Rock Island Australia returns with fresh menu and more cocktails after hiatus
Visitors to Pallarenda are celebrating after the suburb’s retro Hawaiian diner reopened with an exciting new menu, after a lengthy hiatus. See what’s changed.
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Visitors to Townsville’s picturesque Pallarenda are once again being greeted with a friendly “aloha” and a cold drink after its retro Hawaiian venue reopened after a lengthy hiatus.
Rock Island Australia swung back into action last Saturday following changes in ownership and management, renovations and upgrades to the kitchen and bar area, the installation of a new bar, and the introduction of a new menu.
Initially opened in long-dormant commercial space opposite Pallarenda Beach in November 2023, the 1950s-themed venue drew inspiration from a diner in Hawaii and built a loyal following, especially with families, with its assortment of meals, drinks, and American-themed merchandise.
Last October, Rock Island Australia announced a temporary closure on social media due to maintenance requests from Townsville City Council, saying they would work with the building’s owner to carry out renovations in the kitchen and bar area.
While they had planned to reopen earlier this year, new venue manager Valentina Amado said the wet weather had forced them to hold off.
“Not everybody knows that we’ve reopened because we haven’t advertised, but people have started to come back and we are busy, and the feedback is happy, because they have a place close to home where they can grab a drink,” Ms Amado said.
Born in Chile, and previously employed by prestigious hospitality establishments in Dublin and Sydney, Ms Amado was excited to discuss their new menu.
It features a fresh breakfast selection, hot dogs, sandwiches, cakes, muffins, parmis, burgers, pizza, vegetarian options, salads, mains, Sunday roasts, dominion coffee, and a huge range of milkshakes and Peters ice-creams.
“Our milkshakes are really Facebook famous, people drink them a lot … (especially) grandfathers and grandmothers … they come in every day of the week, they see the (ocean) and listen to the music and drink their milkshakes,” she said.
“We are going to offer brand new cocktails in the brand new bar section … its pre-mixed cocktails, we have 10 different options … (to enjoy) until 8.30pm on Fridays.”
Ms Amado’s cultural background will shine through with Latin nights planned for every second Friday, and traditional Spanish dish paella, which combines rice and seafood, being served on Saturdays.
The seaside setting also makes the venue an ideal location to book your next function.
For more information, visit Rock Island Australia on Facebook and Instagram.
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Originally published as Rock Island Australia returns with fresh menu and more cocktails after hiatus
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