Surly’s

A place that would fit right into any American city or town. Burgers, wings and various BBQ meats with sides. This is a funky space lined with various typical American bar decorations and a well stocked bar with heaps of beer choices.
I have been here a few times since they opened and each visit has been great — from the friendliest servers in Sydney and some awesome hearty food. A recent visit with some fellow Unilocalers has put this place back on my radar as a good joint for nice filling winter meals.

Shuffleboard.
Yep. Not a typo. Shuffleboard, here, in Sydney. Take the stairs all the way to the top floor and there are two tables, resplendent, woody, covered with the finest of fine sand shipped in from the fine sand mountains of the Sahara. Probably.
But enough about shuffleboard. You’ll probably be coming here for the meat. Such meat. Much meat. Big meat. Dark meat. Slathered in two types of house BBQ sauce (bypass the ketchup, you won’t need it because this BBQ sauce has a kick like a tazered mule, and there’s two types of hot sauce if that kick ain’t kicky enough for ya).
I smashed the Surly’s burger with double burg, this thing is a minor monster and the patties are juicy and charred just right, the cheese drips gloriously, the crunchy iceberg lettuce starts the party and the whole thing is pretty much a symphony of delicious that will be playing in your head for hours afterwards. Also, crinkle fries.
Plus they split bills. Lots of bills, we had a table of 10. I love this. Hey all other places: do this.

I LOVE SURLYS!
The food is great! The staff are great! The beers are great! It’s all great!
The handsome Mike burger is to die for, and I’m sure with the calorie count that will be sooner rather than later. They have a great selection of American beers on tap as well as plenty Australian craft beers in the bottle.
Great for groups!
Recently had a group of Americans come and they gave it the big thumbs up! Doesn’t get more Authentic than that!

Not only a great barbecue joint, this is a real American bar. The waitstaff are super attentive, the portions are big and the food is amazing. The pork ribs are highly recommended, as is the mac and cheese. A must do.

Loveeeee the hater reviews below, because they are so far from an experience I’ve had at Surly’s, and I’ve been here a fair few times.
As far as American BBQ joints, this is close to the top of my list, because it has both great meat and great sauces and sides.
As a starter I love the hot wings (BBQ with ranch or blue cheese AND the the ranch tastes like America) and the spicy fries with cheese. I’ve also had the nachos which were quite good – the cheese is yummy and spicy and doesn’t taste like melted tasty cheese,
A problem I find with a lot of other restaurants trying the American thing right now.
As far as mains, I wasn’t that big a fan of the chicken burger, but mainly because I don’t like darker meat. My fiancé LOVED it. Veggie burger was pretty yum as well.
Full bar with lots of options including Blue Moon, which I don’t often see. Beers average $ 8 and they have a number of specialty cocktails for $ 18.
American BBQ is only available after 6, so don’t come here at lunch looking for it!
Also, if it isn’t clear by the multiple prints on their website and menu, everything is only available until it runs out each night. So come early, eat good and enjoy yourself :)

I have found Surlys to be quite hit or miss when I’ve been there. Once, on a weeknight, two of us were seated downstairs and served quickly and often. The food was good although they had no brisket. I thought it would be a fun place to have my birthday dinner so I booked ahead for 6 people, and even called ahead to ask about the all day BBQ for Saturday.
The server we had was friendly enough but she was not very attentive, serving other tables seated AFTER us, before serving us. She also seemed uninformed about the stock of the kitchen, selling us on the cornbread and then disappointing us by telling us after we’d received our food that they were out of cornbread! This was after we were told there was no buddin onion and no brisket (again)!
We could have forgiven all this had we not been waiting 20 mins to be served and 20 mins to get our food, all while sat upstairs where it was hot, uncomfortable and our table was covered in ants. We questioned just how often that corner of the restaurant is left neglected! To top it off, though she did apologise and try to explain why they ran out of food so soon (apparently it was because they were closed the next day, which is a ridiculous excuse for not stocking up for Saturday night!), she didn’t offer any compensation stating that they didn’t have anything to match the value of the DELICIOUS CORNBREAD, since the cornbread was only ‘thisbig’ !!
It was not how I had seen the night going, as it was my last birthday with my dear friends as I am moving overseas very soon. To say I was disappointed is an understatement. Surlys isn’t a terrible place but they need to find some way to offer CONSISTENT service and food! Perhaps when they have run out of so many food items, they should plan ahead with replacements or offer a table free basket of fries when their meal is incomplete.
For an American themed joint, it certainly didn’t feel like American service despite a couple of American servers. I guess that’s the difference when one is working for tips. They should definitely have more servers upstairs on a busy night, and pump up the air conditioning! Even the bathroom felt like descending into hell. I won’t be back, good luck to any future diners — I hope they get better service !

