Retro. Amazing food and great service /staff The Illawarra Hotel . Illawarra is firmly entrenched in Wollongong's history. It first opened its doors in 1938, run by a trailblazing female team of Hilda Condon, her sisters and daughters.

The food was great, the calamari with eggplant and cauliflower pakora appetizers were very tasty. And also, will definitely come for the silent disco in the near future.

Note: The meat isn't halal. But they do have excellent alternative options in seafood for halal consumers.

What a bad experience we had at this pub.

We were on the road from Sydney to Melbourne and we decided to stop there to have diner.

From the start they almost refused us the entry cause my partner was wearing a short... Didn't know there was a dress code for pubs!

The girl behind the bar, located in the loud area (where people were singing) was so unfriendly. Needs to learn how to smile.

Also, I had ordered a market fish without being advised that they didn't have any more keiphler potatoes. Instead of that my dish came with cold chips... I went to see a manager to explain my situation, he didn't bother listening to me entirely and handed me 2 tickets for free drinks even thought we were not drinking alcohol. Well, we had 2 free sparkling waters, amazing !

Apart from that bad experience with the kitchen running out of items which I can understand on a busy day like that. My partner parma's was the worst I've ever tried. Chicken tasted like dirty fried oil or a bit more like cardboard... + market fish itself with green beans tasted even more terrible, swordfish is not liked by everyone and should be cook a different way than they do. Or if they don't know how to cook swordfish just don't bother selling it, it is gross.

Just go somewhere else. This place is a shame.

We visited here twice on our weekend in the Gong. Great service, good variety of on-tap beers and the food was fresh and delicious also. Definitely had a lot to do at this spot. We played pool and also danced a little when the night moved on and the music started. Multiple bars to choose from

A great place to meet friends have a good pub meal that's very filling or have a drink or trying your luck on the poker machines .
A friendly environment for all this hotel has really picked up it's not just a pub but a restaurant,bar & gaming room.

Attended Disco Bingo last Tuesday with a group of 10. How did you bag a talent like Mitch!!!!!! He can put on a show like no other, had us dancing and singing out of seat all night! The Tacos were amazing... Not only will be back, will be telling everyone Tuesday night Disco Bingo is a wild ride!! Love ya work Mitch and all the Illawarra team!! PS. I didn't even win, but scored a jug prize for making a fool of myself!!

The Illawarra Hotel for its internal structure and appearance. Is a neat place. Compared to other venues I have been to, I can notice it needs either cleaning or renovations. I will update this review in future - when and if I happen to go back in and experience either negative or positive.

Great pub, renovated to create a warm, heritage, oldie-world vibe. Good array of craft beers and even had a real fire going!???-
The pub grub is good, but a bit pricey, so we opted for the $18 Lunch Specials! Great place to drop into after a hectic day shopping!????'?

Went there for Disco Bingo last night with a bunch of gal pals & it absolutely went off! The $4 taco's were honestly so delicious. The night was so well run by the organisers and we all had so much fun. Highly recommend, even if you go on a normal day their food & drink selection is amazing.

Was in line for two hours, finally got in and was walking around when my friend got pulled outside by a guy (didnt mention he was security) who said she was "intoxicated". Lady outside said she had glassy/red eyes and was swaying (both of which are lies xx), when she had one drink?? She also lied about how long we stayed there for. Reading other reviews this seems to be a pattern. Maybe worry about your own security guard who tripped on his own feet, how's that for intoxicated? Don't rate this place, kisses xx

Good bar , great Aussie pub grub, and the staff are fantastic, I was watching Kyle who was on cocktail duty absolutely smash it on his own , the cocktails were coming in thick and fast some I had never heard of but he mastered everyone and every cocktail was picture perfect , well done. Food Is great and plenty of it, and ice cold beer . I'm off to the pub .

Such a great local pub! Great menu options and specials. The staff are really friendly as well. The outdoor section is really nice on a sunny day but doesn't look like that inside out side section would be a great place to sit on a rainy day. Meals were really good. We went on a not so busy day and the food did take quite some time.
Overall I would recommend the Illawarra to visit and have a good bite to eat.

Good service and friendly staff but the food was a bit mixed. The pies looked good, the parents were happy about them. The premium sirloin steak was good too according to my partner. However the rump steak wasn't, it was cooked medium rare when I asked for medium and half the meat wasn't edible as it was quite veiny. The chips were below average.

Good service and friendly staff but the food was a bit mixed. The pies looked good, the parents were happy about them. The premium sirloin steak was good too according to my partner. However the rump steak wasn't, it was cooked medium rare when I asked for medium and half the meat wasn't edible as it was quite veiny. The chips were below average.

The chips were cold and still chewy on the inside, the parmi itself was good. It was a decent size for value, I just wish the chips were more cooked and not still hard. The popcorn chicken bites were decent and wish more pubs did them, I would recommend anyone to try them. Live music was a great addition as well

Seriously why would anyone serve this? Yes cut in to the meat and it was rare but it was so dry on the outside and you the burnt flavour was all you could taste. When asked if where the salad was it stated on the menu was told "yeah it says salad but we don't do that anymore". Don't eat here!

I haven't been here since the new owner/s took over, but a big round of applause to them. The place looks great, with an emphasis on trying to maintain the heritage look of the pub. We had some of the counter lunches, and they were very tasty and generous portions. Before we knew it we had spent more than a few hours at this venue, and capped it off with a coffee. We'll be back really soon. Keep up the great work.

The Illawarra has a great atmosphere these days and a decent mix of a club/ pub vibe. Staff are great and they have a great selection on tap.

An iconic staple of Wollongong that has slowly evolved over the years. It's a nice pub in the day and becomes a nightclub after dark. It's the friends you bring with you that makes it special not the location itself.

Great Pub! If you're in the area drop in for a beer with them. The Publican is one of the good ones. Can't wait till I'm in the Gong again to have a beverage.

Lost marks as they had run out of Reschs. Meals were average and bistro staff were less than helpful. Ended up finding our own cutlery, salt and Pepper tucked away in a draw near the pass.

I visited the Illawarra hotel with my wife for only the second time in 20 years and found it to be a clean and friendly place with great service. The only negatives i had was that the barmaid that served me used her hands on three occasions ( no gloves) to place the the lemon into my wife's gin and tonic and that there was no soap in both dispensers in the male toilet for our two hour stay.

We stopped here just randomly onba Sunday while waiting for some friends to meet us. Was pleasantly surprised by live music and fantastic decor. Drinks prices were relatively cheap and the food, while taking a little long than expected, was absolutely amazing.

Would love to come back down to when in Wollongong again to enjoy some time drinking, eating and listening to music.

Stopped in for a feed on the way to Sydney. Great food. Great atmosphere. Absolutely pumping for a Wednesday night. Highly recommend.

Oops! Forgot to take photos! Sorry! Excellent atmosphere! Respectful ANZAC Rememberance and people were loving 2UP! Food was Excellent! Staff 5 Star!!!! Prices Reasonable! Easy Wheelchair Acess & Restrooms. Check it out!

I had a good night. I did notice one of the bar staff keeping $0.40 each time I bought a schooner of Great Northern beer.
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Won $500 on the pokies. 10/10