Phoenix Diner

The Lansdowne had reconstructive surgery after the fire which happened a year ago.
Although, I’m not a fan of the new outer beauty, I still really like the Landsdown for what came from the inside all along: cheap pub meals, large quantities and low priced steak.
Came here last night after being devastated that there was no cheap steak due to the fire for a whole year. It’s changed the interior quite a bit. It now looks really dark and really seedy. The music is also quite loud.
But who cares. The food is great. For $ 10 you can get a steak, chips and salad. The steak is pretty normal and the sauce is not bad. Mushroom is a bit watery but pepper is great. The chips are crunchy and the salad is fresh. They also have these gourmet additions of spinach, mushroom and tomato to make your cheap meal feel gourmet now.
I am still a fan and still love the Lansdowne even after bad reconstructive boob job aesthetics. Was quite sad that they ran out of wings last night though. For $ 10 on Wednesday for a kilo, they sound amazing!

Everyone remember the fire at The Landsdowne Hotel earlier this year?
No?
Well there was a fire… and the Landsdowne Hotel closed for half a year.
Apparently it reopened in late October, and along with renovations upstairs due to the fire, the Phoenix Diner was born.
Apt name, don’t you think?
The Phoenix Diner specialises in cheap American pub style food… perfect for the uni crowd in the area, and perfect for people wanting this type of greasy goodness.
Came with a mate and we were excited to order the buffalo wings… but they were sold out. They must be good…$ 12 for 10 pieces and your choice of bleu cheese, BBQ, or F’n Hot Chilli sauce. I need to come back to try this.
We ordered the stuffed Jalapeño poppers (massive ones stuffed with cream cheese and bacon, with a side of aioli,) Mac’d out cheese bites (fried mac & cheese,) the Ruby Ribs (lamb ribs with smoked Texas BBQ sauce with chips) and Chihuahuas (mini hot dots on brioche.)
All that for $ 42
Imma say this place is a great for groups and a cheap feed… they offer pizzas and burgers too.
The Jalapeño poppers were fresh, spicy, and delicious. The Mac’d out cheese bites were also really good and I would order them again.
The Chihuahuas, those were a little funny because they came in a brioche bun, which isn’t the right shape for a hot dog at all. It tasted fine, but would have been better if the brioche bun was shaped like a regular hot dog bun as there was way too much bread.
The Ruby Ribs are really good if you enjoy a wet rub for your ribs… and the meat fell off the bone. If you prefer a dry rub, you should definitely skip these, but I really enjoyed them.
3 hits 1 near miss… I will be back.