The Abercrombie, Chippendale

I love The Abercrombie, there's no beating around the bush here. Located right across the road from the UTS tower, it's the bar that my concrete Jenga university never accommodated, but still close enough to host ample boozing time between classes. Formerly home to Purple Sneakers, the pub was resurrected mid last year after being refurbished by the Midas touch of Gang Bang DJs Jaime Wirth and James Miller, whose quickly expanding inner-city pub portfolio boasts The Flinders, The Norfolk, The Carrington and most recently The Forresters. The new(er) Abercrombie is like the illegitimate love-child of a Scottish gadgie and a stoned American frat boy, sporting a mean coat of tartan and a meaner menu that will put any fast food chain to shame.

Deep Fried Golden Gaytime $7

Hey you know what's awesome? Ice-cream. You know what even more awesome? Toffee ice-cream dipped in chocolate and coated in honeycomb biscuit crumbs. That's pretty awesome. But hey why stop there, you know what's even better? Toffee ice-cream dipped in chocolate, coated in honeycomb biscuit crumbs, BATTERED, DEEP FRIED AND DOUSED IN CARAMEL SAUCE. This is the deep fried Golden Gaytime, an ultimate in calorific indulgence and it is not for the faint-hearted. It tasted amazing, in a sort of revoltingly delicious way which makes your taste-buds demand more but your arteries wimper in pain. No time to hesitate or to think about the consequences, just eat fast because underneath that hot golden layer, ice-cream melts quickly. If you are fearless or just cardiovascularly reckless you may even try the deep fried Twinkie, which comes with a blanket of marshmallow creme fairy adorned with rainbow sprinkles. But even I have boundaries.

Salt & Pepa Squid $12 ($10 during weekday lunch)

The salt & pepa squid wears a gnarly coat of deep fried batter that is crunchy and moreish. They've got the salt and pepper seasoning down to a pat and the lime and tabasco mayo that comes with is absolute killer. Pieces of chilli and coriander makes it prettier.

Philly Cheese Steak $17

The Philly cheese steak is orgasmically good, hunks of steak wedged in a warm roll, topped with red and green capsicum, mayo and a deluge of molten cheese. Also, chips on the side of anything is guaranteed to make it even better.

Double Cheeseburger $17 ($10 during weekday lunch)

Vegetables on the side of the double cheeseburger, like it should be. Bun, sauce, burger, cheese, burger, cheese, a bukkake-esque amount of mayonnaise and sesame bun. Glorious. The only vegetables that I ate were the chips.

Fried Chicken Burger $17 ($10 during weekday lunch)

The fried chicken burger is tower of crunchy deep fried chook, topped with coleslaw, dressed in chilli mayo. A big ol' soft white bun and a side of chips ups the carb count on this number.

Toad in a Hole $10

The toad in a hole is a traditional British dish, with sausage, onion and pastry (Yorkshire pudding batter) drowning in rosemary gravy. The gravy is fantastic, the excess perfect for dipping the side of chips in but beware, this fella is deceptively greasy - by time I finished the pastry, a solid layer of oil had pooled at the bottom of the dish. Not that I was fussed, but others may find it confronting - my dining companion informed me I was disgusting.

Glasgow Hotwings $12

I think the Glasgow hotwings might no longer part of their menu and that is a damn crying shame. Spicy baked chicken wings in a sticky, fiery sauce, with blue cheese dressing for dipping and pieces of bread for mopping.

Blackened Fish & Quinoa Salad $15 ($10 during weekday lunch)

The only reason I ordered a salad at the Abercrombie this one time was to compensate for the fact that I was really there to ingest the deep fried Golden Gaytime. The blackened fish and quinoa salad was actually really delicious, with a fresh mix of quinoa, corn, red onion, beans and a lemon dressing, topped with four pieces of fish dredged in a solid coating of spices.

ABBA Chicken Cob Salad $15 ($10 during weekday lunch)

Salads are the most recent addition to the menus, presumably for the occasional health-conscious diner who may have stumbled in and gotten lost. The ABBA chicken cob salad is a big ol' bowl of veggies topped with grilled chicken, bacon, egg, goats cheese and mustard dressing.

Mac n Cheese Balls $12 (for 4 pieces, $10 during weekday lunch)

The mac n cheese balls are my absolute, hands-down favourite. Macaroni and cheese, in spherical form,  crumbed and deep fried with aioli for dipping. I'm not even going to try to articulate my love for these delicious, golden, crunchy, cheesy, creamy, literal amazeballs.

Hot Dogs $3 each/4 for $10 (Tuesdays)

Tuesdays are for The World's Least Shit Pub Trivia and super cheap hot dogs. They come with four different toppings: Japanese with seaweed and wasabi mayo; Aussie with bacon, beetroot relish and barbecue sauce; German with cheese, sauerkraut and mustard; and chilli with mustard. Also please don't participate in their trivia night, there is already a ridiculous amount of teams every week and I'd like to have some chance of winning (just once, please).

Chips with Mayo and Gravy $7

Crinkle cut chips with mayo and gravy go down way too easy with a pint (or a jug). Lightly salted with a few bonus mini pickles thrown in for good measure. Boo yah.


The Abercrombie
100 Broadway, Chippendale NSW 2008
Telephone: (02) 9280 2178