Id give this place four stars but the three times I’ve been (all at various times) they have never had the brisket. Aside from that, the food is great. Beef rib is very tender and you literally don’t need a knife. Atmosphere is great and staff are friendly. I’d definitely go back but only if everything is on the menu.

The wings. THE WINGS! Also the chips. Came here for a work thing and pretty much just ordered wings, chips, and beer. They were all goooood. They don’t take bookings apparently, but they made an exception for us and put a table on hold for us. The staff are lovely and friendly, the service is great, the food is also great. Really nothing to complain about. Just need to go back and try more of the menu really.

A bead of sweat rolls gently down my brow. We’ve locked eyes and are maintaining that contact like two men about to negotiate the end of the cold war. This Rooster in front of me has not come here to play, he ain’t backing down.
B.b…b…Bacon and cheese fries and two beers… p.pl.please? «Certainly mate, no problem, what burgers do you want?» … «Oh, so it’s going to be like that is it?»
Drop everything, your phone, your pants, whatever and get down to this place. What do Dirty Harry and this place have in common? The don’t f*ck around! You want bacon and cheese fries, oh that’s want you’re going to get homeboy! That’s right.
Selection of American beers? believe it son. Carolina BBQ pork sandwich? If Carolina was a lady I’d have put a ring on it. Philly Cheese steak I was reliably informed by my dinning buddy «was off the charts»… Bar Charts, Pie Charts, Stock Charts, Star Charts all of them. You will not find that Sandwich on any goddamn chart at all! Not one.
Staff were friendly and attentive to the point of I wanted to ask them to join my mystery solving club. I don’t have one but I was tempted to create one just for the sole reason. Top guys.
Staff, owners, chefs have a beer and pat yourselves on the back, this place is great.

I am salivating at the thought of this as its been a couple weeks since I was here. I might be a bit bias as I love American deep fried anything. Especially wings.
The ambience was lovely, the food was so delicious and the service was great!
I love the deep fried chicken pieces! Way better than kfc. It was crunchy, hot, and the chicken moist. I would definitely go back except I live in Melbourne now til next time I’m in Sydney!

If you can’t be bothered reading the full review just read this, FOOD COMA!
Discovered this place by accident after finding out a favourite had closed. They had recently upgraded to table service so we were taking straight to a table and informed that someone would be with us. Ordering was a breeze and starters came quickly after this the mains were also came out not long after we had finished our starters (LIKE MAGIC!!) Our waitress for the night was amazing only wish we remembered her name for a shout out but I’m sure all of them are just as awesome!
Definitely did not miss the other restaurant as this was a million times better!

Hands down some of the best brisket and fried chicken in Sydney!
Ive had the brisket sandwich ($ 14) a few times now (with pickles, onions and a smokey southern barbecue sauce) which is dope but the brisket isn’t consistent, some days it’s better than others and sometimes not so good
Next up is the fried chicken ($ 15 for three pieces) which is fucking great, it’s that nice southern fried buttermilk chicken that you dream about with some herbs and spices (sometimes too herby but always good)
$ 7.50 stone and woods are also available here which isn’t too bad.
*Also I’ve eaten this shit in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama and not many places in Sydney are getting it right, but Surly’s comes very very close

Fatty, greasy and lacking flavour– as a Southerner abroad I had high hopes for this place. Sure, Jazz City is up the road but it lacks the bumping vibe you get when walking into Surly’s, which is sort of biker bar meets hipster bar.
They’re trying to highlight whiskey on their drinks menu, which is GREAT. However, after tasting a couple of their cocktails I’m convinced they’re trying to kill people with the overly sweet and syrupy concoctions. Better off sticking with the American beers they’re imported. This is a highlight, as you can get a tall boy of PBR, Blue Moon and more.
Skip the food though as any Southerner would tell you this is barely passable as BBQ, but stay for the drinks and the fun vibe… and then go down the street to Jazz City for some real BBQ.

