indoors with a corrugated iron counter, beer kegs, wine barrels and memorabilia-covered walls, ideal for chilling out over a cold one and delicious grub.
On balmy days sit alfresco as tantalising aromas waft from the Red Dirt smoker, promising Texas smoked BBQ chicken, marinated in garlic, tomato, olive oil and herbs, served with slaw and fries. Perhaps low and slow-smoked beef short rib hits the mark, served with mashed potato, peas, red wine jus, charred corn and onion rings.
