Binalong sits just off the Hume Highway on the Burley Griffin Way, about 30 minutes from Yass, which makes it an easy stop for anyone driving between Sydney, Canberra and Wagga. Our restaurant at Motel Royal Tara cooks three signature steaks every night we open: scotch fillet, porterhouse and rib eye. Each one is cut to a set weight, grilled to your liking, and served with chips or mash, seasonal vegetables and your choice of sauce. If you have been searching for a proper steak dinner near Yass, this is what we put on the plate.
We are licensed and BYO, so you can order a red by the glass or bottle, or bring your own favourite and pay corkage. Tables are booked by phone on 02 6227 4310 or by WhatsApp on 0426 428 501. You can see the full menu on our dining page before you arrive.
The three signature steaks
Our steak menu is deliberately short. Three cuts, done properly, rather than a long list that keeps you reading instead of eating. Here is how they line up.
| Steak | Weight | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Scotch fillet | 250g | A well-marbled cut with good flavour and a tender bite. |
| Porterhouse | 250g | Leaner and firmer, with a strip of fat along the edge that keeps it juicy on the grill. |
| Rib eye | 350g | The biggest of the three at 350g, richly marbled and the pick if you have a serious appetite. |
All three are cooked to your liking, which means you tell us how you want it and we cook it that way. Rare, medium rare, medium, medium well or well done, it is your call. If you are unsure, medium rare suits a cut with this much marbling, because the middle stays soft and the outside still takes on colour from the grill.
What comes with your steak
Every signature steak leaves the kitchen with the same supporting cast, so there are no surprises when it lands in front of you.
- Chips or mash, your choice
- Seasonal vegetables
- Mushroom sauce or pepper sauce
Chips or mash
Some nights call for hot, salted chips and some call for mash. We do not make that decision for you. Tell us which one you want when you order and it arrives on the plate with the steak and the vegetables. Both work with either sauce, and both work with a glass of red alongside them.
Mushroom sauce or pepper sauce
The two sauces are mushroom and pepper, and they suit the steaks differently. Mushroom sauce is the milder of the pair, earthy and creamy, and it tends to sit well over a scotch fillet or a porterhouse. Pepper sauce brings a bit of heat and bite, which stands up nicely against the heavier marbling of a 350g rib eye. You can also have your steak without sauce if you would rather taste the beef on its own.
Red wine by the glass or bottle, or bring your own
We are a licensed restaurant, so you can order red wine by the glass or by the bottle with your steak. Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon are both on pour, and either one does the job alongside a grilled cut. If you would prefer to bring a bottle you already know you like, we are BYO as well. Corkage applies to BYO wine, and we will let you know the amount when you book or when you sit down.
Being both licensed and BYO means a table of four does not have to agree on a single bottle. Order a couple of glasses from us, bring a bottle from home, or do a bit of both. Soft drinks, tea and coffee are available as well for anyone driving the rest of the way home.
Dessert: gluten-free cakes with vanilla ice cream
After a 250g or 350g steak, dessert is optional, but it is there if you want it. We serve gluten-free cakes with vanilla ice cream, which gives anyone avoiding gluten a genuine dessert option rather than a bowl of fruit. It is a light way to finish, and it pairs well with a coffee before the drive back to Yass or the short walk to your room.
Other things on the menu
Steak is the headline, but we know not everyone at the table orders the same thing. Our kitchen also does burgers, pizza, and Indian curries and biryanis. That mix means a family or a group of workmates can sit down together and each order something different, which is handy when you are travelling as a crew and nobody wants to argue about cuisine. Breakfast is a separate service, run as a buffet between 7:30am and 9:30am by booking.
Dinner hours
We serve dinner every day except Wednesday. Opening times shift a little with daylight hours, so in winter dinner runs from 5pm to 9pm and in summer from 6pm to 9pm. If you are planning a late arrival off the Hume, ring ahead on 02 6227 4310 and we will tell you how the kitchen is tracking on the night.
Takeaway steaks
You do not have to sit in the restaurant to eat one of our steaks. Takeaway is available, so you can pick up a scotch fillet, porterhouse or rib eye and take it back to your room or your home. Ring 02 6227 4310 to place a takeaway order and we will give you a time to collect. If you are staying with us, that is a short walk rather than a drive, which is one of the small advantages of sleeping where you eat.
Booking a table
Bookings are simple and there is no form to fill in. Call us on 02 6227 4310 to reserve a table, or send a message on WhatsApp to 0426 428 501 if that suits you better. Let us know how many are in your group, what time you are aiming for, and whether you are coming off the highway with a trailer or a work vehicle, so we can point you to somewhere easy to park. Weekend evenings fill up with locals, so a call ahead is a good idea.
Staying the night after dinner
Motel Royal Tara is a 20-room country motel at 27 Stephens Street, Binalong, and the restaurant is on site, so a steak dinner and a night’s sleep can happen in the same place. All rooms are ground floor and non-smoking, with a private parking space at the door that has room for trailers, utes and work vehicles. Each room has an ensuite, reverse-cycle air conditioning, an electric blanket, WiFi, a TV, a kitchenette, tea and coffee facilities and an iron. Daily housekeeping is included.
Room options cover most travelling groups: Family rooms with a queen and two singles sleeping four, plus Triple, Queen and Twin rooms. Check-in is from 1pm and check-out is 10am. Every room has a front patio area, which gives you somewhere to sit outside with a coffee before you get back on the road in the morning. You can read more on our Binalong accommodation page.
Getting here from Yass and the Hume
Binalong is roughly 30 minutes from Yass along the Burley Griffin Way, and it is a short detour off the Hume Highway for anyone heading north or south. That puts a proper steak dinner within easy reach for travellers who do not want to stop in a bigger centre, and it means locals from the surrounding district have somewhere close to eat without a long drive home afterwards. Motel Royal Tara has been here since 1986.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to book a table for steak dinner?
We recommend it, particularly on weekends when locals come out for dinner. Ring 02 6227 4310 or message 0426 428 501 on WhatsApp with your group size and preferred time. Walk-ins are welcome when we have space, but a booking means your table is waiting when you arrive off the highway.
Can I bring my own wine to the restaurant?
Yes. We are licensed and BYO, so you can order Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon by the glass or bottle from us, or bring your own wine instead. Corkage applies to BYO bottles. We will confirm the corkage amount when you book or when you are seated.
Are you open for dinner on Wednesday?
No. We serve dinner every day except Wednesday. Our dinner hours are 5pm to 9pm in winter and 6pm to 9pm in summer. If you are planning your trip around a steak dinner near Yass, keep Wednesday in mind and aim for another night of the week.
Can I get a steak as takeaway?
Yes, takeaway is available. Call 02 6227 4310 to order a scotch fillet, porterhouse or rib eye and we will give you a collection time. Steaks come with your choice of chips or mash, seasonal vegetables and either mushroom sauce or pepper sauce, exactly as they do in the restaurant.
Can we stay overnight after dinner?
Yes, and many guests do. We have Family, Triple, Queen and Twin rooms, all ground floor with a parking space at the door, an ensuite, reverse-cycle air conditioning, WiFi and a kitchenette. Check-in is from 1pm and check-out is 10am. For best rates call or book us online from our website.