I’m breaking out in meat sweats as I recall my meal at Surly’s…burp
We came, we over-​ordered and we rolled out of the place. The new hipster eatery is suitably decked out for an American BBQ joint, a good balance of cute/​hip/​blokey. The food was good and does the cuisine justice, only downer was the brisket which needed either a little less cooking or a lot more cooking or fat so that it’s more tender, however what it lacked in texture it made up in taste. The pork ribs on the other hand was divine, so much so that it caused a physical reaction that was highly inappropriate in public to one of my dinner companion. Shivers.
Booze was alright, the beer is on the pricey side but they’re all boutique/​imported beers so that’s fair enough, the wine tho was quite steep as I was served what looked like ½ a glass for $ 10. Serves me right for ordering wine at a BBQ joint!

So a couple of Sydney friends thought they would take me to a fairly new American style restaurant in Surrey Hills they had been dying to try out and also as I’m an Aussie now living in Austin TX.
We made our way to Surly’s and walked in to find something I would definetly find back home. The bar and interior where a slice of America from the menus and Coors on tap to the wood paneled bar.
The menu had ALL my favorites from chilli fries, buffalo wings to burgers and BBQ! I ended up having the chilli fries and the Surly Burger and shared some wings with my mates!
The food was really really good, not too badly priced by Sydney’s usual ridiculous standards lol, it was quick, fresh and hot!
Now what REALLY REALLY lets this place down is its staff. :(They are bordering on rude and took some shine off the experience. American Hospo staff are AWESOME, they are engaging, friendly and attentive. I can’t say the same here we got the typical Surrey Hills/​Darlo hipster type attitude that is all to common these days. A smile and some GENUINE interest in your customers is NOT too much to ask! pull your finger out and you have a WINNING restaurant.

Finally made it here.
Carb and cheese heavy, I don’t think there’s anything that doesn’t include these two on the menu. Everything is pretty spicy too.
Chilli cheese nacho was yummy, I love that they made their own chips. Mac and cheese was delicious though I don’t think I can eat one serving on my own.
Basketball fans will love this place as NBA games were streamed all throughout lunch.

After drooling over the menu for a few minutes I handed it to The Boy, «I need you to order for me» I explained «because I will go up there and order one of everything». Trust me friends, this was no idle threat. It is something I’ve been known to do on occasion when trying a new place or perusing Chur Burger specials.
The menu at Surly’s is everything a homesick North American ex-​pat could ask for: wings, brisket, burgers, pulled pork, and fried chicken as far as the eye can see.
The buffalo hot wings ($ 12) are what you would expect in just about any pub back home. But that makes them incredible in Sydney. Good spice level, and your choice of bleu cheese or ranch dip, with some celery and carrots on the side.
The Big Banh Mi sandwich ($ 14) was a nice American/​Asian fusion with pulled pork in place of the usual meat. The menu said jalapeños, but I’m certain those were some of the hottest red birds eye slices I’ve had in awhile. Utterly delicious!
The Chopped Brisket Sandwich ($ 15) was a small serve of some amazing brisket. The pickles were a great addition and also managed to cool down the fire in my mouth after the Banh Mi.
I’d leave Surly’s Spicy Fries ($ 10) off the order next time. No regrets on ordering them — they just had a bit too much seasoning and weren’t as delicious as everything else.
Keen to go back a few more times so I can eventually try one of everything.

