Well , we waited till this place had done lunch services for some time before going , and whilst the decor & building are pretty good , we were here... read more for the food.
We had read many of the reviews , so figured it was worth the trip from our home , about 35 minutes away.
Service was pretty good , menu's & water quickly supplied , no specials on offer , drinks orders taken , then food orders.
We ordered the "House Smoked Pork Belly" & the "Mooloolaba Prawn Salad" , with sides of "Fat Boy Chips" & "Onion Rings".
There was only one other table occupied when we arrived , dead on midday , there was also an Alsco service rep there , talking to one of the staff members.
Our meals arrived after about 10-15 minutes , the other table served prior to us.
Serve sizes are quite good , I had the Salad and my wife had the Pork Belly , a reasonable size , with saffron Fondant potato's & crackling on the side . Our sides arrived about 2 minutes later , in the now usual wire baskets & with some mayo/aioli.
My wife tried cutting into the Belly , and I watched her struggle through the initial cut , but the meat looked ok. She gave up trying to eat the plainly tough meat about 1/4 the way through and handed it over to me , in exchange for my Prawn salad.
I also struggled to cut though much of the meat , as it was tough and fibrous. Esp the lower side , which would have taken the most heat from the smoker , it was leatherlike.
As a retired chef , I was disappointed the dish , which should have been awesome , was so poor. The meat should have been softer and the fat layers better rendered. The Crackling was inedible , a true tooth breaker , looked like it was under the salamander to too long.
The Fondant Saffron Potatoes were also disappointing , a distinct lack of Saffron flavour , in spite of the bright yellow colour.
On the other hand, the Prawn Salad was excellent , our only critique was the small amount of Coconut shaving in it , otherwise an excellent dish.
The 2 sides were also excellent , good product , well cooked & presented.
So , drink service and FOH was good , the overall lunch only marred by the Pork dish , otherwise pretty good for Cooroy.
Will we go back , probably yes , always like to give any place another try before closing the door.
