BEST OF THE GOLD COAST: The top 10 surf club meals
BEST OF THE GOLD COAST: WHERE will you find the best surf club feeds in the city after a day on the beach. Check out the Top 10 list.
Best of Gold Coast
Don't miss out on the headlines from Best of Gold Coast. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The Top 10 Gold Coast Surf Clubs where you can get a great meal, as voted by you!
10. RAINBOW BAY SLSC
Location: 2 Snapper Rocks Road, Rainbow Bay
Locals and holidaymakers rub shoulders in a club whose regulars include Joel Parkinson, Mick Fanning and Stephanie Gilmore. The chicken parmigiana is extra large, designed to fill the belly of a hungry surfer after a day on the waves. Specials nights include Barra Wednesdays and Schnitzel Thursdays.
9. BURLEIGH SLSC
Location: Cnr Goodwin Terrace and Gold Coast Highway
Classic surf club menu includes chicken parmigiana, barbecue ribs, and wild-caught barramundi and chips. For something a little bit fancy, there’s the prawn and scallop linguine or warm caramelised ginger pork and apple salad. All are served with views of beach, park and heritage- listed Burleigh Arcade.
8. PALM BEACH SLSC
Crn Seventh Avenue and Jefferson’s Lane, Palm Beach
Here it’s all about surf, turf and fresh simple fare served up with great views. Try the Palmy Burger, a Wagu beef burger with bacon, cheese, lettuce, tomato, caramelised onion and tomato chutney on toasted Turkish. Bistro open for lunch and dinner seven days and breakfast Saturday and Sunday.
7. SOUTHPORT SLSC
Macarthur Parade, Main Beach
Steak and seafood may be popular, but there are regulars prepared to rack up kilometres for the triple-stacked smokey barbecue pork ribs. All served with views over Main Beach and the chance of spotting veteran sporting greats including Olympian Grant Davies and ironman Mark Bennetts.
6. MERMAID BEACH SLSC
172 Hedges Avenue, Mermaid Beach
The place where surfers hungry from a day in the water rub shoulders with the millionaire
residents of beachfront Hedges Avenue. Try the coconut barramundi — grilled barra served with coconut cream, steamed rice and Asian greens — or something else from a menu of steak, seafood, pasta and salad for lunch and dinner, specials that include Parmis from Around the World on Thursdays and breakfasts on weekends.
5. KURRAWA SURF CLUB
Old Burleigh Road, Broadbeach
The three-tiered hot and cold seafood platter mix of fresh, grilled and deep fried treats is best enjoyed on the bistro balcony where you can smell the salt, enjoy views of Kurrawa Beach and park and maybe even see the spray of passing whales. Fast, fresh traditional surf club fare includes a chicken parmigiana served with salad and chips, a traditional burger with meat patty, egg, bacon, lettuce, tomato and beetroot on a Turkish bun and a side of the massive chunky cut Badboy chips. Open seven days for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
4. NOBBY BEACH SLSC
25 Albatross Avenue, Mermaid Beach
New menu with the focus on quality over quantity and good fresh food served up at reasonable
prices with a terrific beach view. The chef’s signature dish is king snapper topped with mussels, clams and king prawns and served in a tomato, chilli and herb sauce. Seafood taste plates that go by names like Ocean View and The Longboarder are among the top menu picks.
3. NORTH BURLEIGH SLSC
293 The Esplanade, Burleigh
Comfort food done well and served up to clubbies, families, retirees, seniors and visitors who venture out from nearby resort hotels. Menu favourites include the chicken schnitzel and parmigiana served with thick chunky-cut steak fries or the roast salmon fillet or whole baked barra offered as a variation on old-fashioned fish and chips, all served with a view north to the Miami headlands and Burleigh beach. One of the few clubs that still has a beer garden and built over a single floor is accessible to wheelchairs, walkers and prams.
2. CURRUMBIN BEACH VIKINGS
Pacific Parade, Currumbin
Order the mixed seafood platter for two or four and dine out on prawns, oysters, calamari,
beer-battered flathead and the water view. The menu includes steak, chicken parmigiana and
surf club salads. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
1. BMD NORTHCLIFFE SLSC
51 Garfield Terrace, Surfers Paradise
BMD Northcliffe breeds ironmen and ironwomen — Shannon Eckstein, Zane Holmes and Courtney Hancock to name a few.
Young nippers, some from third generation surf families, grow into teens who take on surf life saving duties. Plenty subsidise degrees with jobs bussing tables in the bistro and work behind the bar. They eat there too.
The Northcliffe club bistro serves up breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week, just a few blocks south of the iconic sign which marks the entrance to the beach at Surfers Paradise.
Visitors from overseas looking for an authentic Aussie beach experience rub shoulders with members, clubbies, surfers, locals and business types.
Early morning feeds range from big brekkie option The Lifesaver — two eggs cooked as
you like with grilled smoky bacon, pork sausage, sauteed mushrooms, herb roasted tomato
and hash browns served with Vienna toast — to such healthy alternatives as a balsamic
mushroom stack of grilled portobello mushrooms, soft poached eggs, fresh avocado, grilled
haloumi cheese and cherry confit tomatoes served on crusty ciabatta.
Steak, seafood, pizza, pasta, burger, salad and Asian wok options are on the menu for lunch
and dinner.
“We aren’t just some little old surf club. We’re right there at Surfers on beach. We try to
make sure everything we serve is good and fresh,’’ says supporters club operations manager Lauren Hinds.
Menu hits include the ironman sandwich, a triple decker toasted monster meal of chicken
breast, bacon, fried egg, cheese, mixed lettuce, tomato, avocado and aioli served with chips.
The views, though big open windows over Surfers beach, are something else.
“This is what I call the world’s best view,’’ says Lauren .
“From here you can look straight into the waves. You’re only 50m to the water.’’
Channel 7 brekkie show host David Koch pops in for a meal or to watch his beloved Port play footy on the big TV screen when the show comes to town.
“There are 11 TV screens here, so no matter which code you watch, you’re sure to find the
game you want to watch on at least one screen somewhere.
And Los Angeles based singer songwriter and pin-up boy Cody Simpson, a former
Northcliffe nipper, performed there for members during his last visit home.
Blueberry facials, black salt coat treatments: Doggy spa named as best on the Coast
A luxurious pet spa has been named the best dog groomer on the Gold Coast, securing 21 per cent of the Bulletin reader-voted poll. See the top five.
Top five burgers on the Gold Coast named
This northern Gold Coast burger joint has been named the best in the region for the second year in a row. Find out who won.