I think this place has a lot of potential, but didn’t quite meet the hype for me (and believe me, there was a lot of hype and excitement prior to dining here as I was raised in North Carolina where we live and breathe bbq).
Aside from meat, one of the best things about bbq is the side dishes (ie. mac and cheese, cole slaw, baked beans, collard greens, corn bread, you name it). It doesn’t need to be anything fancy– in fact sides are usually pretty simple but super comforting. The sides weren’t that great at Surly’s — the mac and cheese tasted/​looked like Kraft mac and cheese (maybe that’s what they used? cheese powder?) and was too salty. The corn bread was astonishingly tiny — a small flat round piece of bread maybe 1.5−2 inches in diameter at most?! Cole slaw was ok. They could nail the mac and cheese (creamer, use real cheese if they didn’t, less salty) and serve up a big ol’ slice of fresh cornbread (super cheap to make), to start off with. I think that would make a lot of people happy and are pretty easy requests to satisfy.
The ribs and brisket were ok but also a bit salty and I’ve had better brisket (Papi Chulo) and ribs elsewhere in Sydney.
My biggest complaint would be about the «Carolina» pulled pork sandwich. First, the buns were really dry. Also, Carolina pulled pork is noticeably different from your average pulled pork in that it is made with cider vinegar and hot pepper flakes giving it a distinctive taste. Please don’t call it Carolina pulled pork when it has no resemblance to Carolina pulled pork because it is misleading! I take that personally.
On the plus side…
–I’d give the ambiance a ⁵⁄₅ because the vibe and décor are great. I love the beer on tap and when you’re inside you just feel like you’re sitting at a place in America. Looked a lot like the Stuffed Beaver which isn’t that surprising as they share the same owner.
–Cost. You can get full for $ 20 or less — awesome.
–Chicken wings. Nailed the buffalo wings and love the carrot + celery sticks w/​blue cheese dressing on the side.
Again, I think this place has a LOT of potential if they tweak their recipes a bit. I’m looking forward to coming back in the near future.

Nostalgia, party of one please.
Walking into Surly’s is like transporting into a bar in America… seriously the décor and architecture just screams Americana. From the placards and kitsch hanging on the wall, to the cheap plastic cups for non-​alcoholic drinks. I’m very impressed with the fit-​out, as I felt I could have been in San Francisco, Boston, or a college bar.
Surly’s is run by the same group that runs the Stuffed Beaver and Riley Street Garage… so you can expect delicious comfort food. Their menu is a huge range of Americana, with smoked BBQ served only during dinner, starting from 5pm to 6pm. I’m talking bacon cheese crinkle cut fries, chilli cheese fries, nachos, wings, burgers, fried chicken, and Philly Cheesesteaks and so on.
We ordered the bacon cheese fries, Surly’s Burger with bacon, and Beef Rib. The BBQ dishes come with 2 sides each plus cornbread, and I have to say it’s the best value BBQ I’ve had so far. It’s not per weight like at Jazz City, but you definitely get way more bang for your buck. I’ll just get this out of the way, the cornbread here sucks, it’s small and negligible. I also didn’t care for the sides, we ordered mac n cheese and BBQ beans, and I tried the potato salad. The mac n cheese is like Kraft mac n cheese, so if that’s your thing go all in. The others were just OK, but I didn’t bother eating most of them. The Philly Cheesesteak also didn’t look too accurate but I’ll have to try it to give a verdict.
Compared to Jazz City BBQ I’d say you get better value, variety of foods, and ambience here. But Jazz City has better sauces, cornbread, and obviously the option of a-​la-​carte BBQ.
The tables come with two types of BBQ sauce, a chipotle one which is slightly spicy, and a sweet one. The beef rib was slightly on the salty side, but it was sooo tender and delicious. It fell apart and I would happily order this again. The bacon cheese fries were awesome as well… loved the «cheese» sauce, but they could have added more bacon. The burger… I wasn’t expecting the burger to be very good after seeing the bun as it’s a dryish bun, but it was surprisingly tasty and I could order it again. The cheese and secret sauce went together well, and the meat was tender. I may order a double next time around.
The service is pretty good, people are super friendly and food comes out relatively fast… but be quick to come as the place packs out after 7. The clientele is a range of hipsters, yuppies, and suits which is part of the charm. They have several beers on tap and do decent cocktails as well.
I will definitely be back to try the rest of the menu, and I will especially be back whenever I want to feel like going to America without actually going to America.
How do you know if someone’s American? They’ll tell you… cause I’m American.

I happened to wander by this joint on it’s opening day, and it was a great accident. This place is part of the growing trend of American diners and bbqs, which I am happy to try out. It has an eclectic range of decorations adorned on the walls. The philly cheesesteak was nice, but needed a bit more cheese and the ratio of filling to bun was a bit off. Though nothing major and hey it was their first day. The buffalo wings were delicious; very saucy with a nice level of spice that left a tingle on my lips. They provide a very generous amount of dipping sauce. The cheese and bacon fries had a nice amount of the fake orange squeezy cheese, which is what I want when I get cheese fries at an American joint. You don’t go to an american diner for gourmet cheese, you go for all the artificial colours and flavours. Definitely will go back to try their barbecued meats.