Jolly Swagman Cafe

Felt like a pie and heard that there are some decent ones at The Jolly Swagman Cafe so dropped by on a day off. Got myself a steak and mushroom pie ($5.60) and sat by the counter observing a steady stream of customers roll through with their takeaway orders. The pie was decent and had a few visible chunks of meat inside. I can't say I loved it though, and I'm nowhere close to recreating that memory from childhood. Maybe I'm not getting the right pies, or maybe it's a foolish quests. Then again, maybe I'm just after an excuse to try more pies - I've even got a little pie crawl in the works with a fellow pie lover, to check out a few other recommended pie vendors. As for the Swagman, it's a local café that I do pass by often, so I plan to be back at some point to try other items, whether pies or other food. The staff are pretty friendly though I did get questioned on why I was taking photos around the place! 😁

Oh how I really wanted this cafe to be quirky and interesting. Just moved into the area and loved the Roadhouse feel. The quirky seating area was so country it made me feel at home. Unfortunately that was all I could give credit for. Coffee was beyond overpriced, especially for Merlo. I ended up getting a pie after being rushed through our order by the lady at the counter. She kept asking us if there was anything else whilst we tried to take in the enormous selection of food written on the wall. Coffee tasted like cardboard and was just seriously bad considering the price. My partner liked his ice latte with syrup because it was full of syrup and couldn't taste the coffee. The pie was also overpriced and completely undercooked. The dough was not simply soggy from the meat, it was not cooked. You can see the line of cooked pastry on the outside and where the dough started. It was relatively tasty, maybe a bit oversalted but just couldn't believe it wasnt cooked. Especially for over $5. Will not be returning. BP has better value.