During the sweltering heat of Summer we head down to this tiny town, teeming with wildlife and charm, and throw ourselves into the crashing waves until we are cooled and refreshed. In terms of restaurants at which to refuel, there are only a handful of choices.
The one that stands out most would be Freestone's Roadhaven.
It's not often you see an American Style diner, swathed in turquoise blue and accented with shiny chrome. At the front they have their Malt Shop specialising in milkshakes, towards the back you pass the quite extensive collection of vintage cars as well as a few jukeboxes and movie memorabilia. Upstairs is where the diner is located. Upon entering, feet moving along a black and white checkered floor you are greeted by waitresses right out of American films with their signature diner dresses. Model cars line the walls and towards the back you have the option of dining on their balcony overlooking the peaceful inlet.
We only ordered a few items, they are as follows.
Buffalo chicken wings - $9
Malt Shake
Mr.M loved this.
Painkallac Salad - spinach, pine nuts, pear, goats cheese, with lemon mayo - $12
D thought this was OK.
Chocolate Brownie
This was disappointing. It tasted old and needed much more cocoa flavour.
The service was quite slow. And unlike the detailed decor, the food was sadly, average at best. Perhaps we allowed ourselves to get a little too excited at the prospect of having a great American Diner experience, or perhaps diner food is only meant to be ho-hum and if so, we did indeed have an authentic experience.
That being said, there aren't many options in Airey's Inlet to dine for dinner, so we will most likely return, if only for a Malt Shake.
