6 RCA-winning Venues for an American Hoedown

There’s something about an American diner that just screams good food…you know what we mean!

Hot dogs, burgers, low and slow-cooked meat are just some of our fave American dishes and we can’t get enough – as we continue on our delicious drive around the country discovering the plethora of Readers’ Choice Award-winning venues, here are six to appease cravings:

For a reinvented take on a classic American diner experience, head to Fat Freddy’s Beach Bar & Diner on Gold Coast Highway in Broadbeach. This architecturally designed, modern space delivers an electric atmosphere alongside live sport, bar and booth seating and a playlist of the best rock and electro music from the 70s, 80s and 90s.

 

Fat Freddy’s is a hangout for the infamous and celebrates with a ‘wall of infamy’, while a luxury gaming lounge at the rear completes a vibe focusing on fun times, food and drinks. Expect to chow down on fried chicken wings and blue cheese dressing, before devouring BBQ pork ribs with chipotle and agave BBQ sauce, housemade pickles, shoestring fries and salad.

Feast and frolic to fill your heart at Hickory on the corner of Main Street and Main Western Road in Mt Tamborine. This fun and vibrant restaurant dishes up American BBQ fare in cool and trendy surrounds created from recycled timber, neon lighting, stunning bronze sculptures and moody lighting.

 

Grab a signature Love You Longtime cocktail and sit back with a plate of cheeseburger spring rolls, served with big mac mayo; before finger-lickin’ good smoked pork ribs with housemade BBQ sauce and sides of Cajun onion rings, rosemary shoestring fries and a garden salad. Perhaps hickory-smoked brisket hits the mark with seeded mustard, BBQ corn and crushed sweet potato.

Located in the heart of Red Hill, the Mornington Peninsula’s premium foodie destination, Red Gum BBQ speaks to the country feel and atmosphere of authentic Southern BBQ. The converted warehouse space, transformed into a great BBQ hall with rustic furnishings built from reclaimed timbers and local wood offers long, bench-style seating (indoor and out) as well as a bar committed to supporting fine local wines and Victorian craft beers.

With a focus on slow-cooked, authentic Southern BBQ cuisine, meats are traditionally smoked for 12-16 hours using native Australian hardwoods in giant Texas offset steel pits and offered with traditional sides of cornbread, mac n cheese, creamy coleslaw, salads and more.

For tender, juicy meat that is falling off the bone, Newstead foodies head to Smokey Moo in Gasworks Plaza on Longland Street. This specialty smoked beef restaurant is a true family business, which began with a dream of carving meat in front of guests in an open kitchen and now boasts a large dining area ideal for every occasion.

 

Everything on the extensive menu is freshly prepared, the meat is all smoked in house and even the pastrami is cured onsite; expect entrées such as pulled beef cigars and ranch sauce, then share a Dirty Dozen platter with brisket, pastrami, short ribs and cheeks, Moo fries, topped with caramelised onion, cheese, mustard and tomato sauce and Smokey Moo jus.

Follow the aroma of Texas-style barbequed meat to find Smokin Hot ‘N Saucy Barbecue on Maitland Road in Islington. This Newcastle food truck has set up a permanent location in the laneway where brightly painted walls, an orange awning and wooden tables set the scene for chowing down on all things meat.

 

Big Tex loves loading up the smoker to cook meat for up to 12 hours with exactly the right temperature and spices to create a mouth-watering dining experience; think platters overloaded with beef, brisket, pork and chicken, with sides of beer-battered onion rings, apple slaw and potato salad, or grab a signature cheeseburger and fries. 

Sandy toes meet a glass of chilled wine at relaxed and stylish Terrigal Beach House on Pine Tree Lane. Oozing good times, this modern bar located underneath the Crowne Plaza has an impressive alfresco area to lap up the best Terrigal has to offer; catering to any dining needs from a small party to a large function, in a family-friendly daytime vibe and fun, night time party atmosphere.

 

Shake the sand off your towel and stroll into a light, bright and breezy dining space of blond wood and white tiles to ponder an enticing menu with starters of buffalo hot wings, blue cheese dressing, celery and carrots. For the main, opt for battered flathead tacos, with slaw, rocket and spicy mayo, or a beef brisket burger, with cheddar, bacon, lettuce, tomato, pickles, smoky tomato relish and mustard mayo.