The Venue.

Mapleton Public House is no ordinary country pub. This 115-year-old beauty has been lovingly revived by owners Ben Johnston and Jessica Huddart, together with Executive Chef Cameron Matthews (ex-Spicers), into a destination for fine dining with heart. Its history is steeped in over a century of serving the local community, and now it’s evolving once again, this time blending the warmth of tradition with a modern, produce-driven approach.

What sets Mapleton apart is its dedication to the region: local, seasonal ingredients are the stars of the menu, and the team champions a regenerative style of hospitality that values sustainability as much as flavour, and balance in life as much as in cooking.

The Venue contd.

Perched high on the upslope of a massive hinterland mountain in this one-road town, Mapleton Public House comes with one of its greatest assets: the view. From here, the landscape rolls out in layers until it meets the ocean, an endless horizon that makes you want to linger all day, letting your soul quietly recharge as the world drifts by.

But what really won me over wasn’t just the scenery. When Jessica and Ben took over, they stripped the place of every last pokie machine. No flashing lights, no pension-draining distractions, just a pub restored to what it should be: food, drink, and community. My own grandmother poured countless dollars into pokies, so this decision feels deeply personal. For that alone, they’ll always have my support.

What we ordered…

Starters

SOURDOUGH made by Ten Acres in Yandina. Served with housemade cultured butter and sea salt.

BUFFALO CARROTS – like wings, but vegetarian. Buttermilk fried w/ hot sauce, ranch dressing and coriander

MORTADELLA + PINEAPPLE – mortadella, pineapple and pecorino on toasted crispbread

BYRON BAY BURRATA with crispy chilli oil and caramalised onion

Mains

NOT YOUR AVERAGE PARMY – Buttermilk fried chicken w/ buffalo mozzarella and prosciutto, CWA sauce and rocket

FARM RISOTTO made w/ Falls Farm beans, ‘cacio e pepe’

Dessert

FARM RHUBARB – Poached Rhubarb w/ yuzu leaf custard, meringue, and pear sorbet

HOKEY NO POKIES – Caramelised brown rice pudding, honeycomb, orange marmalade w/ macadamia and creme fraiche

The Food

WTAF. Absolute perfection. I honestly don’t know where to begin, so I’ll just work my way through the feast.

Entrees

The sourdough set the tone, meant mainly for mopping up that buffalo sauce, but a star in its own right. Azza leant over with, “Did you try the butter?” I hadn’t. I did. Another highlight. And this was just the bread course, haha.

Picking a favourite dish feels impossible, but if I had to, it might just be… carrots. Yep, carrots. Who even thinks of buffalo-sauced carrots? I’d never seen it before, and now I’ll never forget it. It’ll probably take another stroke to erase them from memory.

The Food continued.

Mortadella is my ride-or-die sandwich meat, so of course it was always going to hit the table. Paired with pineapple, it made for an intriguing twist. The dish arrived looking like a snow-capped mountain; you couldn’t see a thing under the avalanche of pecorino. Personally, I’d have preferred bread instead of crispbread to scoop it all up, but either way, it was bloody beautiful… if a little messy.⁣

Our final starter was the Byron Bay Burrata, and honestly, it set a new standard. From now on, every burrata will be judged against this one. The creamy centre, paired with a crispy chilli oil that instantly reminded me of LaoGanma’s, was perfection. That alone is a massive win.⁣

Mains

Then came the main event: NOT YOUR AVERAGE PARMY. And how could I not? First visits to pubs always call for a parmy (or schnitty), it’s the litmus test. If they stuff that up, I don’t come back. This one was a beast. The chook was so thick I started wondering what they’re feeding the birds up here. Topped with buffalo mozzarella and prosciutto, it was absolute heaven—though nearly hidden under a mountain of rocket. Thankfully, it was rocket done right: fresh, peppery, and more than welcome.⁣

But the dish that stole the show? The Farm Risotto. A cacio e pepe interpretation that honestly ruined me for all other risottos. Creamy, cheesy, with that gentle heat from the pepper, it had us all fighting for the last spoonfuls.⁣

Dessert

I was the only one with dessert ambitions, so I cheekily asked the server to bring one spoon. She arrived with three… and then two desserts. One was comped to the table, turns out one of the chefs used to work with Azza and Kym, and I’m guessing by now word had gotten back that we were in the house.⁣

I’d gone for the Farm Rhubarb, which sounded like a dream combination with rhubarb, yuzu, and pear – three of my favourites. But honestly? It didn’t quite land for me. Too much going on, and my taste buds got a bit lost. Still, that’s just me. If you’re into it, go for it.⁣

The clear sweet winner was the Hokey No Pokies. Honeycomb that crunched and melted in all the right ways, paired with caramelised brown rice pudding and marmalade that was downright spectacular. Hands down the dessert of the day.

In Conclusion

Small-town gems always win me over, and Mapleton Public House is no exception. The food couldn’t be more different, but it stirred the same feeling I used to get at the Bredbo Crepe House near Jindabyne. There’s not much in Bredbo, but I’d beg Mum to stop every time we passed, those Austrian-style crepes and pancakes were worth the delay, and they put the town on the map. Mapleton has that same magic.⁣

The level of care in both the venue and the menu is on another plane entirely, and the setting itself forces you to slow down. Next time, I’m booking a local Airbnb so I can settle in properly, have a long lunch, a few rounds of pool, and more than a few of their delicious drinks.⁣

And now? Mapleton has officially made my “lotto win” list of towns I’d move to. All thanks to one unassuming pub that delivers a Superman-sized punch with its food, its ethos, and its sense of place.

SCORE BREAKDOWN: 3/3 food, 2/2 service, 1/1 drinks, 1/1 venue & ambience, 1/1 cost, 1/1 toilets & 1/1 bonus

All photographs are Copyrighted by Spooning Australia and Jason King – please feel free to share with full credit provided.

Mapleton Public House Details

Website – https://www.mapleton.pub/

Phone – 07 5445 7499

Address – 2 Flaxton Drive, Mapleton

SUNSHINE COAST 4560

Bookings – Recommended but not essential

Pricing – Medium

Kitchen Hours

MONDAY / TUESDAY

Bar Menu WALK INS ONLY 11:00 am – 2:30 pm

WED / THURS / FRI

Lunch 11:30 am – 2:30 pm

Dinner 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm

SATURDAY

Lunch 11:30 am – 3:00 pm

Dinner 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm

SUNDAY

11.30 am – 3:00 pm

Vegetarian Options – Yes

Takeaway – I doubt it, but unsure

Local Delivery – No

Gluten-Free Options – Yes, most of the menu is GF

Kid Friendly – Yes