Disappointing Tin Shed
We were looking forward to our meal at the Tin Shed - the Combined Services Club by its other name. We had been here twice before and very much enjoyed it. This time not so much.
It might have been our fault for going there on a Sunday. It was absolutely packed. I gather this is because there is live music on Sunday afternoon and therefore people come and spend the afternoon there, followed by an early dinner. We arrived at about 6.30 and there was no table available (you can't book for less than six people) - so we had to wait upstairs in the bar. Admittedly not for long at all, and they had a very efficient and friendly service of a buzzer kind of thing that told you when your table was ready. However, the upstairs bar was very much a pub with several tv screens showing horse races, AFI and other ways of gambling your money away. And it was noisy of course - the outside terrace was absolutely full. But I guess not our thing - which sounds somewhat snobby and I guess is really. Bus as I say we didn't have to wait long. Let's put it down to experience of the other side of Port Douglas - the blokey side. The Yacht Club was blokey and pub like too, with lots of locals, but somehow more matey - and none of the gambling stuff I suppose.
One of the best things going for the Tin Shed - and the Yacht Club too of course, is its location - at the bottom of the main drag on the water, looking over to beautiful hills and the open sea. But even though we arrived early (for us) it was getting dark and by the time we got to sit down it was dark, so we rather missed the view. It gets dark early up here and people do seem to eat early as well. So - bummer - no view.
And it was very crowded, which can be a good thing, but somehow wasn't. I don't know why. Our fault entirely that.
You order your own food and buy your drink like in a pub - which is fine, and the food is not long in coming. But here was the main disappointment because the food was not really all that wonderful. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't good either. I think the Yacht Club did better.
These photos were not taken by us, but this is what we had.
Unsurprisingly I had the fish and chips - same fish - Spanish mackerel, but battered this time. And I guess the batter was pretty crisp - at the ends anyway, but there were not that many chips and they were marginally soggy - well they plonked the fish on top, and the salad was positively unappetising. I don't think you can quite see it there, but there was a bowl of various salady things, but on top was dumped some revolting looking salad dressing - I guess it was supposed to look creamy but it just looked semi-hardened and manufactured. Hard to tell what was in it it and one wasn't tempted to try. Maybe I should have - it might have been a taste sensation. But I'm afraid its appearance put me off having any of the healthy salad things. David had pork ribs which was smothered in bbq sauce, with a coleslaw, which was rather better than my salad, and a few chips. The portion was enormous, and the meat was very tender but he did have to scrape off most of the sauce I think. Mind you when we ate at the yacht club he did say he fancied the pork ribs (which he hadn't ordered) when he saw somebody else's dish. I don't actually remember it looking terribly different, so maybe it is entirely subjective and depends on your mood. Interestingly the Port Douglas Tourist site, on it's page on the Tin Shed, has this rather more sumptuous and classy looking selection of dishes.
Now this is not an expensive place to dine but we did remember the food as being a bit better. Maybe they have a new chef? Or maybe they don't have anyone who can plate it all a bit better.
I'd still recommend it as a place to go. The girl in the tourist office said it was her personal 'go to' place. But this time - more marks to the Yacht Club. And if you are going, don't go on Sunday, and go a bit later - it as emptying out somewhat by the time we left.
