The Workers

Bar Bar Food Eat & Drink Pub Bistro Wine

Jackie McMillan
May 21, 2014

At a time when the Labor Party seems to stand for little more than getting back into power, this place harks back to the days when it used to stand for something: the workers. It’s guaranteed to bring a tear to the eye to anyone who remembers the glory days of Whitlam, Hawke and Wran. They’re the dudes on the roof – apparently the question Bar Manager Jeremy Baldi gets “asked the most”. So consider it educational to mosey across the Astroturf rooftop, Woodlands Margaret River Chardonnay ($43/bottle) in hand, and gaze at photographic memorabilia. Tuck into Chihuahuas ($5.50/each) – mini Mexican hot dogs with grilled franks, jalapenos and cheese – as you search for the birth of land rights: Gough pouring sand into the hands of Vincent Lingiari, immortalised in the Paul Kelly song From Little Things Big Things Grow. Yep, the menu is definitely dude food, but it suits the Wednesday night crowd, looking for three-buck tacos, cheap beer and laughs – best provided by singing duo Smart Casual. Craving vegetables I picked Más Verduras ($5.50/each) – fried zucchini tacos with pico de gallo and Quesadillas de Espinica ($13) – grilled spinach and ricotta tortillas with salsa fresca. A Blood and Sand ($16) Whisky cocktail helps the Buttermilk Fried Chicken ($13.50) and support act comedians go down…