The Hop Factory

Exceeded my expectations in every way. Great service, food and amazing drinks selection — not just craft beer, but much, much more.

Expectation is only ever going to land you in trouble. We’d been meaning to try The Hop Factory during our last two visits to Newcastle and on the hottest day in November for the past five years, we figured it was as good a time as any.
But oh expectation. Having crushed on Hop’s typography and branding for so long the actual experience left me firmly sitting on the fence. If craft beer floats your boat you’ll probably find a few drops to indulge with here. The selection was quite great for a beginner.
The menu is US-​influenced diner food with a dash of Aussie casual aires and graces. Our lunch time special cheese burgers on a brioche bun were a tidy $ 12 ($ 3 extra for the one gluten free burger). This is a burger easily held and consumed in one hand. No spillage. Let’s call it the compact cheeseburger. It was all a little pedestrian for my liking and could have been something special with the addition of pickles. Maybe I’ve got to stop holding all burgers against the cheeseburger at Gerard’s Bar in Brisbane.
In any case, should you be wanting a place to eat suitable for all budgets, for all the family from your meat-​and-​three-​veg loving Uncle Reg to somewhere for a lads night out then take a gander at Hops Factory on Darby St.