If you’re heading up the range for the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers this September, don’t just stop at the blooms and parades, swing by the Bull & Barley Inn and add a little country charm to your weekend. Sitting pretty in the tiny town of Cambooya, this 1902 beauty has been pouring drinks and dishing up hearty feeds since before your grandma was born and she’s aged very well. With its colonial-style architecture, wraparound verandahs and lively restaurant open daily for lunch and dinner, the inn combines history with a slightly rowdy country pub atmosphere that makes you feel instantly at home.
Upstairs, the accommodation keeps things simple yet comfortable. Rooms feature crisp white linen, vintage touches and views across the Darling Downs, with the open verandah perfect for a sunset drink. Gleaming polished timber floors line the hallway, while modern, clean communal bathrooms are tucked at the end. Beyond its culinary offerings, the inn provides country-style accommodation designed for guests to slow down and breathe in fresh country air.
The menu is all about hearty, country-style fare. Start with salt and pepper squid or a baked cob loaf before moving on to rib fillet steaks, surf-and-turf or crispy-skin barramundi. There’s a full lineup of parmys and the sticky date pudding with butterscotch schnapps sauce is a must for dessert.
This year’s timing couldn’t be better. On Monday 6 October, the inn hosts a Weekend Table lunch with three courses including mushroom arancini, bacon wrapped beef, crispy barramundi and sticky date pudding, plus optional whiskey tastings from Rusty Mill Distillery. It’s the ideal way to swap parade crowds for good food and country hospitality.
With a beer garden that can seat up to 60 people, the Bull & Barley is also a top pick for functions and gatherings. Seats for the Weekend Table lunch vanish quickly, so book early via tcof.com.au. A weekend of blooms, bites and a bit of barley? That’s how you do Toowoomba in spring.
Bull & Barley Inn
61 Eton St, Cambooya QLD 4358
(07) 4696 1235
Bullandbarleyinn.com.au
