The other weekend we were invited to The Fluke in Inverness to see their Sizzling Pubs refurbishment and try out their new menu. I only had to glance at their menu online to know there would something to suit both my husband and me. Situated on Culcabock Road it's easy to get to from the A9 so it was the perfect stop for us on our way North after a weekend in Edinburgh.
The Fluke is split in two separate areas - the pub and the dining area. The restaurant had a casual, cosy pub feel and it was shut off from the rowdiness of the bar. There was TV's dotted about the restaurant which certainly kept my husband happy as he was able to keep track of the football score. The staff were lovely, from behind the bar where you order your food and drink, to those serving and clearing the table. The car park was easy to get into with plenty of spaces. It's situated at the back of the restaurant with a good sized beer garden at the back door too. I definitely think this would be a popular place in the Summer time.
The menu was huge, it took us ages to choose. There was also loads of offers too, the food and drinks prices are definitely great value for money whether you're visiting for a meal as a family and make use of the kids meals or if you're visiting during the week and order 2 main courses for £9. Getting a burger and drink for prices from £5.69 make The Fluke an affordable place to go for a catch up with friends.
We ordered the House Sharer to start and couldn't believe the size of it. There was a selection of southern fried chicken, BBQ chicken wings, onions rings, battered mushrooms and garlic bread surrounding blue cheese, BBQ and sweet chilli dips. It was £8.79 and had more than enough food for 2 or 3 people to share. It was the perfect starter when we didn't really know what we fancied and were hungry after a few hours in the car.
As it was a Sunday I couldn't resist trying out their Roast Half Chicken from the Sunday roast section which is served from 12pm every Sunday. The chicken was only £6.99 and was served with sage and onion stuffing, roast potatoes, mashed potatoes, a selection of green veg and gravy. I was a little bit disappointed as the menu said there would be honey roast parsnips and carrots too but there was none on my plate. All of the food was delicious though and the chicken was cooked perfectly.
I definitely had food envy after seeing my husband's sizzling plate arrived. He ordered the Triple Hunter from the Ultimate Plate section. This whopper of a meal which only cost £10.29 had a grilled chicken fillet, a southern fried chicken breast and a buttermilk chicken fillet all topped with Monterey Jack cheese and BBQ sauce - the ultimate hunters chicken. The meal also came with chips and a corn on the cob. You know you've made a good choice when the table next to you sees your meal and orders the same!
I'm not sure how we managed to fit in much more food but we both ordered desserts. I would normally go for a cheesecake and the vanilla and caramel cheesecake certainly sounded good but there was an amazing selection of sundaes on the menu. I finally chose the Milkybar White Chocolate, Raspberry and Meringue Sundae. It was the perfect mix of vanilla ice cream and whipped cream along with crushed meringue, Milkybar buttons and raspberry sauce. I could easily eat another one of those now. It was £4.49 so one of the most expensive puddings on the menu but still a good value dessert.
My husband finished off his meal with the Belgian Chocolate Brownie and a white filter coffee. The brownie was so chocolatey and perfectly warmed. He's lucky I had my huge Sundae to stop me digging into his £3.49 sweet. The coffee was only £1.40 and there was loads of hot drinks to choose from, including some flavoured syrups and liqueur coffees which makes The Fluke a good option for a coffee and gossip with the girls.
The Fluke has a huge drinks menu and I was definitely experiencing a bit of FOMO reading through the list of cocktails. There was cocktails for £3.75 including my favourite - a mojito. They've also got quite the list of gin but I was happy to see in a little corner of the menu the non-alcoholic section had an alcohol free Old Mout Berries and Cherries Cider.
If Inverness is one of your stops on your North Coast 500 adventure or you need somewhere to go for a bite to eat close to the hospital The Fluke is absolutely perfect and I'd highly recommend checking it out. If the Highlands isn't too convenient for you then you can see the full list of Sizzling Pub locations on their website. I'd highly recommend trying the Milkybar Sundae and I'm looking forward to going back and trying the Honeycomb Explosion one.
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