Coopers Alehouse Wallaroo — Restaurant in Wallaroo

Update I decided to revisit the Coopers Alehouse and this time i took a group of people of various ages to assess a more. . Wider range of their new menu. What a pleasant surprise. Table overlooking the water, gorgeous day and a pina colada to die for in hand. Drinks all round and we were ready to order. We started with an array of starters, garlic bread, cheesy garlic bread, soft shell crab sliders, halumi fries, aracini balls and more see the pictures and the presentation was just divine. 🥲

A steak was ordered and cooked to perfection, battered fish and chips and the best seafood platter ive had in SA yet! It was the talk of the neighboring tables! The scollops were tasty and my fave seafood hands down, oysters kilpatric and natural were lovely 😍 skewerd prawns were very tasty and flavoursome 😋 The calamari was plentiful and super tender, 2 large crumbed fish and a big piece of skewerd atlantic salmon that was delish ❤️ and the morten bay bugs were juicy and mouth watering, chips were served in a bowl and the salad also which both were of a huge portion size and very nice . . infact the platter is such great value and would feed 3 to 4 people or 2 very, very hungry seafood loving people. Could not fault the platter at all. . and the company i brought all gave 5 star ratings on their meal orders. 👌 The service was fast, the staff were friendly Mike was a gem and the new menu is absolutly worth checking out. Thanks to everyone on the day it really was very very good, well presented food served fast and . .

Never have i had such an amazing pina colada! 100 🌟 (sorry no picture of it, i couldnt wait to try it!) 😜

Initial visit We went for dinner as we were staying next door. We went and checked out the menu earlier so we could time our dinner with fishing plans. Ordered the share seafood platter $110 The fish was delightful, calamari was nice, the scallops were sooo nice, the natural oysters were good, the Kilpatrick were disappointing, the morten bay bugs were terribly overcooked, the prawns were mushy hard to peel and would be better served de shelled, the chips had gone soggy and the salad . . Gross. . Tomatoes were horrible and best served fresh cut or not at all, cucumber was not much better. I cant see the point having a go and not offering advice. Perhaps a nice potato salad instead of chips (saves the soggy) lettuce leaf with coleslaw in the middle. . Cant get that wrong It was not...

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It’s a fitting centrepiece, and it houses one of the most parochial drinks lists in the city. The 20 beer taps are all dedicated to local brews, while the wines and the majority of the spirits are also drawn from across South Australia.

I’m surprised to see there’s even an agave spirit made at Mount Compass. Looking over the list gives me plenty of time to admire the original jarrah floorboards and checkerboard tiles before I settle on Prancing Pony’s locally brewed version of the Purity session IPA. Light and zingy with more than a hint of grapefruit it temporarily transports me to the Hills in summer as I head to a plush green booth for two with a mustard stripe.

Sia Duff Despite the opulent furnishings, my eyes are continually drawn against my will to the incongruous tv screens against the back wall. The fans watching the footy there have an enviable selection of local craft beer, but the juxtaposition undercuts the grandeur of the venue somewhat.

The menu is more cohesive, marrying pub classics with a gourmet flourish and a few more speculative dishes, so there really is something for everyone.

Fittingly, for a restaurant near what was once the terminus for trains from all over the state, it reads like a paean to South Australian produce. Port Lincoln sardines, Kangaroo Island garlic, Limestone Coast beef and Riverland lemon are all namechecked on the roll call of regions.

Eyre Peninsula seafood is particularly well represented, and on a cold night I can’t go past the Kinkawooka mussels.

As soon as I take the lid off the pot I’m engulfed in a cloud of garlic-scented steam that tells me I made the right decision. The rich, creamy white wine sauce has some celery and onion, parsley for freshness and a hint of ocean jus from the plump bivalves. It’s perfect, and the toasted Turkish bread alongside it is put to good use soaking...

Great location, especially if staying in Wallaroo but that's where it ends really for positives.

They don't seem to think they need to try very hard, and customers walking through the door is a given! Service without much of a smile is guaranteed. Food average. Prices are fairly good. They don't seem to like honest feedback as they appear to have disabled reviews on Facebook!!

First night we ordered a schnitty which was ok, and the 250g rump which was very average. However the worst thing was the speed, not slow like a lot of the reviews but FAST... VERY VERY FAST. We hadn't even taken a sip of drink and they had arrived. Either the chef is psychic and had already known what we wanted before we walked in, or they have a way of reheating and churning it out which probably explains the quality. It actually spoilt our night out as we had been and gone in half an hour.

Staying a couple of doors away we gave it another go out of convenience vowing to engineer a slower night by getting drinks before ordering. Phew it was pizza night, can't go wrong with a pizza.... oh wait they can. They managed to decide the no onion please actually meant miss of the capsicum and load the onion on!!!

3rd night.... took the car to Cafe Cappella's in Moonta. WOW. The owners of Coopers Alehouse should go and see how it should be done. They are not scared of feedback and I happily gave them a 5*, wish we had known about Cappella's sooner!!!!!!!

So basically Coopers Alehouse... don't bother. Take your money where they appreciate it, and value your custom. ...