It’s easy to see why some cafes in popular parks just phone it in.
After all, with a captive audience out for a stroll, swing or pedalo, there’s always a plentiful supply of people to whom you can flog a sad panini or a dried-out scone.
This is certainly not what Barry Sidings Cafe have decided to do.
Located between Pontypridd and Porth in Barry Sidings Countryside Park, their menu of burgers, loaded fries, and baked goods makes a big deal of the Welsh produce they use, name checking local butchers, bakers, candlestick makers, brewers, and coffee and tea suppliers, amongst others.
There’s also a distinctly non-corporate feel to the place, with its country and western soundtrack, acoustic guitar adorned walls and pallet panelling.
With their massive outdoor seating area, plentiful cycle parking, and bike repair shop next door, they’re also clearly catering to the multitude of mountain bikers enjoying the local area.
Despite there being a sizeable queue when we arrived on a sunny Saturday lunchtime after a yomp up Mynydd Gelliwion, our order was served within 25 minutes.
A black coffee, from local roastery Big Dog, was impressively smooth.
A pair of burgers were both very tasty and showcased sturdy yet soft crumbed rolls from Ivey Patisserie in Church Village and double 4oz smashed patties from The Gourmet Butcher in Whitchurch.
Both patties had a good crusty caramelisation and a juicy pink interior. Considering the burgers each cost just over £11, they delivered plenty of bang for our buck.
I had the bacon double cheeseburger (£11.25), topped with a good ooze of American cheese, crisp streaky bacon and the freshness of sliced lettuce and tomato. It had a high end Whopper vibe but perhaps would have been even better with some burger sauce to bring it all together.
The clear winner was Mrs G’s Oklahoma burger (£11.50), with the double patties smashed into a pile of white onions and mustard to deliver a good hit of umami sweetness, mustardy warmth, and oozy cheesiness. It was altogether a naughtier and more intensely flavoured affair.
From the selection of loaded fries on offer, we plumped for the Teriyaki chicken version (£9). The plentiful chicken had a good tenderness and the sticky sauce a tasty sweet savoury flavour. But both the fries and batter would have benefited from more crispness. And, I’m sure the advertised garlic chives and kohlrabi microgreens that were absent would have added an extra dimension.
We had a very tasty lunch at Barry Sidings Café, with their burgers most definitely being the standout. If you’re out for a ride, walk or twitch in the local area, then it’s well worth a pit stop.
The Details:
Address - Barry Sidings Cafe, Porth, Pontypridd CF37 2PE
Web - https://www.barrysidings.co.uk/
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