The Leaderboard

So pub fans, we've finally got through and reviewed 20 of Adelaide's watering holes. It hasn't been easy. Bucket loads of blood, sweat and tears have gone into these reviews and here is the Top 20 so far in order. We'll save you the agony of doing it all Bert Newton 20-1 style and just list them.

Pub                                 Score
The Belair                        41
The Queens Head           40.5
The Hackney                    39
The Warradale                 38.5
The Ed                              37
The Brunswick                  37
The Southwark                34.5
The British                       34.5
The Birkenhead               34.5  
The Whitmore                   34
The Kentish                      33
The Maylands                   33
Robin Hood                      32.5
The Bath                          32.5
The Excelsior                   31.5
Benjamin on Franklin       31.5
Earl of Leicester               31
The Marryatville                29
The Kensi                        28.5
The Lockleys                   27.5

                                                            

The Hackney

The Hackney Hotel – 95 Hackney Rd, Hackney 

There are a few key factors in what makes a great pub. Beer is obviously the main factor. But location is what can make or break an establishment. The Hackney is in a prime spot, nice and close to the city and within walking distance to the new home of footy. So whatever the occasion is, get in there and treat yourself to an ice-cold frostie. You won’t be disappointed.  

Dishes Eaten:
Pint: Wagyu Burger  

Pony: Beef Schnitzel with Mushroom Sauce

Food: Real solid schnitzel with a good herb in the crumb. Cooked nicely and some solid mushroom sauce. Chips were bloody excellent. Pint got busy on the winner of Adelaide's 'Best Pub Burger 2013' and it was in Brownlow Medal form. If you find a better burger let the big fella know. We both could have smashed everything on that menu. Top shelf grub. Rating: 8.5

Beverage Range: Okay range of beers on tap without having anything outrageous. The fridge is well stocked and a simple wine list gets it done. Rating: 6.5

Price: Around what you would expect for a really good pub meal. If you are hitting the gourmet section of the menu then expect to part with a touch more currency. A pint and burger for $19 is really good. Great happy hours on Sunday that will get everyone up and about! Rating: 7.5

Service: Even though they were swamped a bit in the front bar, the service was still good and after having a few frosties here in our time we can frank that form. The bloke even wished Pony good luck every time he put a bet on. He didn't back a winner so he's blaming the bartender for his misfortune.  Rating: 7.5

Sessionability: Drinks specials are solid and the Happy Hours are grouse. Pint did some maths and this is equation he came up with: Sunday afternoon+footy+cheap beers+country races+great location = Highest level of Sessionability. Now, he's no Einstein but he's pretty spot on with his maths here. The only gripe would be that the punting area needs to be improved a little. Roo? Beer Garden out the side is fairly small but a very nice place to wash a few down. Rating: 9

Overall Comment: There is a good reason the O-Barn pops out right in front of this magnificent establishment; it’s a real Adelaide classic. Get in there on a Sunday and you might even spot Pony on the hunt for some Country Cup winners. It’s the perfect place for a few pre-game nerve settlers as well if you are heading to the great Adelaide Oval.

Overall Rating: 39

The Whitmore Hotel

Whitmore Hotel – 317 Morphett St, Adelaide

No; we weren't mixing business and pleasure with this review. The Whitmore no longer shows you a handful while making sure your stomach is full. The pub has been tidied up a little and rocks a super eclectic vibe that sees a mix of all sorts. 

Dishes Eaten:
Pint: Chicken Parmi 

Pony: Moroccan Beef and Couscous Salad

Food: A really simple and humorous handwritten menu awaits diners here which gives this pub an immediate bit of hipster charm. Standard type of pub grub with the ultimate idea of a create your own cheese platter which we think is a ripper idea. Getting in the hipster vibe, Pony tried the Moroccan Beef Salad, which was pretty solid. Beef was nicely cooked but the couscous was just a little over seasoned. In previous experiences here, the burger has also gone down a treat. The Pint & Parmi deal had Pint's name all over it; literally. Handy schnitty, but like too many parmies, the cheese to tomato sauce ratio was way out of whack. This type of travesty is bordering on criminal behaviour. Rating:6.5

Beverage Range: Pretty basic range of beverages on tap but there were quite a few rare craft beers hiding away in the fridges. The wine list is more South Australian than Stuart O'Grady riding The Big Rocking Horse. Rating 6.5
 
Price: $10 for a Pint and Parmi is pure daylight robbery and add to that a pretty delicious looking Guinness Pie was also on offer for a cheeky tenner. Most other meals were pretty cheap, apart from the steaks which were almost as lofty as a price of a lap dance. Plenty of drink specials to boot, to keep all the Arts degree holders happy as well. Rating: 7.5
 
Service: Bar staff were cheery and happy to help out. Meals came out in no time as well. Rating: 7
 
Sessionability: A bit of a rare mix of people make this one interesting watering hole. There is a super chilled vibe here and the tunes that were cranking were top shelf. Live music most nights makes it a place you could easily hang for 1 or 2 more pints than you expected. If you're around the area, this is a good place for a sneaky one. Rating:6.5

Overall Comment: This Half eclectic pub, half metro saloon bar and half yuppie watering hole means this pub has a very interesting vibe along with a poor understanding of basic math. While this wouldn't be our first stop for a frostie, it is a nice, chilled place for a couple quiet ones. Don’t get us wrong this pub has plenty of upside; a great location, live music & good food… you just feel like when it’s finished it will be something great.

