Sticks and Stones Cafe: Pork Spare Ribs
The Sticks and Stones Cafe is currently the “it” place to go for coffee in the surf coast area. It’s located in amongst the major surf shops off the surf coast highway in Torquay. In 2014 it was the winner of several Golden Plate Awards, including best licensed cafe, best coffee, best barista and best value for money.
Although we went there to try the coffee, we were pleasantly surprised to see ribs on their menu (please note: this is currently on their summer menu and so may only be available for a limited time). As always, if there’s ribs on the menu, it means they must be ordered! and an RAS review must be done!
The ribs were slow cooked pork spare ribs with a dry spice rub and sticky sauce, served with a red cabbage slaw. The portion size was adequate for a lunch menu item but don’t expect a whole rack of ribs. The meat was good quality, tender and falling off the bone – just like all good ribs should be. The spice rub was delicious with just the right amount of spiciness to give it a little kick but not overpower the taste of the meat. The sticky sauce was also good and there was enough to coat all the meat.
Usually with ribs I consider salad to be a garnish, but I actually really enjoyed the red cabbage slaw. It added spice, flavour and texture to enhance the whole dish. I wasn’t even disappointed by the lack of chips as I felt the salad complemented the ribs perfectly. Most other establishments just chuck any old salad on the plate to add some colour, however, I felt that a lot of thought had gone into this dish to make sure it was well balanced.
The price was was reasonable at $19. The staff were friendly, attentive and knowledgable.
The final score of this review will be affected by the smaller serving size (adequate for lunch), however, I will definitely be heading back again for more. I would also definitely recommend Sticks and Stones Cafe as a great place to enjoy ribs for lunch. If you’re after some great tasting ribs but don’t want to over-eat, then this place is a great option.
On a side note, the coffee was outstanding!
Venue Details:
- Address:61 Surfcoast Hwy, Torquay
- Phone: (03) 5264 7722
- Hours of Operation: Open 7 days a week 8am – 4pm
Pros:
- Just the right amount of spice
- Tender meat
- Accompanying salad was actually worth eating
- Great lunch option
Cons:
- Smaller size, adequate for lunch but may not suit if you are extra hungry
- On the summer menu so may be available for a limited time
- BBQ Pork Ribs on the Weber Q - July 28, 2020
- Sticks and Stones Cafe: Pork Spare Ribs - February 28, 2015
- The Meat & Wine Co Southbank: Pork Ribs - December 2, 2014
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Serving Size
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Tenderness of Meat
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Sauce on the Ribs
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Value for Money
