This pub was heaps cool. In fact it was so cool that I came back a second time, but that probably…read morehas more to do with me having accidentally left my book at the previous place I was at. Still, this has one of those really grungy feels about it, which surprised me in a town like Newcastle. Then again, I probably shouldn't be all that surprised with Newcastle changing and all that. Also, they had some pretty awesome beers on tap as well, which is always going to grab my attention.

Oh heyyyyy cray cray hipster bar in downtown Newy…read more I was in town for a bucks weekend and staying just around the corner. This place has just reopened and they're all about beer and dude food. The front bar has tons of character and there's literally one meellion beer specials up on the wall, as well as $30 punch bowls (normally $50) on Saturday nights. Plus $6 Tecates, ask them to make you a lagerita, you'll love it, trust me, or your money back (you won't get your money back, I just made that up, but you should totally try one they're great). In the back there's an eatery / bistro area with a menu heavy in burgers and hot dogs and parmies and schnitties and everything fried and American and good in this world. Anything fried chicken is seriously great. I had the southern fried chicken burger with fat fluffy chips and I've never been so happy. There's a pool table, too, and when everyone gets loose the bar turns into an impromptu dance floor. It's a ton of good clean beery fun.

Absolutely loved this place during my time in Australia, there is not a single item on their menu…read morethat doesn't catch your attention and the atmosphere is soothing. A guest in my party has a peanut allergy and they were easily able to cater to the request and made sure that everything was nowhere near peanuts. All in all this place has it all, amazing food, staff and good local musicians. I would 100% recommend this place to anybody in the area and will be bragging to my friends that I had the best wings in Australia!

Requesting my partner pick a place for lunch meant I couldn't complain when he chose what I had in…read moremy head as an overrated, crowded, alcohol-centric venue. Turns out I had it all wrong and full points to him! Stepping into a large space where you take a menu and choose your table. We arrived shortly after opening (11:30am on a Sunday) and sat by the window. The openness was refreshing and perfectly illustrated one of their beers (Dads with prams) as the majority of patrons had young kids in toe and accompanying prams that had easy access to tables. My partner wasn't fussed on that beer but he lacks the relevant criteria. The food is American inspired with plenty of burgers getting dished out but the beer situation is just as, if not more important. It is a brewery after all! Plenty of varieties and the option of tasting paddles. If you prefer something non alcoholic it's Pepsi not Coke. Food was served fast and hot. Garlic pizza bread to start which was massive but thankfully thin. Foghorn burger for my partner and Philly cheesesteak for me. I loved the chilli but wished there was more steak to offset the large amount of onion and capsicum. The seasoned chips were delicious. I'd definitely return for lunch in this enjoyably casual atmosphere.

I had the Chicken schnitzel w/ chips & garden salad (or creamy mash & steamed veg). ($16.90) (gravy…read more& like sauces extra $2.50-3.50; toppers extra $4.50-6.50 -- I opted for no sauce or toppers; there's BBQ & tomato sauce on the cutlery table.) The breading was just a little bit dry for my tastes, but the chicken was tender & tasty, & the BBQ sauce was plenty to tide me over, but if I find myself back here I'll splurge for the gravy. The chips (fries) were ace. The salad was dressed with a light vinaigrette, a nice accompaniment to the fried food. My partner ordered a pizza: The Hendrix: salsa sauce base, seasoned beef, capsicum, & a mozzarella/cheddar blend & a dash of sour cream. ($14.90) Salsa base obviously makes for a bit of a strange pizza, but it was really good. Quite a large serving of sour cream, which is awesome if you like it; my partner, who doesn't, just pushed it off without any complaints. Their menu advertises mojitos, so I ordered one, but the bartender came & found me at my table a couple minutes later, apologizing profusely that they'd run out of mint. I asked for a schooner of beer instead, which she delivered with the change to make up the difference. Disappointing, but no big deal. Overall, good food for decent prices, especially when you throw in the free live music that accompanies your meal.

I'm reluctant to write a review because this places varies so much. The management often changes…read more(there's currently a good crew which is why I've given 4 stars) and every night of the week is different. It's a pretty big place and every area is also different! Generally the food is good, well priced pub grub. The drink specials are usually good value and there's a good variety on offer. But this place attracts some freaking weirdos. It's close to the train station and is often the sloppy last stop for people before they go home. Dress casual (all looks are welcome here though) come with some friends and sit on the couches and people watch over some drinks. Perhaps on the night you read this it will be totally different to what I've described. But go without expectations and it will be a fun one.

Yummy beer and food! I loved the fries and lime aioli sauce that came with my cheeseburger. We came…read morein the afternoon, but it looks like a really cool spot to go in the evening. They also had really cool games that you can check out.

