Discover Food Trail Day Trips from Brisbane in the Hinterland

Moreton Bay Region is full of beautiful vistas, scenic drives and natural attractions, but did you know it’s also home to a galore of tucked away foodie havens, just waiting to be discovered?

Summer will soon come to a close and with it, your last opportunity to enjoy a warm and sun filled hinterland restaurant and café food trail expedition before the temp starts dropping and the misty weather rolls in over the lush hills and through the fertile valleys.

So don’t delay, take your taste buds on an exploration and enjoy day trips from Brisbane away from the city, inland from the coast and get off the beaten track into the Moreton Bay Region hinterland for a full day and evening of foodie tours out and about while the weather is still pleasantly agreeable.

You will be surprised at the delectably tasty hidden gems which await you in this stretch of nature paradise located within an hour of the Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast.

Start off your Food Trail with Breakfast at Cafe Lagarto

Serving up hot cups of Toby’s Estate coffee in a dog-friendly shopfront, this little café near Brisbane is a favourite among the locals and visitors of Samford.

This is a great brekky spot for kicking-off foodie tours (as well as lunch) and arguably one of Samford’s top place for affordable gourmet dining. Stick to basics with toast and spread, bacon and eggs, muesli and a toastie or opt for something more filling like spicy savoury mince, smashed avo and feta on rye, and some zucchini fritters. If you've really got an appetite try your hand at the the Lagarto Big Breakky with bacon, eggs, mushroom, baked beans, pork chipolata’s, house-made fritter, cherry tomatoes and sourdough.

If you are dining on a Sunday, you can walk across the road to The Samford District Museum to learn more about the humble beginnings of this town. The Samford Museum is only open on Sundays from 10am to 4pm.

Sip a Glass of Wine Amongst Grapevines during your Hinterland Food Trail Adventure

Ocean View Estates is the region’s only hinterland winery and vineyard estate so make sure you don’t skip a quick visit, or pull over to enjoy lunch.

You can get busy wine tasting with your someone special in the cellar, or take a fun and interactive vineyard and winery tour from 11am (by appointment only). You can even kick back for a picnic with the family out in the grapevines, or beside the lake complete with an Ocean View Estates hinterland winery picnic hamper.

Alternatively, if you’re already feeling famished again, take a seat in this hinterland restaurant overlooking the lake and vineyards and enjoy a delicious lunch from the à l carte menu, or lunch menu put together by Head Chef Joel Grudnoff.

The menus are designed especially to complement the plethora of Ocean View Estate wines made on the premises. Many of the sumptuous dishes incorporate a selection of their fine ports and wines.

Try the suckling pig with Jerusalem artichoke, parsnip pavè and pickled grape, or go with something slow cooked such as beef shin red curry, with lychee and jasmine rice or chestnut gnocchi, with caramelised celeriac, seasonal mushrooms, hazelnut vinaigrette and gruyère.

Pair your food trail lunch choice with a recommended complementing wine. A kids menu is also available for the littlies.

Celebrate a Birthday or Event with a Classy High Tea

To completely spoil yourself rotten, stop by Mercure Clear Mountain Lodge and indulge on a fine dining, high tea. Set on one of the highest points in Clear Mountain, you can dine alfresco on the deck of Lakeview Restaurant overlooking Lake Samsonvale, Glass House Mountains and the Moreton Bay Islands.

Alternatively, you can get a heartier meal in Mandy's on the Mountain Restaurant where you can dig into a delicious gourmet serving of fresh, seasonal local produce from the Chef's own kitchen garden.

If you're looking to extend your foodie adventure, Mercure Clear Mountain Lodge has a range of accommodation options that offer peace and tranquillity in the natural hinterland surroundings. With 51 rooms and suites with private balconies, your food trail could turn into a romantic hinterland getaway. While you're visiting, check out the swimming pool, gym and tennis court, and don't forget to drop by the vineyard.

Make a Pit Stop to Check out Classic Car & Bike Memorabilia along your Food Trail Adventure

To enjoy one of the best views on the mountain pull over for a bite of afternoon tea at Pitstop Café on Mt Mee. This aptly named establishment is a favourite ‘pit stop’ for day tripping weekend bikers and car club members.

Each month you’ll find this hinterland biker and car enthusiast haunt featuring a different vintage motorcycle, or vehicle on display from the owner’s personal collection along with various classic car and motorcycle memorabilia, plus related crafts and collectibles for sale.

Try a snack from the humble and scrumptious menu. Grab a seat inside and let your eyes rove around the interior inspecting the vast array of auto memorabilia, or pull up at a table on the lawn outside to gaze across the Moreton Bay Region to the Glass House Mountains, Brisbane and beyond.

Take in the Sunset Dining on Mount Mee During your Food Trail Day Trips from Brisbane Jaunt

The Place 2 B Café & Restaurant is another café style, gardens restaurant well worth discovering for a food trail end to your day trips from Brisbane escapade. Located about 10 minutes north of Birches Restaurant, this BYO alcohol only quaint and cute family run breakfast, lunch and dinner venue is a wonderful rural foodie gem which sits beside a peaceful dam teeming with life.

Open into the evening on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, enjoy the hospitality of owners Trish and Neil at their picturesque establishment nestled in the midst of rural hinterland. Sit inside, or outdoors to overlook the dam and bathe in the last rays of sunlight as the yellow orb dips beneath the horizon.

Dig into delectable dinners boasting Modern Australian cuisine including Italian cream and tomato based pastas, a range of salads, grilled steaks and seafood, as well as authentic curries created by their Indian/Fijian Head Chef to spice up your food trail.

Any dietary needs will be taken care of by the accommodating café restaurant team.

For more Food Trail Day trips from Brisbane

Top Picks: Farm gate and local produce

Feast your way throughout Moreton Bay Region in 72 hours: Local produce itinerary

Fish and Chips in Redcliffe

Best Seafood Restaurants near Brisbane - Moreton Bay Food Trail

Hashtag your foodie adventures on Insta #visitmoretonbayregion or tag us @visitmoretonbayregion on Facebook!

Looking for more things to do and see? Pop into one of the region's Accredited Visitor Information Centres, the volunteers have a wealth of local knowledge.

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Acknowledgement of Country - We would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the lands and waterways of the Moreton Bay Region, the Kabi Kabi/Gubbi Gubbi, Jinibara, and Turrbal people and pay our respects to their Elders, past, present and emerging. We recognise the ongoing connection that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have to this land and recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the original custodians of this land.