Burra Inn Review

From boyhood to fatherhood

When I was a small lad my family would ritually venture to Tinaroo every fortnight for a weekend getaway. We'd load the car up with suitcases and dogs, pile the bikes on the roof and hold our stomaches as we swerved up the Gillies range. On the Saturday night, the Burra Inn at Yungaburra was our source of dinner. During those times, Tinaroo hummed with children playing in the shallows while their fathers struggled to learn windsurfing. The wives stood on, anxiously scanning the surface of the lake as their husbands were sucked closer and closer to the dam wall.

Tragically those days are behind us. Tinaroo is now half of it's former self, both physically and metaphorically.

Fortunately, however, the old mainstay Burra Inn restaurant is still around. And now that I have been promoted to my father's role of ‘driver of car' and ‘payer of dinner', I have the satisfaction of taking my young family to the same restaurant I frequented as a child. It is still located opposite The Lake Eacham Hotel in a tiny heritage listed house. It maintains its country town ambience in one of the most charming rural towns I have ever been to: Yungaburra.

When I was a lad I always, ALWAYS, ordered the beer battered prawns. Six prawns in a seashell accompanied by rice and steamed vegetables. Of course, I rarely ate the vegetables. There was a menu scribbled onto a blackboard that hung from the wall, but I never needed to look at it and the waitress never needed to ask for my order. Beer battered prawns. Alcohol, physical violence and mysterious sea creatures. What more could a young boy ask for?

But that was then, and this is now. The beer battered prawns are no longer listed on a blackboard hung on the wall. Instead, a more refined menu is presented to diners with a selection of seafood, steaks, pasta - a taste of everything. It seems the Burra Inn has ascended slightly up-market to cater to people who really enjoy fine food and aren't afraid to pay for it.

I ordered the vegetarian lasagne, crafted with thin pancakes between the goodies instead of lasagne pasta sheets. It resulted in a gently textured meal that danced on my tongue. The only other redundantly descriptive word I can think of to describe it is ‘soothing'. Soothing like the restaurant, soothing like Yungaburra, soothing like the entire Atherton Tablelands.

Accompanied by a bottle of red wine, my meal was delightful. My daughter ordered calamari and chips- a simple and respectable meal she enjoyed - but I didn't rejoice at the price. I recommend reserving Burra Inn for adults only.

The service at Burra Inn is efficient, albeit anxious. You can expect all requests to be met with soldier-ant dexterity, but you don't have to worry about being fussed over like a queen (unless you want to be, of course). Pick a quiet table next to a window and you have a setting for a romantic and charming dinner.

I advise booking ahead for Burra Inn. This is vital during weekends and absolutely crucial on the 4th Saturday of every month when the Yungaburra markets are held in the park across the street.

- Diner Diller

Burra Inn	Yungaburra
Charming, tranquil and award-winning restaurant offers dining excellence. Designed as a light and healthy fare with the freshest produce from the land and sea. Influenced by the diverse flavours of Europe's Mediterranean, the South West of United States & Asia, using authentic recipes, in an imaginative way.
cuisines: Australian features: BYO avg. main: $22 open: Closed on Tuesday discount: 15% discount on food & beverage after 6:30pm review: From boyhood to fatherhood (7/6/2003) contact: (07) 40953657 | 1 Cedar Street
Mini Reviews
Dee	23rd Oct 2003
Our daughter organised a romantic dinner for my husband and myself at the Burra Inn, and it was a charming venue for such an occasion. The food was interesting and delicious, we loved every moment of it. Thanks Nicky!
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