Pub: Orrong Hotel
Where: 709 High St., Armadale
Phone: 9509 3242
Date: 26 February 2010
Score: 12.8/20
Internet: N/a

Physician, Heal Thyself – Luke 4:23

And so, with one of the Bible’s better known proverbs, I commence this week’s review.

The Orrong was not my port of call this week. I last visited 3 years ago, and the pub, run along traditional lines was beautifully handled by the wonderful mother and daughter Irene and Lisa. What you saw, was what you got.

No, it was to be ET’s, still in High St., but just up from Chapel in Prahran.  At least a decade since I last visited, I know the pub has had a nice make over and is quite popular, whilst retaining a traditional offer.

But I didn’t get there and it is my fault, given my gratuitous advice to all publicans in my welcome to 2010, I wrote;

“... I have added new criteria – Internet. I plead to all pubs to do a search on your pub, and get rid of the out of date, totally useless information that clogs up the ether and does your business no favours. If you don't know how to, get a staff member to do it. Simply you are costing yourself business”. 

I check Et’s website – no mention of opening and closing but it looks up to date. I then check a 3rd party website for opening hours and it says 12-12, 7 days a week.

No, that has changed and it is a 3pm opener early in the week. Moral of story: RING UP.

So it was off to visit an old mate, The Orrong. Nothing had changed on entering, not a thing. Depending on your point of view, that is feast or famine.

The old charm is there, the beer was as good as anywhere in Melbourne and the girls run it in an efficient, friendly manner.

The dining room still has the wooden panels, heavy carpet, very 70’s look and feel and to an extent the menu reflects that. There is a fabulous clubby, secluded area for a game of pool.

Bar meals cover all bases, with the steak weighing in around $16 in the bar, but you will get a fully plated meal in there for $13-14. In the restaurant, the prices are higher for the same quality.

Tried was;

-  Fillets of flathead (good) with chips (soggy) and a freshly tossed salad (excellent) - $23

-  300g Porterhouse, $31, meat was not bad, with vegetables, including 6 potatoes (roasted and reheated) which were too many in number and lacking a crispness

-  Ross Estate Riesling - $29 – Good drop, pricing was fine.

A tick as always was bread rolls on the table and water brought to you on request.

It was what I expected. But I am going to take the rose coloured glasses off – the pub needs an overhaul, {but not new publicans}.

The cream facade, with the “Dartmouth Bistro” is tired, the insides need a spruce up and as quaint as the 70’s bistro look is, it is outdated. The pub doesn’t have its own web address.

I also think that the menu, again with its satisfactory offering, could either come down a dollar or two, or be ramped up – pizzas are popular in pubs, why not a machine banging something out here???.

One of life’s great axioms is.....”Everyone’s a genius with somebody else’s money”. Sorry again for the gratuitous advice.

This is a pub, great location, great feel etc., but sooner rather than later needs to come into the new millennium; otherwise it will be left behind.

Tony's Pub Of The Week 2010

Tony Leonard is back again this year providing readers with reviews from all the pubs he visits on the Neil Mitchell program every Friday after 11:30am. Your home for all of the reviews - 3AW.com.au/pub2010. View all the reviews by clicking on Tony's image on the right.