Fabulous Cheap Eats On The Sunshine Coast

Eating out three times a day when you are away from home can really eat into your travel budget. Dining in the Sunshine Coast is a delight but it can be expensive. I’m not the type to drop $360 on a steak but I don’t want to eat off the value menu at Macca’s every day either. Before I headed north recently for my girly weekend, I did my research and found lots of fabulous cheap eats on the sunshine coast that will fill your tummy without breaking the bank. Read on for all the details …

Dining In The Sunshine Coast

There are plenty of options for dining in the Sunshine Coast, so choosing can be difficult especially when you are watching the pennies. Cheap eats on the Sunshine Coast are available, you just need to know where to go. Here’s my four favourite places for you to try when you are next in town …

Bohemian Bungalow

After working up an appetite shopping at the Eumundi Markets (read my picks of the best Sunshine Coast markets here) we headed across to the Bohemian Bungalow for a late lunch. The restaurant is housed in a quintessential Queensland bungalow which is light filled, airy and littered with quirky accessories that will speak to your inner hippie. They pride themselves on unpretentious service from an innovative menu and offer indoor and outdoor seating. We whet our appetite with ‘Great Balls of Rice’ ($14). The four delicious morsels of rice, saffron & roasted pumpkin were served deliciously crisp with aioli on the side. This was followed by a ‘Cinderella’s Ride’ pizza ($19), which of course also features pumpkin alongside caramalised onions, goats cheese, pine nuts and fresh sage. The pizza is served long rather than round on a perfect base that is not overwhelmed by the toppings. We fell in love with the Bohemiam Bungalow and it was without doubt one of our favourite restaurants on the Sunshine Coast. If this was my local, I would Sunday brunch here every week. At $16 each for a delightful meal in a beautiful setting you can’t go wrong!

Solbar

On our last night in town we headed to Solbar for one of the best cheap eats on the Sunshine Coast. Their $10 ‘Cheap as Chips Monday’ menu is more extensive that you would think and features pizzas, burgers, pub grub and even a dessert. We shared a $5 garlic pizza to start and I can never resist the lure of a chicken schnitzel. The serving size was generous and the chips were thick cut just the way I like. My only complaint was that the gravy was too thin. The Co-Conspirator was pleased with her vegetarian pizza which would be big enough to share if you are really on a budget. Add a couple of glasses of wine at $7.50 a glass and we were all in for dinner at $20 per person. If you can’t make it on Monday you can grab $10 burgers on Tuesday’s or $10 Pizzas on Wednesdays. Choose an outside table to enjoy the ambience of Ocean Street while you dine.

Yabbi’s On The Esplanade

This was as close to fine dining in the sunshine coast that we got, but it was still on a budget. If you are a regular reader, you will have gathered that I love a Groupon voucher. I was a bit skeptical of Yabbi’s at first given I don’t eat seafood but when I realised steak was an option I was sold. We had a little trouble getting a booking for our desired time on a Saturday night but they accommodated us when we let them know we had to be out for a movie later on. Our voucher entitled us to a shared entree platter to start which came out with a chilled bottle of Sauvignon Blanc. The chicken skewer and the bruschetta were the picks of the bunch. Suffice to say The Co-Conspirator got my mushroom. My steak (‘Rib n Naise’) was overcooked at first, which was not entirely their fault. I ordered it medium well but it was very well done. They replaced it with a medium version which was much more to my liking. The accompanying veges were perfect but the Bearnaise sauce had split and was not as creamy as I would like. The flavour was dominated by the taste of melted butter and given this is one of my favourite parts of eating any steak, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed. The Co-Conspirator was happier with her Chicken del Mar which was plated beautifully and devoured in record time. All this for $59 for two (including the wine!) is an absolute cracker of a deal in my opinion. Groupon deals are generally for limited times only so get your own Groupon voucher for Yabbi’s here before it’s too late.

BaVigo

Ba Vigo was a short drive from our hotel (read my Novotel Twin Waters review here) and serves one of my very favorite things … Tapas! Even though this is not strictly a ‘cheap eat’ we couldn’t resist giving it a go. Tapas range from $11 – $15 per dish and we chose 4 so our total food bill was still a reasonable $50 for two but we did add a bottle of wine that had it pushing the $100 mark. If you really do want to watch the pennies you can grab a pizza for about $25 to share. The paprika potatoes were a little dry but when dunked in the delicious meatball sauce they were significantly improved. The chorizo was a touch on the oily side and not as spicy as I would have liked. The highlight of the night was a lamb special that isn’t on the regular menu (not pictured). While we had a perfectly acceptable meal, there are certainly better value options around. Commanding a superb location directly across from the beach, Ba Vigo would be a great place to enjoy a long lazy lunch.

Want More Cheap Eats On The Sunshine Coast?

You can’t go past the local pub’s specials for cheap eats on the Sunshine Coast. They serve up a range of hearty fare that won’t leave you bankrupt. Try The Alex on a Sunday for $1 chicken wings. The Duporth Tavern has a special every night of the week other than Saturday including a pot n parmy for $15 on Sundays and 2 for $30 Tuesdays and Thursdays. The Peregian Beach Hotel has $12 lunches Monday – Wednesday, Thursday night steak for $15.90 and Tuesday night and Saturday afternoon pizzas for $12.90. The Golden Beach Tavern has 5 options for a weekday lunch for $12.90 and O’Malley’s will sort you out $10 lunches 7 days a week, $12.50 Parma’s on Monday’s and an Irish feast on Tuesdays for $12.

If you are thinking of heading to the Sunshine Coast make sure you read my tips on scoring a bargain flight before you book. Do you have any tips for dining in the Sunshine Coast? I would love to hear them in the comments below.

Until Next Time …