Similar to the United States, Australia also has roadside eateries at which weary motorists can stop to take a break and refuel themselves; but country pubs in Australia are typically public houses that are located in rural or regional areas outside of major cities — so on the way from Geelong to Great Otway National Park in southern Australia, we decided to stop for dinner at Mount Moriac Country Pub.
Mount Moriac Country Pub in Australia. Restaurant Review.
The bar area is what one sees when walking from the entrance of the establishment to a table in the main dining area. One must order their meals and beverages on the right side of this bar; and one can choose to dine at the counter instead of at a table. Do not be surprised if you engage in an interesting conversation with whom I believe was the owner of Mount Moriac Country Pub, who had a very thick and distinct Australian accent. He was seated on the customer side of the bar with a woman, who I believe was his wife. Other people — including the employees behind the counter — will also be involved in the conversation.
Each table is numbered so that once the food is ready, a server knows to which table to bring the order.
The Scotch Fillet steak normally costs $46.00 for 250 grams on the regular menu; but because we were there on a Wednesday, Steak Night offered three steaks — each at a special price of $30.00, which was a good deal. The Scotch Fillet was 300 grams and was accompanied by chips and a garden salad. We could not decide which one of the four sauces we wanted; so we asked for both the pepper gravy and the mushroom gravy. We only wanted half of each; but we were given two full cups — well more than enough for this steak — and were charged an extra $2.00 for the second gravy. The mushroom gravy was better because the pepper gravy was too peppery and basically only had one note to it without another flavor to counterbalance it. The steak was good and cooked to the right temperature. $30.00 plus $2.00.
The Oven Baked Fish was Barramundi Fillet & Lemon with garlic butter that was served with citrus salad, fennel, tomato, salad mix, oranges, grapefruit, and shave carrots tossed with French dressing that was free of gluten. This dish was quite colorful and flavorful. How can anyone go wrong with barramundi? $36.00
Final Boarding Call
Cursory research was done in finding a restaurant that evening. Not too many choices were available between Geelong and Great Otway National Park; but Mount Moriac Country Pub — which was established in 1844 — sounded like a decent place to eat dinner that evening. A special deal is offered Tuesday nights through Thursday nights; and takeaway deals are offered on Monday nights and Friday nights. A play area for children is located right next to the bistro.
I recommend dining at Mount Moriac Country Pub, which is located approximately 24 kilometers from the center of Geelong. The total cost was $46.09 in United States dollars, which was very reasonable for two meals. The service and the food were very good. A can of soda was ordered; but we did not try any of the desserts.
Mount Moriac Country Pub
1115 Princes Highway
Mount Moriac, Victoria 3240
Australia
management@mmh.pub
+61 03 5266 1372
Operating Hours
- Monday through Tuesday: 11:30 in the morning through 8:30 in the evening
- Wednesday through Thursday: 11:30 in the morning through 9:00 in the evening
- Friday through Saturday: 11:30 in the morning through late
- Sunday: 11:30 in the morning through 9:30 in the evening
Be forewarned that:
- The lunch menu is offered only between the hours of noon and 2:00 in the afternoon
- The dinner menu is offered only between the hours of 5:00 in the afternoon and 8:00 in the evening.
Free parking is available on site.
All photographs ©2025 by Brian Cohen.
