Doolan Brothers

The longest wait ever in a Pub that was very quiet for the meanest burger ever! It had the works, came with its own mini jug of sauce and chunky fries. It was such good value I couldn’t finish the bun or fries. Come on pick up the service, a 45 minute wait for a burger is crazy.

No ambience, extremely average food very classic pub style and it’s really huge and almost always empty unless there’s a pub quiz or important sports event on. Outside courtyard good for smokers but it looks out onto a really bleak overgrown creek in Lynfield I don’t rate it. It’s trying too hard to be homely and quintessential.

I don’t like to be a snob but… Okay I’m going to be a snob. If you like fine dining like myself then Doolan Brothers is definately not going to impress you. It’s a down home local frequented by down home locals.
The pub formerly known as the Cock and Bull has been taken over by the Doolan franchise, Danny Doolans anyone? So while I haven’t been there in its past life, I am fully qualified to comment on it in its present state.
This is a good place to come if you are dining with any fussy eaters because the menu is really of such breadth as to cater to most tastes. I had the nachos, which was a pretty huge portion and was pretty nice, not enough guacamole though people!
My partner had the 600 gram steak which was the largest piece of meat I have ever seen, he took up the ‘challenge’ (menu states if you finish the whole meal you get a free pint) and happily gorged himself almost to the point of explosion, he did get that drink though so fair play to him.
We decided to go for dessert too, which was a big letdown, sticky date pudding was dry and the caramel sauce had become granulated and not nice.
The service was nice and attentive enough, though there was a bit of a delay with getting our plates cleared and our dessert order taken.
Overall it was a pleasant evening out, just not really to my standards.

I still can’t believe they changed the name from cock and bull to «Doolan.» Obviously they don’t check out the internet very much. However, it still remains similar on the inside — It’s an irish pub, and it proudly proclaims it out of every orifice It’s quite a nice place to come in the day and get a meal and a hefty stout, but in the night time Doolan Brothers descends into the madness that one would associate more with a club down at the viaduct. It packs out with people keen to get laid, and it seems to fulfill many such desires. So you can either go here during the day, immerse yourself in some non-​ironic Irish mementos and enjoy a meal, or you can come in the night time and forget all that and get well drunk.

No longer the Cock and Bull, I haven’t actually been here since it was taken over by Danny Doolans. I don’t think new ownership is going to make it any better, especially if it’s going to turn into Danny Doolans on the Waterfront. Ick. This place is like every other Cock and Bull. Nice for a pub quiz. Nice for a good meal or to watch the rugby. But come Friday night, run, run away. It gets taken over by skanky girls wanting free drinks, and sleezeball guys in polo shirts trying to buy girls drinks as if that makes them in debt to them. Yuck. It’s dark, as all pubs should be, but the clientele is just not good. We did go for dinner here once and I the food is excellent; good, plentiful pub food. Nice for a meal but not for a night out!

Doolan Brothers have recently taken over all of the old Cock and Bull franchises, and I’m glad they have. The renovations and facelift have done wonders for this local pub, and the changes are positive.
The décor is still traditional pub style, but not so dark and dank as before, reds and dark woods prevail.
The food has taken a bit of a jump up, although the Sunday roasts with Yorkshire puddings were a little bit of a letdown, as the puddings were a bit bland, but the portions were healthy and it wasn’t expensive, so fair standard for pub fare.
On our second visit, we weren’t quite as impressed though, after ordering a steak medium rare, it arrived pretty much well done, but then that seems to be pretty standard at all restaurants around town, you have to ask for rare to get it medium!
But overall, a great little local pub to enjoy a beer in the sun and some good old pub grub.