Toowoomba CBD: Ex-Bar Wunder site to become Bone Idol Bar, with comfort food, craft beers and shuffleboard tables

The old Bar Wunder site is being transformed into a ‘lived-in’ CBD venue with comfort food, local brews and live music — and the owners are even introducing a new sport to Toowoomba. Details here.

Craft beers, live music, comfort food and shuffleboard tables — nope, it’s not Austin, Texas but downtown Toowoomba.

The owners behind one of Toowoomba’s top restaurants have revealed their plans to transform the old Bar Wunder site into a two-storey venue not dissimilar from an American dive bar.

The Plate’s Alister Ferguson and Ryan McBurney will open Bone Idol Bar on Ruthven St in about a month, with tradies working tirelessly to bring the pair’s lived-in sports bar vision to life.

Bone Idol Bar's Ryan McBurney (left) and Alister Ferguson plan to open the new CBD venue in the coming weeks, featuring live music, craft beer on tap and shuffleboard tables across two levels.

“Think an American sports or dive bar, just a good place to go — casual, non-pretentious,” Mr Ferguson said.

“We wanted that really welcoming venue, like someone’s backyard or home.”

Bone Idol, which will replace both the controversial Bar Wunder and the old tattooist upstairs, will feature 20 beer taps (including six for their own created by brewer Tim Anderssen), along with a relaxed menu, live music, pool, darts and a beer garden out the back.

“We’ve been passionate about what we’ve done at the Plate and the Paddock, but this is our favourite place,” Mr McBurney said.

Mr Ferguson said the venue was also introducing Toowoomba residents to table shuffleboard, having purchased four tables measuring at least 18ft from Texas.

“It’s big in America and Europe but not here, because they’re quite expensive,” he said.

“No one else is doing it except for us and a few others and no one else in Toowoomba has shuffleboards.”

Menu items include Buffalo wings, Philly cheese steaks, quesadillas and burgers, while the venue will cook smoked meats out the back every weekend.

“We’ve got great beer and everyone loves it, but The Plate is a restaurant, it’s not a laid-back drinking environment,” Mr Ferguson said.

“If you want to sit back and drink some craft beers you’re not going to go to the Plate.

“We’re bringing an awesome menu here like Philly cheesesteaks, and then we’ll have our six beers and 20 taps in total.”

Spaces will also be available to hold functions and parties, incorporating activities like the shuffleboards.

Mr McBurney said as many as seven people would work at the venue.

Originally published as Toowoomba CBD: Ex-Bar Wunder site to become Bone Idol Bar, with comfort food, craft beers and shuffleboard tables