Riverina Hotel Holbrook: Menu, Pokies & Reviews (2024)

The Riverina Hotel Holbrook, a family-run country pub on the Hume Highway, offers travellers a straightforward proposition: a bed, a bistro meal, and a cold drink under one roof. Operated by the father-and-son team of Murray and Matthew Oates, this 16-room hotel combines budget accommodation with a full-service restaurant, bar, and gaming area. This article draws on the hotel’s official website, Booking.com, TripAdvisor, and the NSW tourism authority to give you the verified facts about who runs it, what’s on the menu, and what to expect when you stay.

Last checked: 2026-06-18

Type: Family-owned hotel and pub · Location: Holbrook, New South Wales, Australia · Rooms: Family rooms with private bathroom, TV, air-conditioning · Amenities: Restaurant, bar, pokies (gaming machines) · Online presence: Website (rivhotel.com.au), TripAdvisor, Booking.com, Facebook, VisitNSW

Who owns the Riverina Hotel Holbrook?

The Riverina Hotel is a family-owned and operated business run by Murray and Matthew Oates, a father-and-son team, according to the hotel’s official website. The property is located at 131 Albury Street, Holbrook, on the Hume Highway between Sydney and Melbourne. The hotel’s website describes it as “renowned for excellent service, scrumptious food, and a relaxing ambiance,” and locals affectionately call it “The Riv” or “the Middle.”

The Oates family appear to have taken over the hotel in recent years; the property reopened under their management approximately two years ago, according to the hotel’s online presence. The family-run structure is consistent with the hotel’s marketing as a classic country pub where the same people who greet you at the bar may also be managing the kitchen or the books.

Does the Riverina Hotel have pokies?

Yes. The VisitNSW tourism listing explicitly notes that entertainment at the Riverina Hotel includes poker machines (pokies) and a TAB facility within the bar area. This places the hotel firmly in the category of a traditional Australian country pub that combines accommodation, dining, and gambling under one roof. The hotel’s own website does not prominently advertise the gaming facilities, but the presence of pokies and TAB is confirmed by the official state tourism authority (VisitNSW).

The bar itself is described in TripAdvisor reviews as having a good range of drinks and efficient, friendly bar staff. One reviewer noted a lively atmosphere when the Roosters rugby league team was playing, suggesting the pub functions as a local sports-watching venue as well.

What is on the menu at the Riverina Hotel Holbrook?

The Riverina Hotel’s bistro menu is described on its website as offering steak, chicken schnitzel, vegetarian dishes, and regional Riverina produce. The hotel has a dedicated menu page at rivhotel.com.au/menu/ and also offers a mobile app on Google Play that allows customers to browse the menu and order directly.

The hotel runs a structured weekly specials program that suggests a deliberate value positioning for families and highway travellers:

• Monday: $22 burger and beer
• Tuesday: $18 schnitty night (optional parmi topper for $5)
• Wednesday: 2-for-$40 pizza night
• Thursday: $20 rump steak (optional surf and turf sauce for $6)
• Friday: $29 Farmers Feed platter
• Saturday: Kids eat free (two free kids’ meals per paying adult dine-in)
• Sunday: $18 two-course roast of the day with complimentary dessert

These prices are sourced directly from the hotel’s official website and are current as of September 2024. The Instagram account for the hotel also appears to promote a $12 lunch menu available Monday to Friday from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm, though the specific items on that menu are not listed publicly.

What do reviews say about the Riverina Hotel Holbrook?

On TripAdvisor, the Riverina Hotel Restaurant holds a 4.1 out of 5 rating based on 39 reviews, ranking it #6 of 10 restaurants in Holbrook (TripAdvisor). Multiple reviewers describe it as a “great country pub” with efficient bar staff, a good range of drinks, and prompt meal service. One reviewer noted the lively atmosphere during rugby league games.

On Agoda, user reviews consistently emphasise excellent value for money, with neat, clean rooms, fresh towels and sheets, and great staff (Agoda). The shared bathroom arrangement is noted as a trade-off for the low price point. A 2019 Facebook post in an Australian pubs group appears to describe the hotel as “very dog-friendly” with “large, very clean, pleasant rooms” and mentions an on-site Chinese restaurant that delivers to guests’ rooms. A 2016 TripAdvisor review reported that dogs were welcome on a lead and that the reviewer was allowed to camp overnight in a small motor home while dining at the hotel.

Yelp lists at least three user reviews, with one calling the hotel “great” and describing the atmosphere when the Roosters are playing (Yelp).

How does the Riverina Hotel compare to the Holbrook Hotel?

Holbrook has two main pub-hotels, and they occupy different market positions. The Holbrook Hotel, a separate property, is described on OpenTable and its own website as a “fully restored classic pub” with a high-end paddock-to-plate menu, a coffee shop operating Tuesday–Saturday 8:00 am–11:30 am, and modern breakfast and brunch offerings. Its kitchen hours are lunch Tuesday–Sunday 11:30 am–3:00 pm and dinner seven days 5:30 pm–8:30 pm (OpenTable).

By contrast, the Riverina Hotel leans into traditional pub fare with value-driven specials, pokies, and TAB. A Facebook post in an Australian pubs group described the Holbrook Hotel as having “$8.50 beers and excellent rooms,” recommending it as a worthwhile stopover between Sydney and Melbourne. The Riverina Hotel’s weekly specials — such as $18 schnitty night and kids-eat-free Saturdays — suggest a deliberate value positioning for families and budget-conscious travellers, while the Holbrook Hotel targets a more upmarket, food-led trade (Holbrook Hotel menu).

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