Rivergum Restaurant & Bar

Rivergum Restaurant & Bar is the dinner room attached to the Australian Homestead Motor Lodge at 3791 Sturt Highway, Gumly Gumly, on the eastern approach to Wagga Wagga. It is a relaxed, family-style restaurant with a reputation for hearty home-cooked food, and dogs are welcome in the outdoor seating on a lead, which makes it a genuinely handy stop if you are travelling the Riverina with a dog in the car.

The dog setup

Dogs join you in the outdoor seating area on a leash. There is no confirmed off-lead space and no dog menu, so pack a water bowl and something for your dog to settle on rather than assuming the venue provides them. Outdoor seating availability can shift with the season, so confirm current access with staff when you book and ask for an outside table at the same time.

Worth knowing

The kitchen does comfort food properly: filet mignon, duck breast, battered barramundi and a strudel that regulars keep coming back for all get named in reviews, and the staff come up just as often for being warm and attentive. This is a solid dinner stop rather than a destination restaurant, which is exactly what most travellers want.

Getting there and parking

The restaurant sits right on the Sturt Highway a few minutes east of central Wagga Wagga, with free off-street parking on the motor lodge site, so there is no hunt for a street spot. It trades dinner only, roughly 6pm to 9pm Tuesday to Saturday, and closes Sundays, Mondays and public holidays.

Max: Book ahead for a weekend dinner and ask for an outdoor table when you reserve. Closed Sundays and Mondays, so do not roll up on spec if you are just passing through.

Close by with the dogs

If you are staying the night, the Australian Homestead Motor Lodge is the accommodation on the same site. Over in Wagga Wagga, the Narrung Street Fenced Dog Park gives the dog a proper off lead run, and The Early Bird Wagga covers breakfast the next morning with water bowls and pup cups of its own.

More options are on the New South Wales dog friendly restaurants guide and the Gumly Gumly destination page.