(score to be confirmed with another visit soon)
Restaurant:
Sometimes a lizard just has to go and eat. Sometimes, a lizard has to meet up with other lizards for an after work drink. Sometimes, a lizard has to take his family out of the lizard hole to 'eat somewhere else' so Mrs Chameleon won't have to do the dishes afterwards. The Chameleon does not do dishes. It is thus likely that in any of the above situations, one might visit Crazy Galagher's, a large restaurant attached to a very well positioned pub in Toowoomba. The Chameleon uses the term 'restaurant' very loosely.
THE EXPERIENCE
The venue is actually quite nice. Plenty of parking, heaps of space and the size of the dining room was more than adequate. Good thing too, as the place was full of customers on this busy afternoon. The tables were neat, the place was clean and the staff were very friendly, so a lot of kudos for the establishment. A special mention for ones with kids; this place has a very well designed kids area, with built in game consoles (must have been at least 8), a TV room and a McDonald's style playground (but on steroids) also attached. The Chameleon highly recommends Crazy's for those with kids. It came as a bit of a shock then, that the food was barely passable.
The pie was....a pie. While the taste was as it should be, it was slightly on the drier side, and the pastry was very crumbly. Some people may prefer this, but The Chameleon always looks for the crumbly/soft combination in pie pastry. It should be thick, with the outside slightly crumbly and the inside soft and melt-in-your-mouth. Unfortunately this pie was not. The mushrooms in the surrounding gravy were somewhat above the overall dish, but not enough to save the experience. The steak was OK, it simply had nothing special about it and was akin to a steak and mushroom pie you can find in any decent pie shop.
The gnocchi serve was very large which was a welcomed surprise. It was presentable and looked much better than the simple way The Chameleon's meal was presented. The taste was a mixture; the gnocchi texture was actually well executed, albeit it was evident they weren't freshly made, but The Chameleon did not have this expectation to begin with, considering that after all, Crazy's IS a pub restaurant which would do quite a few meals that evening. The taste was somewhat of a let down. It was presented very salty and the acidic edge in the sauce was just off the right balance, it bit into The Chameleon's palate as it entered his mouth and swirled over his long and skinny tongue. The Chameleon suspects the 'chorizo' was actually a spicy kabana. To be fair, it was a 'just passable' meal.
The real downer of Crazy Gallagher's however, was the cost. The menu was very expensive and considering the average meals received, it was over-priced across all of the selections. The Chameleon doesn't mind paying prices such as these, but the food has to be equivalent and unfortunately that was not the case here.
OVERALL
THE FOOD
As is The Chameleon's style, he ordered what appeared to be the pub specialty, which was the beef steak and mushroom pie. Furthermore, The Chameleon was lucky to have an accomplice who ordered a gnocchi with chorizos, which he was also able to sample.The pie was....a pie. While the taste was as it should be, it was slightly on the drier side, and the pastry was very crumbly. Some people may prefer this, but The Chameleon always looks for the crumbly/soft combination in pie pastry. It should be thick, with the outside slightly crumbly and the inside soft and melt-in-your-mouth. Unfortunately this pie was not. The mushrooms in the surrounding gravy were somewhat above the overall dish, but not enough to save the experience. The steak was OK, it simply had nothing special about it and was akin to a steak and mushroom pie you can find in any decent pie shop.
The gnocchi serve was very large which was a welcomed surprise. It was presentable and looked much better than the simple way The Chameleon's meal was presented. The taste was a mixture; the gnocchi texture was actually well executed, albeit it was evident they weren't freshly made, but The Chameleon did not have this expectation to begin with, considering that after all, Crazy's IS a pub restaurant which would do quite a few meals that evening. The taste was somewhat of a let down. It was presented very salty and the acidic edge in the sauce was just off the right balance, it bit into The Chameleon's palate as it entered his mouth and swirled over his long and skinny tongue. The Chameleon suspects the 'chorizo' was actually a spicy kabana. To be fair, it was a 'just passable' meal.
The real downer of Crazy Gallagher's however, was the cost. The menu was very expensive and considering the average meals received, it was over-priced across all of the selections. The Chameleon doesn't mind paying prices such as these, but the food has to be equivalent and unfortunately that was not the case here.
OVERALL
Crazy Galagher's is a pub bistro, not a pub 'restaurant', yet you pay restaurant prices. The meals were average to poor and hence it was overly expensive. If you were to visit Crazy's, it would be to give your kids a chance to have a play while you get a chance to eat/drink/talk/play pokies, or, you may use the tables to have a round of drinks with your mates, rather than actually eat there. The fish and chip shop literally across the road has better fare. 57/100
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