Casey Jones Pub restaurant review: A casual supper worth singing for

Casey Jones has style. Red bricks, dark woods, cosy booths, plenty of greenery, it's firmly in the "gastropub" category. Set over two levels, downstairs is primarily for dining; upstairs, where the bar is, there are more tables, some high tables with stools. It's a good fit out.

We're in early and there are still some people perched at those bar stools, still in their work clothes, one last pint before they head home. A couple of young families are catching an early dinner downstairs, and more patrons come in as the night progresses. There are even a couple of hearty groups outside, these tables would be super come summer.

And there's live music. That's one thing I've missed during the year that's been. It's great that venues are once again providing opportunities for musicians to ply their trade. Tonight there's a guy on a guitar, he's good. Middle of the road, plenty of songs we recognise. It feels like a proper pub.

And the menu reflects that. There are the standards: burgers, pizzas, pasta. Some of them with a twist. The mushroom duxelle burger looks good; the CJ Special pizza is made for meat lovers with salami, pork sausage, chicken and smoked bacon; a chilli garlic prawn pasta.

We start with a plate of Jacky's Shantung pork bites ($18). They're delicious. Generous chunks of pork belly, crispy on the outside, melting inside. The glaze has a kick, but is sweet and garlicky. Be careful of those thin little guindilla peppers on top. And it's all neatly offset by some steamed Asian greens.

I know in this pub quest I'm meant to be looking for something different but tonight I can't help myself. I want a steak. Us reviewers are occasionally like that. The Angus reserve sirloin ($36), served with chips and salad, a side of gravy, is a great choice. The meal literally fills the plate but I'm hungry and I think I can do it. The steak is perfectly cooked to medium rare, it's tasty and there's some good caramelisation on top from the grill plate.

The chips are excellent. Perhaps we should make this quest the perfect chip quest? They are thick cut, crispy and fluffy at the same time. The salad is a standard pub salad, tomatoes, lettuce, cucumber, some finely sliced red onion, a decent dressing.

I ask for a surf and turf upgrade ($7) on the side. I always went for this option when we were kids. It made me feel so exotic and grown-up. This one is a delicious pot of buttery hollandaise with three meaty prawns; I eat the prawns with the steak and dip all my chips in the hollandaise. So not grown-up.

My companion goes for a chicken schnitty ($24.50). It too is a good size, a tender breast with a crunchy coarse crumb. Some schnitzels, particularly if the breast is used, can be overcooked, trading off the chicken for the golden crumb. But this one is done well. It's served with coleslaw, which kind of misses the mark, it's a little dry, what dressing there is, is too sharp.

Surprisingly, this comes with shoe-string fries, not many places do two styles of chips, and these too are well done.

READ MORE:

Being a pub, there's a good selection behind the bar, plenty of beer on tap including a couple of Capital Brewing Co offerings. There are a few fun cocktails, I'm sure the salted caramel espresso martini ($19) is popular. A good choice of wines too, by the glass and bottle. There's a few local wines, from Nick O'Leary, Brindabella Hills, and a bottle of Clonakilla O'Riada shiraz. And did I mention there's Squealing Pig rose on tap? I'm not sure what the experts say about wine on tap. I like the idea.

Our guy on the guitar is wrapping up but we'd like to slip in a quick dessert. There's an ice-cream sandwich on the special's menu. It's disappointing. The biscuits are hard, the ice-cream a little icy. You should be able to pick up a good ice-cream sandwich and bite through it, like a sandwich, but we struggle to get through this one even with a knife and fork.

Just when we think the night is wrapping up, another musician takes over the stage. The staff, who have been pleasant and efficient all night, tell us Tuesday night is Sing for Your Supper night. Every Tuesday night, musicians can head out to Casey Jones, perform for a while and get a meal. What a cool idea.

Except this guy, with all due respect, starts to rock a few churchie numbers. Nothing like a few hymns to get you in the mood for a few beers. Up next is a woman with a piano accordion, we can see her lurking. Might be time to go.

But we've had such a fun night, a good meal, discovered a new pub, we joke on the way back to the car that we might have to brush up on some disco numbers to come back another Tuesday night and sing for our supper.

Address: 15 Kingsland St, Casey

Phone: 625389061

Website: caseyjones.pub

Hours: Seven days, 11am til late, kitchen open 11am-9pm

Chef: Minho Choi

Noise: It's a pub, there's a vibe

Vegetarian: Plenty of options

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: