Was going to meet Pepper Potts for lunch and have Nanny’s Food Truck. However, due to the weather Nanny’s decided not to come out and instead I was stuck in town needing to have lunch. Pepper Potts had told me that Hideaway Bar had now changed it’s name and that it is called LeRoy’s Bar & Chicken Joint. I did read somewhere that the original owners of Hideaway either sold the business or went into receivership. Personally I was not surprised as the place was never really that popular and busy and mainly because it was so dark and had no light.
However, the new owners are in, who are associated with The Green Man Pub. They are trying to see if they can make a successful business out of the local, have a name, have a new menu, and have renovated and changed the layout. Personally I am not sure if it will work.
K-Fries
Korean Spiced Beef, kimchi, chilli, cheese, spring onions, sour cream, boom!
When we both saw this, it was something that we both needed to try. I have never heard anything like this before. It seemed all a bit too crazy for me, kimchi and fries? Overall was not bad and pretty good. The fries were cooked really nicely and were super crisp. The cheese and sour cream was good. The beef was a bit crumbly and fell off but was nice and the addition of the kimchi gave it a good spice hit. However, if you are going to say you are going to add chilli, there was none or it just really lacked the kick. Overall an interesting combination and the kimchi was the star of it.
Spicy Buttermilk Fried Chicken
As I have said, I am a sucker for fried chicken. So there was no doubt I was going to try it. The coating was nice, had a good crunch to it with good seasoning. The chicken was fried beautifully with the chicken moist and juicy. Then you add there side sauce of chilli jam and it was good fried chicken. The chilli jam had a really good kick to it and is a good dipping sauce.
Frankendog
It’s a hash brown wrapped around a hotdog with mustard and tom sauce
Pepper Potts was so intrigued by this that she ordered it. It is an interesting concept but I do not think it really delivered. They use a frankfurter and I think it really needs a more meaty high quality sausage like maybe something from the Island Bay Butchery that has real meat in it. Also I thought the mustard they use is a bit too over powering and I think they should not put any sauces on it and just give people the option. The hash brown around the sausage was crisp and give it a good texture. What sauce went really well with the dish was the chilli jam that went with the fried chicken.
To be totally honest. I am not sure if this place will really work and that repeat customers will come back. Yes it is meant to be a dive bar, but the decor is confusing. With a dragon on the back wall wall with lanterns hanging, with a side with a fake tree with fairy lights and then another wall with a both that is inside a caravan. Plus there is also an outside sitting area. It is all too confusing. The place is still quite dark and is a shock to the sensors when you go outside to leave or sit in the outside dinning area. There is also a lot of self-service going on with you needing to go to the bar to order and collect your food.
I maybe wrong, there are daily specials like two for one tacos on Tuesday and BYO vessel with self-service beer on another day. The food is alright and it says it serves “Serious Street Food”. I suppose, only time will tell.
Website; LeRoy’s Bar and Chicken Joint
WAddress; 2 Plimmers Steps, Wellington
Trencherman's Travels 