Ensure you have a ball at all three games!
Ensure you have a ball at all three games!
There are a few things synonymous with winters here in SE QLD: consistent swells for the surfers, balmy weather for the outdoorsy amongst us, and State of Origin for the die-hard footy fans! Last year’s series was a little different being held in November, but devoid of this, the result was still a good one — Queenslanderrrr! This year however things are back to normal with the 40th series to start on Wednesday 9th June, Game Two on Sunday 27th June, and the finale will go down on Wednesday 14th July. So, where is the best venue on the Gold Coast to catch all the action whilst enjoying great food and drinks bathed in an unsurpassed atmosphere? Look no further than The Star Gold Coast.
Both Garden Kitchen & Bar and The Sports Bar will be broadcasting all of the nail-biting action from the three games across some of the biggest screens around. And that’s not all. Hot Tomato personalities Paul “Galey” Gale and Brendon “Bossy” Boss will get the events buzzing with all the electric game-day vibes with pre and post-game entertainment and prize giveaways up for grabs at each game of the series across both venues. How good?
On The Lawn at Garden Kitchen & Bar DJ Andrea Tenille will set the mood for Game One, with the McKenzie Band and DJ Key onsite for the Queensland home game on Sunday June 27 while local favourite DJ James Canning will be on the decks to round things off for exhilarating Game Three.
The Container Kitchen on The Lawn will be open to ensure fans are fully fuelled to enjoy all of the games with special menu items, including a chargrilled black Angus beef burger with beer-battered onion rings, Jamaican Jerk Chicken Burger, and Prawn and Avocado Ceviche – for those who are that little bit fancy.
Inside at The Sports Bar spectators will be treated to unequalled mega screen viewing and a stadium-like atmosphere. Broadcasting each match live, large, and the volume fully turned up, you won’t miss a second of the action.
Entry is completely free, but seating as you can imagine will be highly contested and therefore limited. So we suggest you get your gang together and reserve yourselves the ultimate Origin experience. Because why not, it’s about time you get behind your team!
For $850 you can secure a VIP Booth at The Sports Bar for you and up to 9 guests where you can revel in all the action whilst in prime position with some of the best seats in the house. You won’t go hungry or thirsty either with a $400 bar tab, two All Star food platters and two pizzas all thrown in and hand delivered right to your booth throughout the night!
Or if you’d prefer to be under the stars, book a Picnic Table on The Lawn for $200 – completely redeemable on food & beverages on the night – for you and up to 7 friends.
Whether you plan to catch the games at Garden Kitchen & Bar or at The Sports Bar, both venues promise to be the most electrifying places to catch State of Origin series this Winter on the Gold Coast.
Words by Alex Mitcheson.
STORY SPONSORED BY THE STAR GOLD COAST
Picture the scene: it’s your team’s game night, and you and your crew are more than keen to catch the action in a location with full coverage, the coldest of beers, and a sprinkling of outstanding food options. Anything less would be a colossal failure, right? Seeking down such establishments that are solely devoted to delivering these things is not always the most straightforward task. But at the same time, neither is it impossible! Luckily for you, we’ve done our homework and compiled a list of the best sports bars on the Gold Coast to enjoy the action while adequately showing your support for your team. Shouting at screens may or may not be included.
The Star Sports Bar
Many would say this place is in pole position as the Gold Coast’s premier sports bar venue, and we think that’s rightly deserved. If the 23 large screens, private (pre-bookable) booths and a gigantic 10.5-metre screen aren’t impressive enough, you should be swayed by the coldest beer around and a multitude of nearby food outlets for you to fuel up pre-game or celebrate your team’s victory.
Where: The Star Gold Coast, Main Gaming Floor, 1 Casino Drive, Broadbeach
Crafty’s Sports Bar
Aptly positioned at the northern Gold Coast’s prime shopping outlet Harbour Town, Crafty’s gives you the option of mixing shopping with seeing whatever sporting event you might be into. Or, if it’s better suited, the chance for you or your partner to do so whilst the other takes their time with over 200 stores. Make plans to grab some essentials and then settle in with some fantastic food and craft beers. Score!
Where: Harbour Town Eats – 147/189 Brisbane Road, Biggera Waters
The Sporting Globe Bar and Grill
Part of a sizeable chain of sporting bars across the country, these guys certainly know how to look after sporting fans. Apart from expansive coverage of all the action, there are food specials every day of the week, and if you’re seeing the Gold Coast Titans game at the Cbus Stadium, come in beforehand for a drink, and these guys will even take you there and back. How good is that?
Where: Robina Town Centre, 19 Robina Town Centre Drive, Robina
Burleigh Town Hotel
This one is a real showstopper, boasting a zhuzhed up modern bistro and the sports bar to end all sports bars. The newly renovated Burleigh Town Hotel is the ideal destination to catch all of the sports action. Featuring a state-of-the-art 11-metre mega screen… It’s the biggest pub screen in the southern hemisphere and if you think that’s impressive, have a go of the suspended cylinder screen promising perfect viewing from every vantage point #jawdrop.
Where: Tsipura Drive, Burleigh Heads
The Avenue
This hotspot is more renowned as the place you head to take the night up a gear with vibrant music, entertainment, and drinks specials. And that’s a fair comment. However, should you want a great place to catch the next big fight with eating options and the ever so easy decision of sticking around and partying till the small hours, it’s a slam dunk!
Where: 3-15 Orchid Avenue, Surfers Paradise
Coolangatta Hotel
On the southern end of the Coast, The Coolangatta Hotel is the prime location to catch any sporting activities and be assured of a buoyant and passionate atmosphere. Pair it with a splash and lounge on one of Coolangatta’s famous golden beaches, and then be sure to stick around for the post-game live music, and you are onto a hole in one.
Where: Marine Parade, Coolangatta
Fat Freddy’s
How does an American-style sports bar with a Gold Coast twist sound? Too good to be true, right? Wrong. Because you need to look no further than Fat Freddy’s on Broadbeach’s Surf Parade. Grab a highchair at the bar and enjoy unhampered views of seven screens overhead as bartenders look after you with libations galore and a polished bar snacks menu which should make getting up to leave your seat an arduous feat if you ask us!
Where: 50 Surf Parade, Broadbeach
Ashmore Tavern
If you’ve driven past the good ‘ole Ashmore Tavern recently, you’ll have noticed it’s looking anything but ‘ole these days. Undergoing an extreme makeover, we’re not just talking a lick of paint and a few trusty Kmart prints, but an epic $5 million reno sporting some serious a la mode flex. There are sleek new indoor and outdoor dining spaces and a large sports bar with an adjoining balcony. With big screens showing sports daily you’ll never miss a moment of the biggest sporting events at the Sports Bar.
Where: 161 Cotlew Street, Ashmore
Words by Alex Mitcheson & Belinda Symons.
