The Barra Boys

Dined here for lunch today. I had grilled snapper with authentic Greek salad which was so fresh and delicious and hubby had battered cod and chips which he said was one of the best in Brisbane. Good drink selection, fast and friendly service. We’ll be back for sure, thanks guys!

TL;DR: For the locals that are in this part of town, consider yourselves very blessed. This is the local for the regular fish and chip craving, and the quality of the ingredients are tip-top.

Speaking partially from my personal perspective, fish and chips has gone too much by the wayside when it really should not have had that at all. Practically every suburb and seaside town needs to have one, possibly by law it seems, and that is for a very good reason. It is in the simplicity of the presentation, not having to be the next level, that has it be a timeless dish up to this day. When it is done right, the marriage of fish and fried potato is like nothing else. All that is required is a loving dedication to how seafood works, and that is a whole other playing field to the more farm-based flesh.

Each time I come across somewhere that does fish and chips justice, and specialises in it, that thought pretty much enters my mind. Welcome to the Barra Boys, where that whole philosophy is right on show.

It was getting to the end of the week, getting to Friday and even with school days being well in the rear-view mirror, something about that day is really appealing. Rules tend to get broken, or things are just done in a different and more relaxed manner. As something different one week on a Friday, I thought to quickly get something delivered. With it being Friday in mind, I thought to steep into tradition and ensure that it was seafood based - just a bit of something. There was no real shortage of options as far as the locations went, and the decision process was merely a blind pick.

When it came to the delivery process, there was not too much to it. Everything with it went well, meeting at a good spot for once to get a quick and clean hand-off, and the timing was pretty on point as well. So, all went well on that part.

The Barra Boys are something of an upgrade to the classical fish and chip shop. They have all the old favourites there, as long as fish and chips is hot stuff you can bet the Chikko Rolls are not going to be going anywhere. They jump right in with the fish combos, that are a choice of the major fish or a few other seafood as mains with the usual trimmings on the side. These can be gotten as a mere bite to eat as well.

But the real idea with these fish and chip shops tends to be family, or a small group of friends. With that in mind, they have big feasts mainly based on cod, and the increasing size of fisherman's basket - going for a single (though substantial) serve right up to a small platter. Heck, the folks here are dedicated enough to seafood to have a hot and cold platter - you sense the real distinction from that inclusion alone.

There is also all the old favourites from the snack box. Like I did say, the Chicko Roll is not going away any time soon, and that is just one of those delights they offer hungry customers. Those are a mixture of seafood and non-seafood alike. Possibly what is going to be the star of it all will be their burger range, not only having a fish burger but several other kinds that are practically Australian favourites. They got them all covered here.

Like usual, what was ultimately ordered did come after going back and forth with what sounded good at the time. The right sort of fish and chips was absolutely tempting, yet it was something different that caught my eye which I settled upon. Whatever the fancy name for it was, I forget, but it was essentially loaded fries. These had tiny shrimp dusted around a bed of crispy fries, and the best part about it was right on the menu - chicken salt. That might have been the clincher for me. It was drowned in a homes-style spicy sauce. Plus I threw in a pineapple fritter for good measure, I just like those.

As the case is whenever it comes to ordering some loaded fries, the sucker turned out to be a big and substantial meal. This can either be something to be gotten and shared with a couple of people, akin to a bar snack when they do that sort of thing, or it is a "snack" for one when the hunger pangs are fairly noticeable. Either way, it is a marathon of a feed and is ultimately a filling feed the whole way through. There was enough fries to fill up two or three orders, and not one bad one was found within the mix. They were hot and crispy, and adding chicken salt to them is automatically going to improve fries many times over - that is just how it works. The sauce that was poured all over was creamy, and a bit on the tangy side. It was a tad strange seeing the really tangy shrimp at first; the best way to describe them is to think of them akin to whitebait - they have a sharp taste, and are small enough you could breathe several in at once and not notice. Eventually, getting over the strangeness of them they were tasty and the amount of them was generous.

Also, that pineapple ring proved a tasty addition. I loved the thin as paper batter that surrounded it, almost like a tempura dip, which was also well seasoned with salt. And the pineapple itself was sweet and juicy. Heck, I just needed to get a bit of fruit and vegetable in to the mix and that did the trick.

It is clear to be said that fish and chips is just so ingrained around these parts, that you are not going to be seeing the exit of it anytime soon. And there have been several years of a misplaced perception of fish and chips being a bit of junk food, yet when it is done right it proves itself to truly be one of the great dishes in world cuisine. That is hence why it has been a common tradition leading into Fridays, and when a place is popular lines are right out the door (one time that actually correlates to it being good). All that it takes is the occasional visit to somewhere that does it well to reignite that child-like love for it.

The Barra Boys has been birthed with that idea in mind, right behind managing the operations. What is granted here is that it might not have been absolutely perfect and in line with judging it along side all the other popular (and not-so popular) fish and chip joints in town, they were able to showcase the most vital aspect of it all and that was the produce quality. Not only was the snack a tasty one, it had all kinds of flavour and was cooked really well.

Hands down, BEST fish & chips ever. We had the “Tacklebox for 2” and it was amazing. Best tartare sauce I have ever tried. Quick service and friendly staff. We will definitely come back! 5⭐️

The fish here was to die for the chips were lovely too but maybe a little too pricey for the amount. I’m craving a visit here again real soon because the fish was so delish.

My favorite fish & chips shop in Brisbane! Their seafood salad is a must 😍🥰

Do yourself and the family a flavour and take the night off cooking and experience Brisbane's, and maybe Australia's best family owned and run fish and chippery. I go to the Moorooka Shop and recommend their tackle box and any of the rod and reel combos. All fish is displayed and cooked fresh to your order. I have had all of them, but the coral trout is my favourite. The chips are fluffy on the inside and crunchy on the outside. Calamari is tender with a beautiful light flavourful coating. Prawn cutlet is superb not from a packet. Sea scallop is tender and juicy. Portions are VERY generous. If you want to see a review, check out Greg's Kitchen on youtube for an honest review from a local brisbane guy who does this for a living.(not affiliated in any way).