The Flying Moa

A solid pub performer, and the only one in Lunn Ave. it used to be the only one within the Stonefields area, but with the opening of Speights Ale House these guys have had to up their game. It’s a large indoor pub, but quite limited outdoor seating. The menu is standard for the pub and not too adventurous. The food is pretty good but again nothing special — I can’t even remember what I’ve had in the past. However, they do all you can eat rib nights for $ 20 which is definitely an experience. They also do a quiz night.
I find Speights Ale House has a nicer location and atmosphere, but each to their own as the Flying Moa is still good.

My favourite local pub… Never too packed it is usually easy enough to get a table inside or out but always has a good buzz.
Different meal specials every night if the week including an all you can eat ribs night… arrrgh! Plenty of entertainment too with quiz nights and live music.
A quintessential kiwi pub menu tanging from steaks to burgers to salads. everything I’ve tried has been delish (including the salads — which are often sub-​par in a pub). The calamari is awesome but beware of the full size… you definitely get your moneys worth of deep fried goodness!
Staff are friendly & helpful. All in all, an asset to the area.

After my visit here, I’d take a flying XXXX before I headed back to the Flying Moa! I was expecting something pretty good from this Mt Wellington outpost of the New Zealand Pub Co. After all, their fellow pub the Zookeeper’s Son is pretty much my local in Royal Oak. But I was sadly disappointed.
The set up is great — nice décor, outdoor tables on busy Lunn Ave & the big spaces that Friday lunchtime workmates & weekend brunching families alike can enjoy. The staff all seemed friendly & chatty enough. But this is a foodie website, and the food is what let them down.
For starters, the menu seemed pretty winter-​y. Lots of steak, chips, mash & big hearty-​sounding meals dominated. On a sunny Friday lunchtime, this definitely wasn’t our style. Secondly, my vegetarian friend struggled to find anything that appealed. She eats seafood, and some of the sizzling stone plate options such as the Seafood Skewers sounded OK, but putting them in the «entrée» section hints at small portions. She opted for the fish & chips in the end, which was nice, but at over $ 17 definitely not a cheap option.
My choice of a pulled pork sandwich served with slaw & pickles sounded good on paper. The friendly waitress asked if I’d like a side of fries or something else with it. Here’s the part where I sound cheap. It was a Friday lunch out of the office. Normally I’d grab something from a food court for around $ 10, but we’d decided to enjoy the ambience here so I was happy to spend a bit more. With drinks already ordered, I didn’t think an additional $ 6+ was warranted for fries when my sandwich was already $ 14.50. Oh, how I wish I’d ordered the fries now!!!
When the food arrived, the fish & chips looked good; a relatively small lunch size platter with a nice garden salad on the side. A nicely balanced meal. My dish, however, neither looked good nor was well balanced! I had a tiny triangle of foccaccia bread deserted in the middle of a full-​sized plate, looking very lonely. I think I must have stared at the plate looking a bit shocked for a few seconds. What was inside the sandwich was tasty enough, but the meagre portion was definitely not worth the price. And I was still hungry afterwards. I don’t remember ever having to order extra sides at the Zookeeper’s Son, and I’ve certainly never been left hungry from their pub-​sized portions. Maybe Mt Wellingtonians have smaller appetites and larger wallets!
All up, lunch cost me around $ 20, and I probably would have been more satisfied with a $ 3 McDonalds Combo. Despite being the closest pub to work, I definitely won’t be returning here in a hurry. What a disappointment.

Usually preserved for the general midweek meeting spot for various groups of our mates, The Flying Moa is great for large get togethers.
With large outdoor seating tables, it is ideal for after work beers. Its location in the Lunn Ave precinct provided the most suitable spot for mates from Howick, Remuera and the further Eastern Suburbs to meet, particularly with the excessive amount of parking available, both underneath the Moa and outside.
I have been told the loyalty programme is very worthwhile, although I must admit I have not explored what this entails.
There is a pool table and plenty of screens, ideal for sports events. I have not tried the food and have mainly stuck to the outdoor areas (indoors looks a little cramped) but I know the jugs taste delicious!

I’m proud to call this place my local pub. A very large and well maintained establishment, The Flying Moa is often busy and it’s easy to see why; just a good, warm atmosphere, and there is free pool on Mondays (gotta love that). Although they could do with a second pool table, because it can be hard sometimes to get a game.
The food here is great, and they have different specials for each day of the week. The stone-​grill rump steak is awesome if you’re keen for a pure meatfest (complete with meat sweats). You get fries with it too though; that counts as a vegetable… right?
The bathrooms are always clean, and they have those supersonic hand driers with enough power to blast your skin off. Those things are the shit. All in all a fine place, and I will probably end up there tonight.

Lunn Ave isn’t exactly pretty. The area has been developed in the last few years along the side of the old open cast quarry. One of the better developments has been the Flying Moa. It’s a big pub/​restaurant/​sport bar, with chunky wooden interior and cool light fittings. Being around the corner from work, it became the place to go for those ‘special lunches’; birthdays or someone’s leaving etc. The menu is classy enough but not overpriced. The servings are large enough for the lads and food quality good enough for the ladettes. They have a good selection of beverages; beer and cider on tap and a decent wine list. You can sit outside on the deck and watch the traffic or take in the view of Mitre 10 Mega.

I love my trips to The Flying Moa. I’ve been there on a bustling Saturday night and making it just in time to score the last table for two, a cruisy weekend lunch with friends and a quiet Monday night out. Each time the food was impressive and I’ve enjoyed making my way through their menu.
Their platters are massive. A few words of wisdom– don’t order a couple more entrees on top of them– they’re huge, even for two people to consume. What makes it harder is that everything is worth eating, cooked perfectly and just tasted so darn good. I’m a huge salad lover so the Moa Caesar was tested and rated highly on my part. Moa Burgers and steak sandwiches also scored highly with my friends. Stonegrill mains and an impressive dessert menu also give you a lot to choose from.
The aesthetics of this place really stand out for me– there’s a great indoor-​outdoor flow and the hardwood floors are complimented by the beautiful bottled lights that hang near the bar. Having been there on a busy weekend night before, I have to say I really enjoy the atmosphere when the place is pumping– it really has that great local feel to it.
The Flying Moa is a relatively kick-​back, cool pub that is family-​friendly and caters for the foodie, the wine connoisseur or the guy who just wants a good cold beer after a long day at work. It’s also worth signing up for a loyalty card, they have great deals for card holders as well as food and drinks specials throughout the week.