michael's at walsh's

although this restaurant is attached to a pub, don't expect standard pub food, it's much, much better.
michael's at walsh's serves top quality restaurant meals, very generous sized serves and nothing that's out of a jar.
this restaurant is on the main street of queanbeyan - popular with locals and a hidden gem for canberrans in the know. it's a very short drive to the east of canberra and well worth going.
while there are a few standard pub dishes like chicken schnitzel & calamari & chips, they are way better than you might expect.
there is always an extensive specials board of amazing meals using fresh seasonal produce. there is also a lunch specials board, slightly smaller serving sizes & price. (see photos for today's offerings.)
the surf & turf is a renowned signature dish of perfectly cooked steak with masses of fresh seafood on top, served with a beautiful sauce. it's a big meal.
today we started with garlic bread - best we've ever had, nothing standard about it, it comes on turkish type bread, it's moist and so delicious.
i thoroughly enjoyed the beef and prawn pieces with chilli and garlic and pappadelle pasta. it was fabulous.
another person in our group had the mexican chicken schnitzel with chips - a big breast schnitzel with mexican mince, nachos, guacamole, cheese & sour cream. jalapeños & chilli come on the side. the verdict: delicious.
another had the slowed cooked lamb shoulder with prawns in a homemade thai green curry, with bok choy & rice. the verdict: amazing.
lastly, another had the jumbo calamari & chips. cooked perfectly, they were soft and delicious.
i noticed a sign at the restaurant door reminding patrons that they don't serve fast food, just great food as quickly as they can, so thanks for your patience. to me this sums up their approach to food - it's all about quality food here.
michael's is a great place for large groups, you order meals at the counter and drinks at the bar, so no need to split the bill. if you're after a more intimate dining experience, the restaurant is ideal.
the staff at michael's are helpful & friendly, regulars are noticed and welcomed. the place has a really great vibe, in that regard.
gift vouchers are also available for the restaurant.
all in all, our very favourite pub restaurant anywhere.

not happy
wouldn’t recommend
food not right
most expensive meal in the group
not cooked to order
spoke to manager
she said it was fine
had to give it a 1 star rating
but would not rate if had a choice

i wouldn’t recommend this place as i got raw muscles and was told they were cooked twice and i got an over cooked steak and was told it was cooked right and to top it off my sea food and salad was covered in diane sauce and had the manager tell me everything was cooked the way it should be i would never return to this restaurant again

with a 3.4 rating we weren’t confident in our choice of lunch venue.
we entered via the front of the pub and it was pretty average. my husband wanted to leave right then.
i convinced him to stay, and we weren’t disappointed. the service was great, with attention to detail and a smile.
the food was fantastic. wagyu beef brisket was amazing and the mud crab and banana prawn chowder was next level.
great large serving size in an intimate little restaurant that was lovely, clean and had music playing loud enough you couldn’t hear other diners talking, but engaging with your own table was easily doable.
we will be back.

booked in for trivia night at walsh's pub with a group of friends. i was pleasantly surprised to find an up-market pub menu and a good vibe as other tables filled up for the trivia night.
walsh's is a line-up to order bistro along the lines of a club bistro so it pays to get in quick if the line is short. the menu was varied and it would be hard to find somebody who would not be satisfied with what is on offer.
i'm a sucker for veal schnitzel (it seems to me that chicken schnitty has usurped the veal schnitty) and so ordered that. my partner had the chicken supreme. the veal itself was beautifully tender, however the crumb coating was a bit on the limp side. not soggy but definitely did not have that enjoyable mix of crispy'ness and softness. other than that it was a flavoursome and enjoyable schnitty. my partner's chicken was high in the comfort food stakes and was thoroughly enjoyed by a number of people in my group.
another disappointing aspect was that the schnitzel was served atop a mound of thin fries. the fries themselves were excellent but there were too many and i would have preferred thick cut chips. the gravy was rich but a little more gravy and  few less fries would have suited me better. unfortunately the token salad on the plate was also disappointing and i didn't bother trying it.
the prices, in my opinion, are a touch on the high side. they are in keeping with the quality but i would ba happier if the meal provided less fries and a decent salad (or vegies) rather than having to pay extra for a side salad or vegies.
overall though...it was a good meal and a very satisfying way to fill up before the trivia night started, which was a very good mid-week night out with friends.
i would very much recommend walsh's for a meal and trivia with friends on a wednesday night in canberra/queanbeyan.

quality of meals outstanding! specials offers plenty of variety. large meals won't go hungry. a great place to eat. best meals in queanbeyan.

for a casual night out with friends, this canberra bar/restaurant provides great value for money. the portion sizes are generous and the food is tasty. there is seating inside and out and service is friendly.
the entree breads are delicious and the salmon main course i ordered was cooked perfectly and tasty.

i'm struggling to think of better pub food than michael's at walsh's in canberra/queanbeyan. good food, value for money(serving sizes), interior is much nicer since renovations.

it is spring and people’s thoughts turn to… beer gardens and pubs
not really.  strangely enough the random selection method we use managed to place the names of two pubs as the venues for our next reviews and for fun and no other reason we added a third. 

for the rest of this month we have the theme: three pubs. 

even though michael’s at walsh’s has been in the entertainment book for a few years we didn’t think of eating there.  we had planned to review a different restaurant but, as circumstances were against us, this was a late substitution.

great food. never disappointed in the food at walsh's. generous serves and always fresh, from simple pub food to mains you'd expect to find in manuka and kingston. the new restaurant area is great too.

my taste experience at michael's at walsh's. this would have to be the best food anywhere on the eastern side of australia from cairns down to melbourne. you may balk at the prices but when you see the size and melt in your mouth quality of the meal you receive the prices are well justified. this is not a bistro in a pub but a restaurant in a pub. i have dined at a lot of places up and down the eastern seaboard and this place would rate with the best of them if not the best in terms of size and quality. i highly recommend this restaurant when visiting queanbeyan and you will return again and again as i have done.

enjoy

wes