After a trip to wine country, it was a toss up between visiting a country pub, or making tracks back to the “city” for some lamb ribs at Shorty’s. The Dutchman vows these are the best ribs in Canberra, so off we go, only to find that they are no longer on the menu… Fail.
The menu is a mix of pub fare with some Asian and Mexican twists, but there is a burger and it needs to be tried… It does taste a bit like a Whopper, but it’s juicy and bacony so it’s passable, however, the bun is a little too sweet. The chips, although sprinkled in some sort of spicy seasoning, lack flavour and need to be salted.
The chicken burger, or chicken roll, is devoured swiftly, the sweet mayo complimenting the freshness of the coriander well.
In a cloud of misery from the lack of ribs, The Dutchman settles for pulled pork nachos. They are lacklustre. There isn’t enough topping, and the pork seems a little crusty. Sigh.
Being a former vegetarian, I am an avid fan of nose-to-tail-eating, and when there is something a little unusual on the menu, I feel it’s important to support my philosophy by ordering it. Pig face nuggets; the stank of these was almost enough to deter one from eating them… And overall these were clumsy, breaded-up wads of brown flesh that will bloat you well into the night and fill you with all sorts of noxious gases. Avoid.
Corn with lime and parmesan is a perennial favourite and is deemed to be the best thing we ate.
Despite the friendly service and good selection of beers on tap, Shorty’s unfortunately follows its name and falls short on delivering top notch pub fare.
