Waterline eatery takes out best breakfast in industry awards

'It's all about how you treat the produce every step of the work, from grass-feeding to ageing it': restaurant family runs won cattle in Banana shire

Anita Ooi, Santiago DeFilippo, Matt Smith and Gerry Ymbong from Waterline restaurant. Picture: Jann H

It's a balancing act for Waterline Restaurant to maintain old menu favourites in the face of a changing public palate, but it's one they got right if the HOSTPLUS awards are anything to go by.

The Rosslyn Bay-based restaurant was named best breakfast restaurant in Queensland and the Northern Territory as part of the Savour Australia awards.

General manager Kylie Smith said TV shows such as MasterChef opened Australian visitors up to culinary innovation.

"We were the first to introduce the people of Yeppoon to panini and pesto,” she said.

"Today, we have foodies come from all over the world and they expect contemporary Asian fusion using fresh, local produce.”

The Smith family has been on site since her father first got the idea of building a cafe there, 23 years ago, while on Christmas holidays.

The family still produces the aged, grass-fed beef on their property near Banana.

"People come from miles away to try our steak sandwiches, so we wouldn't dare change them,” she said.

"Our fish and chips are a popular staple too.”

Ms Smith said the awards were important not only for the family business but also in putting Capricorn Coast on the foodie map.

For while we commonly picture 'grey nomads' driving along the Bruce Highway, there is an increasingly number of retired people and overseas tourists reaching our region by sea.

Waterline caters to people using the Rosslyn Marina as well as those making the day trips to Great Keppel Island.

"Some of them are cruising for a long time on a budget; they love nothing better than some fresh seafood when they get on shore,” Ms Smith said.

"Others are living the high life, and they want to sample the expensive wines as well as the best produce from around Central Queensland.”

She said Beef Week was another important event for letting people know their beef's back story.

"It's all about how you treat the produce every step of the work, from grass-feeding to ageing it,” she said.

Whether it's breakfast, lunch or dinner, we have the best beef in Central Queensland on the menu.”

Their efforts are reflected in the online reviews which hail the Waterline fare as "excellent” and "super tasty”, and its setting as stunning.

Originally published as Waterline eatery takes out best breakfast in industry awards