Massive menu, something for everyone. Great spot for a larger gathering or meal. Cocktail menu is…read morealso pretty expansive. Friendly staff! One note; I am curious why the hot fries are still on the menu. A friend ordered them when I was eating with them, and she quite literally couldn't get past a single bite. Multiple of us also tried the fries and ended up having a pretty bad reaction. ITS SO HOT. A bit of a waste of money, and the menu had NO WARNING they were so hot. Our waitress didn't clarify when my friend ordered either. When we explained how hot they were she seemed unamused and said that's often how people react (like they can't eat more than a bite or two)

Exceptional service, vintage decor, spacious and delicious food. We went for Mother's Day and…read moretables were reserved everywhere. We tried our luck and went there without a reservation. The guy that greeted us and the staff were all amazing! They found us a free table and managed to make an extra table for a family coming in behind us. Will be back.

My relationship with the Happy Wombat began when I stayed at the Quest for a work trip in…read moreNewcastle. I began with the "Daddy Wombat" - a 400g grass fed rib eye. The steak was tender and the polenta chips and beans matched perfectly. After leaving dinner, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the Quest Hotel provides a chargeback service with the Wombat, and breakfast would be served in this pub. I woke up the next morning without the highest expectations. Steak was a safe bet at a pub, but gormet breakfast at a pub is more unusual than seeing a real wombat in the streets of Newcastle. Breakfast at this "pub" was fantastic. In the morning you're greeted by friendly staff, fantastic coffee and a good breakfast selection. My only annoyance was that breakfast is not served until 7:30AM, which is late for an early-morning person. After leaving the Quest, I have not left The Wombat. I'm in the 8th week of my "short" visit to Newcastle, and I buy a coffee from the Wombat daily. I tend to have dinner at least once a week, and my office has had 2 small functions in this restaurant since the first day of my visit. I leave Newcastle this week, and it only seemed fitting that I had my going away dinner at The Wombat.

Liza ! Bar Service ! She was swift, excited, confident and also intuitive. Well done Eliza.read more

You know, for a Woolworth's pub, this place is actually pretty cool. In fact I didn't expect it to…read morebe as great as it was, but I really did like it. Okay, they had basically converted an old warehouse into a pub, and I must say that they had done a pretty good job at it as well. Not only that but they also have some really nice beers on tap, but once again, it doesn't seem to be trying to capture people like me. There were also some great views across the harbour, and a really nice outdoor area as well.

Waterfront pubs are cool, and this one is certainly no exception. Okay, the views that you get from…read morethis place are basically ships coming and going from Newcastle Harbour, but the thing is that this isn't necessarily a bad thing. Somethings watching ships can be pretty cool, especially the huge ones that end up here. Well, the pub is pretty cool as well, especially the outdoor area, and they also have some rather nice beers on tap, which is something that I also quite like. A rather nice and relaxing pub.

Love this place for an outside drink plus they have early happy hr at 3 with live music. Very…read morefriendly place I was very comfortable there as a solo female traveler

The Lass would be my favourite local live music venue. The inside bar area is small and if it's a…read morepopular band it gets cramped, but entry is always free and there's a big beer garden out back. It's always my pub of choice if I want to relax and have a chat with friends. There is generally live music wed to sat in the evening and Sunday in the afternoon. Open mic is on every second Thursday. Sometimes the ATM doesn't work so come prepared. It's a friendly, very accepting pub.

There's usually some good music going on at The Lass. The staff are pretty good. I recommend…read moresitting in the beer garden in the afternoon with some beer during summer. It's really nice outside :) there's generally a friendly vibe at The Lass in the evening too; it's a safe pub to visit.

The food was amazing! The dough on the pizza was light and crisp. The variety of pizzas that they…read morehave is great - I had the pear and prosciutto and it was one of the best I have ever had - highly recommend!

My boyfriend is Italian so I have a pretty good idea of what true Italian food is and this place…read moredoes it perfectly. If you want true Italian food like you would get in Italy this is the restaurant for you!!! I recently came here for my birthday and am already planning my next trip to Newcastle just to come back and eat here. The night I was there we had Napoli Style Garlic Bread - The bread is cooked in the woodfire oven and stuffed with garlic, oregano and mozzarella cheese, I can never eat any other garlic bread again after eating this one it is that good Margherita Pizza - The best pizza I have ever eaten, the pizza here is done in the true Napoli style, thin crust soggy middle (flip up the nose and curl in the sides) beautiful rich sauce and blobs of mozzarella cheese Pasta Alla Norma - Pasta was cooked perfectly al dente in the most amazing red sauce with chunks of beautifully cooked eggplant and ricotta Sicilian Canoli - Omg I dream about these! You get three canoli's filled with beautiful fresh ricotta. My Grandparents had another pizza and I didn't try it but they told me it was great I cannot stop raving about this place, it is my favourite restaurant in all of Australia.