THE search for Ipswich’s Best Steak has taken an unexpected detour, with readers sending Roamin’ Rowan about 40 minutes beyond the city border in pursuit of a country pub feed they insist is worth the drive.
When we asked readers where to find the region’s best steak, plenty of familiar Ipswich names entered the conversation, including United Sports Club, Walloon Hotel and Bakehouse Steakhouse.
But one venue kept appearing despite one fairly obvious problem – it was not actually in Ipswich.
There were simply too many votes for Boonah Tavern to ignore.
So, in the spirit of Roamin’ Rowan, we decided the boundaries could be stretched for one week, and hit the road to see what all the fuss was about.
And perhaps there is something about heading into the country that makes a good steak taste even better.
Whether it is the country-pub atmosphere, the generous portions or simply the expectation of a quality piece of beef cooked properly, there is something about a steak outside the city that seems to add another layer of flavour, juiciness and quality to the experience.
Boonah Tavern certainly takes its steak seriously.
Rather than being an occasional special, the Aussie pub classic takes centre stage three days a week, with a different cut or style giving steak lovers plenty of reasons to make the trip.
Monday nights kick things off with the Tavern’s house-made crumbed steak, served from 5-8pm for $22 – an old-school pub favourite that is becoming increasingly difficult to find, particularly at that price.
Tuesday keeps the grill firing with Steak Night, where $22 gets you a 250g rump served with chips, salad and gravy.
Then Sunday brings out the heavyweight.
From 11am to 3pm, the Tavern serves up a $28 T-bone, with diners able to take things another step with a creamy garlic topper for an extra $5.
Boonah might sit outside Ipswich, but when enough readers tell us a country steak is worth crossing the city limits for, there is really only one thing to do.
