Put this on your to-do list.
When it comes to our weekly dining indulgence, there’s one establishment that keeps cropping up on our must-eat lists, time and time again.
If it’s not their buffalo wings that we’re chowing down on, it’s their rocking pizzas that we’d happily devour with our hands alongside a pint of their very own XPA all to the sound of local live music, The Hop Inn continually surprises us with their creativity and damn fine offerings. And the famous Mt Duneed eatery’s latest summer menu has yet again set our tastebuds tingling.
Launching today, the team, led by head chef Mitchell, you’ll find all your Hop Inn favourites, including the aforementioned Buffalo wings, the Hop Chicken Parmi, pumpkin risotto, and the beef and pork ribs, alongside a couple of worthy additions.
To start, you’ll now be able to munch on garlic and cheese bread, pulled pork sliders, natural or Kilpatrick oysters, and a tasty plate of fried calamari.
For something more substantial, indulge in the likes of fresh Otway fettucine pasta, Hop XPA beer battered fish, a Jerk marinated roast pumpkin salad, or keep it simple with a classic chicken schnitzel. If you’re feeling a burger, they’ve kept their much-loved veggie burger, but have added the likes of The Hop Beef burger, a Nashville hot chicken burger, and a pulled pork burger, all served with a side of their thick cut chips.
They’ve also upped the ante on their rock n roll inspired pizza offerings, now adding in the ‘Spicy Santana’, with Napoli sauce, mozzarella, hot salami, chorizo, jalapenos, and roast peppers; the ‘Soundgarden Supreme’ with Napoli sauce, mozzarella, spinach, mushrooms, onion, olives and cherry tomatoes; and the ‘Smashing Pumpkins’ with Napoli sauce, roast pumpkin, spinach, mushrooms, roast peppers, onions and goat’s cheese.
The best part (in my opinion) is that they’ve also tripled the size of their dessert menu, now slinging delicious gourmet ice cream, a lemon meringue tart, sticky date pudding and a damn fine looking cheese board.
Boasting a stunning (and insanely huge) new beer garden and chilled views of the regions up and coming estates, there’s so much more to love about this casual eatery than just the food.
If you’re not sold on their XPA, this loved watering-hole has a tonne of other brews to choose from thanks to 10 taps in the bar and a slew of local craft beers in the fridge. You’ll find golden nectar from the likes of Bells Beach Brewing, Deeds Brewing, Gage Roads and of course Blackman’s Brewery, as well as some non-craft beers (including Melbourne straight from the tap). They also stock a fine selection of Victorian and South Australian warming drops like Shiraz, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon, and they’ve just released a brand-new cocktail menu.
If you’re a fan of live music, the family-friendly venue is the perfect place to kick back with a cold one and some tunes. As long-time supporters of the local live music scene, the crew are back to hosting local and acoustic performances in their new marquee four times a week, with live music scheduled across Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Oh and perhaps the best news? They’re dog friendly so you can even bring along your pooch!
Beers, music and a vibrant new summer menu… yeah, you’re not going to want to miss a slice of that action.
The Hop Inn located at 611-621 Surf Coast Hwy, Mount Duneed and is open Tuesday to Sunday. Walk-ins are welcome but bookings are recommended. You can book online for dine-in, or call 03 5261 7676 for the same day bookings. Takeaway and delivery options are available too.
