Brisbane’s Best Pubs for a Lager (and the Best Dishes To Pair It With)

A good beer is already enough to get us out of the house. A good beer at a beautiful pub, alongside a well-matched meal? Well, that takes things up a few notches. Brisbane is home to some of Australia’s best drinking spots, like the Breakfast Creek Hotel and the Story Bridge Hotel. Each worthy of a quiet pint, they also have elevated kitchen offerings that keep the locals coming back.

For those of us who are just as happy to wash down a meal with a beer as a glass of wine, we’ve sought out some of Brisbane’s best lager-friendly meals. Here’s our cheat sheet of beer-and-pub-dish pairings that you’ll want to try.

Breakfast Creek Hotel

The sprawling, historical Breakfast Creek Hotel is an Albion landmark and, truly, one of the most iconic spots for a pint in Brisbane. With its striking French Renaissance architecture, the pub has been catching the eyes of passersby since it was built in 1889, but it’s what’s on the inside that keeps us coming back. Here you’ll find a whole suite of bars and dining rooms, each with their own theme and style. For our part, we’d be settling in at the long-running Spanish Garden Steakhouse with a beer and a mini lobster and shrimp roll – that’s lobster and prawns with cocktail sauce in a crusty bread roll – while choosing a main from the extensive menu of local beef.

Plough Inn

With its city views, sweeping verandahs and nearly 150 years of local drinking history, the heritage-listed Plough Inn is up there with Brisbane’s very best. There’s something to be said for a late afternoon beer among the crowds on the verandah, but to really experience the Plough Inn at its best, we’d recommend pairing your pint with something special from the extensive food menu. You’ll find classics like the schnitzel and the ever-popular burrito bowl, but it’s the gnocchi that begs to be beer-matched – tender dumplings topped with a blend of roasted forest mushrooms and a herby cream sauce that’s best offset with a crisp lager.

Story Bridge Hotel

Set under the eponymous bridge, the Story Bridge Hotel is another Brisbane pub gem of imposing size and history. While some know the joint best for its long-running cockroach races (the 41st edition was held this year), it’s the pub’s three bars and two dining rooms that really keep the locals coming back. For something special enough to match the landmark pub’s exterior and history, book yourself a spot in Deery’s Restaurant. While its speciality is steak and wine, you’d do equally well by starting with a cold pint and a rich, tart pork-belly-and-pistachio terrine (served with blood orange marmalade, caramelised onions and toast) before letting your mind wander to the steak selection.

The Queens Arms Hotel

They call it the QA and, as one of the longest running pubs still serving Fortitude Valley and surrounds, quality is assured at The Queens Arms Hotel. The New Farm watering hole is another of inner Brisbane’s outsized pubs, with three bars and a couple of dining spaces to choose from, all bright and airy and decked out in exposed brick and greenery. As with so many of these inner Brisbane pubs, The Queens Arms has a massive menu with plenty of quality dishes that’ll suit your pint. We’d recommend a plate of the salmon and chilli-caper linguine – the mix of hot-smoked salmon, crispy capers and a little chilli oil brings a touch of heat to complement your lager.

This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Long Run, a premium new beer in the Great Northern Brewing Co. range. Long Run is inspired by Queensland’s outback and brewed to bring people together.