Hughes Barbecue at The George Hotel, Waterloo

"We live two streets from here but we've never visited until now!" That's the refrain most commonly exclaimed by customers at Hughes Barbecue, the American barbecue takeover now in its sixth week at The George Hotel.

Pit master Anton Hughes is now the master of his own domain, opening Hughes Barbecue with partner Tanya Lumley after stints at Vic's Meat Market and Bovine & Swine (formerly co-owned and now sold).


Dining room at The George Hotel

The George Hotel, once an old school blokey pub, might be one of the last bastions of working class Waterloo. The new family friendly dining venue is bringing in a new crowd of young professionals since Hughes Barbecue moved in.


Hughes Barbecue menu

The menu is significantly broader in range than that offered at Bovine and Swine. In addition to the usual meat-plate-and-sides or smoked sandwich options, punters can add on chicken wingettes, maple cornbread, onion rings and fried pickles.

Don't feel like barbecue? There's a smoked wagyu cheese burger too. And I reckon the classic schnitzel is a concession to all the old-timers who still rock up here.


Sunday Specials

Daily specials are handwritten on the kitchen side-door. On the Sunday we visit it's crocodile, available as a tail fillet or in a burger.


Camera eats first (hai Simon)

We're a swarm of cameras today, gathered for the ninth annual Sydney Food Bloggers Christmas Party co-hosted by Chocolatesuze and I. It's an ideal venue for groups - people can order and pay for their own food as they go, including cheap drinks from the front bar.


Smoking barbecue

It's a hot day but we're under cover and out of the sun's direct glare. The smoking barbecues in the courtyard add to the heat but pitt boss Anton Hughes barely raises a sweat as he checks on the smokers.


Pit boss Anton Hughes checking the barbecue beef briskets


Carnivore heaven


Ribs and brisket in the barbecue


Pork ribs with root beer glaze


Fried pickles with blue cheese sauce $6

We start with fried pickles, which turn out to be one of the best versions I've had. Each pickle slice is impressively crunchy on the outside whilst still retaining its juiciness within. The blue cheese sauce doesn't have much of a blue cheese tang but it doesn't matter here - I could have easily polished off three serves of these pickles on my own.


Two meat plate and one side $35
12-hour smoked brisket and Andouille sausage 

The brisket is smoked for twelve hours over a mix of ironbark and applewood. We score two succulently fatty slices, marked with a noticeable smoke ring around the edges. The meat is lusciously tender and smoky.


Andouille sausage 

Andouille sausage is another highlight, firm and juicy with a satisfying bite.


Coleslaw 
(our choice of side with the two meat plate)

The coleslaw side is relatively small in portion but it makes for a refreshing palate cleanser between mouthfuls of meat.


Beef short rib plate (2 large ribs) with one side $40

We have to wait a little while for the beef short rib to be ready but it's worth it, a slab of perfectly rendered meat that slides right off the bone. The smoke ring is textbook. It's super rich and smoky but oh so gruntworthy.


Mac 'n' cheese 
(our choice of side with the beef short rib)

Our other side is the mac 'n' cheese, a comforting scoop of pasta swaddled in a gently cheesy sauce.


Steak cut chips $6

And because you can never have enough carbs, we get the steak cut chips too. The self-serve station includes as much tomato, barbecue, mustard and hot sauce as you can handle.


Barbecue tri-tip

Hughes generously sends out a couple of plates of barbecue tri-tip for the table. It's one of my favourite cuts, transformed here into a smoky steak cooked to a juicy medium rare. The flavour of tri-tip is always a treat.


Smoked wagyu cheeseburger with fries $18

There's an assortment of dishes ordered across the table, and of course everyone consents to having their food photographed. The smoked wagyu cheeseburger comes with bacon and a molten layer of melted American cheese.


Root beer glazed pork ribs and beef brisket $35 with one side

The pork ribs are glazed with root beer, cooked dry-style so the meat still grips the bone, just the way Hughes likes it.


Brisket sandwich with chips $16

If you're ordering for one, the brisket sandwich is a winner, allowing you to savour that fatty smoky brisket in a milk bun with a side of chips.


Beef brisket, root beer glaze pork ribs and chopped pork $50 with two sides
Maple cornbread with cinnamon butter $5

Chopped pork is also a worthwhile temptation, best dipped in barbecue sauce for maximum satisfaction. You can round out the Southern feast with maple cornbread too, served with a scoop of cinnamon butter.


Pulled jackfruit $10 for 100g

Vegetarians can join the party too. The pulled jackfruit looks remarkably like pulled pork although it doesn't quite have the texture of meat. Hughes plans to expand the vegetarian menu soon, with hopes to bring in a separate smoker just for vegan options.


Rolled crocodile tail on the barbecue

Our visit coincides with their first ever offering of crocodile, the tail deboned by Hughes himself and then rolled, smoked and glazed with pineapple and coconut. The meat comes from farmed crocodile in the Northern Territory.


Crocodile tail smoked and glazed with pineapple and coconut $10 per 100g

I've eaten crocodile before but it's my first time eating crocodile tail fillet. It tastes just like, yes, chicken, although it has a slightly drier texture.


Crocodile flesh and fat

What's most fascinating is the thick layer of fat attached to the flesh. It's not as greasy as pork fat but it still has a noticeable richness, like tendon set firm with agar. The pineapple and coconut glaze is a clever tropical touch.

Don't expect Hughes to sit on his laurels. He's been experimenting with duck and quail and there's talk there may be barbecued desserts on the menu soon too. Schmmmmmoking!






Hughes Barbecue at The George Hotel (Facebook)
760 Elizabeth Street, Waterloo, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9698 1320

Opening hours
Tuesday to Wednesday 12pm-2pm and 5pm-8.30pm
Thursday 12pm-2.30pm and 5.30pm-8.30pm
Friday to Saturday 12pm-3pm and 5pm-9pm
Sunday 12pm-3pm and 5pm-8.30pm


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