Pub-club continues to take us to every vaguely veg-friendly pub in Melbourne. This time up was the long-neglected Retreat Hotel on Sydney Road, to test drive their newly instigated Mariachi Monday Mexican Menu extravaganza. Extravaganza is probably overstating things since the special Mexican menu is pretty short: tacos, nachos, quesadillas and a few other bits and pieces. Still, we were there for Mexican so we didn't even check out the regular pub menu options. The pub itself is sprawling - there's plenty of space, with a couple of big indoor areas, a few front booths and a great beer garden. We pulled up a booth and got stuck into our free chips and dip (a bonus for anyone ordering Mexican).
I couldn't resist the quesadilla (black bean, tomato and cheese, with whipped goats cheese and avocado, $16). The filling was a rich mix of mushrooms, beans and rice, encased in a crisply fried tortilla and smeared with generous dollops of guacamole and whipped cheese on top. I'd have enjoyed some hot sauce to go along with it, but that's a trivial complaint about what was a surprisingly good Mexican meal from a pub kitchen.In the end Cindy's mushroom and bean tacos (3 for $12) were a fairly similar proposition - the same bean and mushroom filling as my quesadilla, with a blob each of guacamole, salsa and sour cream inside.
Given the quality of the food they turned out for us, The Retreat's non-Mexican menu is one we'll be swinging by to explore in the not too distant future. It's got a friendly, grungy vibe, is nice and spacious and has plenty of good beer on tap. It's not quite in the top tier of veg-friendly Melbourne pubs, but it's still a worthy addition to our ever-expanding list.____________
There's surprisingly little buzz about the Retreat in the blogosphere, an old positive review from Veggie Friendly and a more recent offering from Bar Amigo.
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Retreat Hotel
280 Sydney Rd, Brunswick (cnr Glenlyon)
9380 4090
Mexican meals $12-$16
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