Bridge Street Garage, CBD

Some people like fast cars. Others like fast food. At Bridge Street Garage in the heart of the city, you get both – American diner style!

The brain child of chef Oscar Gorosito, Bridge Street combines a retro, very cool, industrial environment with delicious dishes and efficient if not overly friendly service. The space – having started off life as a real, operational garage – pays homage to its roots not only in name but in decor. Car themed graffiti and pop art adorns the walls along with old gas signs and number plates. Pink neon signage adds to the 1950s USA diner feel.

When talking about this restaurant, the term fast food can only be used to describe the speed with which the food was delivered- not its quality! And thank heavens my meal was good because the date I was on certainly wasn’t.

More appropriate for a midweek dinner with a large group of friends, the menu is filled with large dishes designed for sharing. the American theme and chef’s Latin origins ensures that meat and fried foods in all their yummy forms feature heavily in the range of dinner options available. All your traditional bar/ diner staples are covered including burgers, buffalo wings and hot chips. Basically it’s western comfort food at its most delicious and gourmet.

As you’ve probably guessed, this isn’t a place that is conducive to ‘dieting’ (a state of living I don’t feel should exist). In saying that, there are some solid healthy choices including salads and the most amazing fillet of swordfish I have ever eaten ($32).

Lightly grilled and accompanied by a quinoa salad stuffed with dried fruit and nuts, it was one of the nicest and unique seafood dishes I’ve enjoyed and that night’s fish of the day.

My date chose the double pulled pork sandwich ($19)- an epic tower consisting of four slices of bread and two layers of meat and slaw with addition slaw and thick cut chips on the side. It looked like pure heaven, particularly the chips which were golden, crispy and just glistening with well seasoned oil.

Other really tempting options included the soft shelled crab salad ($22), the Bridge Street Garage’s Reuben ($18) and under the specialities section, the quail breast ($29) dressed in balsamic syrup with sweet corn salad.

I really should have ordered the American apple pie ($12) for dessert so my date could get some action but tempting as it was, I just couldn’t wait to leave and reminisce on the awesomeness of my meal on the bus ride home….alone! Something to try next time I guess because rest assured, there will be a next time!