26/10/2026
The bush pub at the centre of the universe (well w**e universe at least)
Once again, I will be writing my review of the Muckadilla (Mucka) Pub from the viewpoint of a Sommelier. Unlike others before it, this one has w**e offerings akin or better than any 4-star restaurant in a major city and better than many 5-star places I have known. I am awarding 4 ½ out of 5 overall, however if just looking at food and beverage its 5 out of 5. Lyal and Lisa have recently taken ownership of the place and have brought all their years of experience in hospitality to what was an already classic country pub that allows camping out the back free for self-contained campers who do not need anything or $25 for those wanting power and water hook up.
Service: 5 out of 5 – All of the staff here were great, from the young and energetic servers to those with more wisdom and finesse as they delivered meals and drinks. Lyal himself was regularly (I stayed 2 nights) behind the bar as well as in front meeting the locals and travellers alike.
Food: 5 out of 5 – I ate several different dishes here over the 2 days and saw plenty more come out of the kitchen. The portions were always on the generous side as anticipated from an Aussie pub and the quality and flavours would be reminiscent of an inner-city eatery. The chicken wings were the right level of ‘sticky’, the steaks were cooked to my request (very rare) and were warm through with plenty of pink but just a hint of blood on the plate = out of the fridge early enough for true room temp cooking, grill hot but not scorching and then the cuts resting to perfection before being served. The vegetables were firm without being crunchy which is hard work in a pub kitchen. Then there was a the special ‘Slow cooked beef cheek on sweet potato mash’. The meat fell apart, slightest hint of heat in the gravy without taking away from the flavours and the mash was creamy, yet no butter overtones.
W**e: 10 out of 5 – For anyone following the Mucka Pub on socials would have already seen a video that Lyal took when I was there after we had been discussing his selection of w**es for sale and I will rave about these offerings for a very long time to come. A town in central Queensland with a population of 35 – 40 has the best w**e cellar I have seen in any pub anywhere in 15 months on the road. The w**es range in vintage from 2025 to early 2000’s that I could easily see on the shelves. There is more than 24 different varieties in the Magnum format from a 2012 Padthaway Syrah to a 2021 McLaren Vale Shiraz and a 2020 Ebenezer district (Barossa) Shiraz.
Lyal allowed me to open one of his two fridges and I only managed to view the bottes on 2 shelves (they are crammed in there) and found Chardonnay from Margaret river, Barossa, and Mornington Peninsula; Reisling from the Hunter, Clare and Eden Valley; Pinot Gris from Tasmania and the Adelaide Hills, then I had to stop myself before I needed a week to put them all back again. If you are travelling and appreciate w**e then this is a place you NEED to detour and allow at least 2 nights so you can truly appreciate both the food and the w**e.
Camping: 3 out of 5 – I did not get a look inside one of the 6 or 7 self-contained huts / Donga’s but they looked clean and newish. The space for powered camping is limited to about 8 and none would accommodate a large 5th wheeler type set up, however there was more than enough space for our truck (7.5m long) to get into a site. Be aware that the ‘free’ camping out the back is large and flat, but “black soil”, so if there has been rain do NOT go there unless you plan on staying a week or more cause even the local farmers will not be able to pull you out. The main reason for the low score here was the bathrooms. They are in desperate need of an update and looking at the way Lyal and Lisa are attacking everything else I can see this being on their list sooner rather than later.
Final assessment: The food I ate, and saw come out of the kitchen was brilliant and would not be out of place in in inner city Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne etc etc. The service was excellent and the w**es, well they are just next level in options, quality and value especially when you consider that the place is 600km from the nearest city!!
And seriously if you have ever seen a pub with more w**es or 20 plus w**es of this quality at this level of value for money outside a metro /w**e producing area. I NEED to know where it is so I can go visit.
The Mucka Pub