Overall Rating: 34

  

The Birkenhead Tavern

The Birkenhead Tavern – 3 Elder Rd, Birkenhead

If we had to spend six months in a leaky boat. We hope it would be positioned not too far from The Birk.

Dishes Eaten:
Pint: Seafood Platter

Pony: Chicken Schnitzel with Pepper Sauce

Guest Reviewer - West End: Seafood Platter

Food: Pint and guest reviewer West End dove into a seafood platter and loved every last bit. For Pint, the highlight was the freshness of the oysters (look out Mrs Pint!) Pony devoured a Schnitzel which was pretty good. It was a decent serve with good chips and waves of gravy. A great salad/vegie bar was on offer as well which always makes Pony happy. In all there is a large menu on offer with a heap of seafood options which makes a lot of sense seeing as you could probably throw a line in from the deck. Not sure if they allow BYO fish though. Rating: 7.5

Beverage Range: Pretty standard whistle whetters here and certainly no complaints from these wharfies. Although a special mention must be made as Coopers Stout on tap gets a bloody big tick from us! A decent wine list and a well-stocked spirit shelf means that like most places down the Port, you will not be leaving with an unquenched thirst. Rating: 7

Price: Very reasonable on the moth trap in Pint's pocket. The more gourmet section of the menu demand a little more of your currency though but nothing that would demand selling your tinny. Monday-Wednesday are Schnitzel Nights, so for $11 you really can’t go too wrong. Beers were also reasonable. Rating: 7

Service: No complaints from these mugs. Service was fine and meals and drinks came out nice and quickly. Rating: 6.5

Sessionability: While the front bar is a bit pokey and the rest of the pub unfortunately has a bit of a Pokies pub feel, the deck is bloody sensational and the number one reason to get down and check out this fine establishment. We couldn’t think of many better places to be on a Sunday arvo with a couple of mates, attacking recovery feed and a couple frosties while watching some sport on the big screens. While we couldn’t see things getting overly rambunctious, you could definitely do a bit of damage here. Rating: 6.5

Overall Comment: Whether you’ve just had knocked off from a hard day on the Port or passing through, the deck at The Birkenhead is the perfect place to get on the end of a stubby and sit back and watch the black, white and teal get the job done. We are currently enquiring about riverside properties so that we are in swimming distance from this magnificent deck.  

Pints Tip: Wear a life jacket 

Overall Rating: 34.5

The Bath Hotel

The Bath Hotel – 232 The Parade, Norwood

The ultimate Friday night hangout for the Suit and Tie crowd has plenty to offer. Just make sure you choose the pizza.

Dishes Eaten:
Pint: Chicken Schnitzel with Mushroom Sauce

Pony: Lamb Kebab served with Greek Salad and Fried Potato Balls

Food: When Pint sits down for a feed in Norwood there is two things he has come to expect: an empty wallet and an overwhelming feeling of disappointment. Unfortunately The Bath, like a Thai transsexual delivered both. The schnitzel was very stock standard and while tasty enough, it needed to be much better. Pony was feeling a little more healthy and adventurous so decided to try something off the specials menu and was immediately left regretting that moment of bravado. For $24 he received two smallish lamb skewers, a soggy salad and four potato balls. Something he probably could have got down the road at the yiros shop for half the price. Specials should either be cheap or something a little special; this was neither. Rating: 5

Beverage Range: There is a great range of beverages to whet your whistle here and a real handy wine list with plenty of local vinos to spill on your shirt. The introduction of 'Base' next door means there is a cracking range of boutique beers on tap, which will make you look that little bit more sophisticated on date night. Rating 8

Price: It's basically pub meals at restaurant prices here with only a small number of meals available for under a lobster.* The Bath is not the cheapest place to fill your belly and quench your thirst however a couple beer specials keep it from complete disappointment. Rating: 5

Service: We like the bar tenders here... They are nice. Rating: 7

Sessionability: The Bath is a bloody fine place to have a couple refreshments at. The beer garden is the perfect place to yell at a big screen TV and drink beers. Plus there is always a really good buzz on a Friday & Saturday night. The introduction of 'Base' next door, really lifts it up a notch or two in our book as a great place to chill out with a few of the well dressed crew of the Eastern Suburbs. Rating:7.5

Overall Comment: The Bath is a viber for the 30 somethings and Pint is well on his way to that milestone. (Look out ladies) It's also a mighty fine place to watch the footy on a Friday night. If you are going to eat at The Bath make sure you head over to 'Base' (The Bath's new pizza bar) because it’s pretty sweet in both the pizza and brew department. Pints Tip: leave the soap & rubber ducky at home.

*$20

Overall Rating: 32.5