Dining with Harry

Almost one year ago, I learned of my love for the Aussie meat pie, back in my hometown’s Australian Bakery. I’ve had many meat pies since arriving in Australia, including a soggy Four and Twenty from 7-11 in St. Kilda during the floods  to a cripsy one aboard the ferry to Kangaroo Island.

I had some time to kill before work, so Tommy took me to Wooloomooloo (there’s a mouthful) to visit the famous Harry’s Cafe de Wheels on the water. The stand was started in the 1930s by Harry “Tiger” Edwards and became well known for its meat pies. Today his nickname is immortalized in “The Tiger,” a meat pie topped with mash and mushy peas.

Harry’s has been frequented by many well-known diners, including Pamela Anderson, Russell Crowe, and a guy with a big appetite you may have heard of: Anthony Bourdain.

While Tommy ordered The Tiger, I preferred my pie sans peas. As we stood at the counter, a van of Asian tourists got out and suddenly the line got a lot longer. Even the pigeons love Harry’s, especially when they get scraps of pie. In total, my meal was under $8: $3.50 for a pie, $1 for mash, and $3.20 for a Coke.

Not bad for Sydney. The meat pies have chunky beef instead of mince, which makes all the difference. Also on the menu are pasties, sausage rolls, and hot dogs, the ideal drunk foods.

Getting to Harry’s Cafe de Wheels

There are also locations in Newcastle, Haymarket, Liverpool, Ultimo, Tempe and Parramatta, but here’s how you get to the Wooloomooloo original Harry’s Cafe De Wheels. Walk from the Kings Cross Station or through the Royal Botanic Gardens.