Southland Tavern

About Southland Tavern

Southland Tavern in Invercargill brings together two venues on one site: Thar & Feather Restaurant and the Southland Sports Bar and TAB. Thar & Feather is described as the epitome of Southern hospitality, with an extensive menu of honest, quality ingredients, generous portions and flavours that feel like home, served in a warm, relaxed dining room with an open fire in winter and an outdoor courtyard for summer evenings.

The restaurant's food is anchored by its famous Southern Chowder, alongside dishes like a perfectly grilled Porterhouse Steak and tender Braised Lamb on mustard mash. Next door, the Southland Sports Bar has the feel of a proper local tavern, with good conversation, a warm welcome and beer on tap, plus a TAB for punters. The tavern runs weekly food specials, Live Music Fridays, and offers a courtesy coach for guests who need a ride home.

Southland Tavern is operated by ILT, and Thar & Feather's food can also be delivered to your door via Delivereasy for those who'd rather eat at home.

Thar & Feather at Southland Tavern: Southern Comfort Food in Invercargill

Southland Tavern brings together two distinct venues on one Invercargill site: Thar & Feather Restaurant and the Southland Sports Bar and TAB. Together they cover everything from a relaxed sit-down meal to a casual pint and a game on the big screen, all flowing together easily since the two are right next door to each other.

Never a customer, always a guest

Thar & Feather leans hard into Southern hospitality, describing its approach simply: keep things honest, use quality ingredients, serve generous portions, and cook flavours that feel like home. The dining room is built for comfort year-round — an open fire for the winter months, and an outdoor courtyard for long summer evenings.

A menu anchored by the chowder

The restaurant's signature dish is its Southern Chowder, a rich, creamy seafood chowder served with lemon and warm garlic butter toast. From there, the menu moves through entrées like Salt & Pepper Squid and Prawn Skewers, before landing on hearty mains: a perfectly grilled Porterhouse Steak with garlic roasted potatoes and peppercorn sauce, a slow-cooked Braised Lamb shoulder on seeded mash, and a Southern twist on Bangers and Mash made with venison sausages. Seafood lovers can choose crisp beer-battered Fish & Chips or a pan-roasted Butter Fish, while pasta options include a creamy Chicken Fettuccine and a Prawn Linguine with chilli and garlic. Desserts round things out with classics like Sticky Date pudding, Lemon Meringue, and a Chocolate Fondant with a gooey centre.

What guests are saying

Thar & Feather has built a loyal following. One Tripadvisor reviewer called it their number one go-to restaurant in Southland, singling out the steak meals as exceptional and noting the large portions mean dessert often gets missed. A local restaurant review from Invercargill described the service as "just to the next level," praising the cosy atmosphere, complementary décor, and food quality relative to price, awarding the restaurant a full five stars.

Next door: the Southland Sports Bar and TAB

Right beside the restaurant, the Southland Sports Bar has the feel of a proper local tavern — good conversation, a warm welcome, beer on tap, and a TAB for those wanting to have a flutter. It's open seven days from 11am until late, giving it a much longer daily window than the restaurant next door.

Entertainment and extras

Southland Tavern keeps a regular calendar of events, including weekly food specials and Live Music Fridays. For guests who've had a drink or two, a courtesy coach is available — just ask a member of the team. Thar & Feather's food can also be delivered straight to your door through Delivereasy, for anyone who'd rather enjoy the Southern comfort food at home.

Visiting Southland Tavern

Southland Tavern is located on the corner of McQuarrie Street and Elles Road in Invercargill. Thar & Feather Restaurant is open Monday to Wednesday from 5pm to 8.30pm, and Thursday to Sunday from 5pm to 9pm, while the Southland Sports Bar and TAB runs seven days from 11am until late. The venue is operated by ILT, and can be reached by phone or email for bookings and enquiries.

Signature items

• Southern Chowder
• Porterhouse Steak
• Braised Lamb
• Fish & Chips
• Sticky Date

Menu

Mains

• Porterhouse Steak — 250g porterhouse cooked to your liking, served with garlic roasted potatoes, fried eggs and peppercorn sauce (GF).
• Roast Pork — Tender roasted pork with golden roasted vegetables, garden peas and gravy (GF).
• Braised Lamb — Slow-cooked lamb shoulder with creamy seeded mash, roasted pumpkin and a rich jus (GF).
• Fish & Chips — Crisp beer-battered green bone fillets with golden fries, herb slaw, lemon and tartare sauce.
• Roast Chicken — Herb-roasted chicken leg with garlic roasted potatoes, seasonal greens and savoury jus (GF).
• Chicken Fettuccine — Fettuccine with smoked chicken, crispy bacon and onion in a creamy garlic sauce.
• Butter Fish — Pan-roasted butterfish with seeded mustard mash, seasonal greens, creamy garlic sauce and lemon (GF).
• Mushroom Risotto — Creamy risotto with mushrooms, onion, spinach and parmesan.
• Prawn Linguine — Linguine tossed with prawn in a chilli and garlic sauce, finished with spinach and lemon.
• Bangers and Mash — Venison sausages on creamy mash with garden peas, caramelised onions and savoury gravy.
• Crumbed Chicken Salad — Crispy crumbed buttermilk chicken on fresh salad with croutons, brie and cherry tomatoes, finished with honey mustard dressing (GF).

Extras

• Gravy — A side of gravy.
• Peppercorn Sauce — A side of peppercorn sauce.
• Mustard Mash — A side of mustard mash.
• Garlic Roasted Spud — A side of garlic roasted potato.
• Beer Battered Fries — A side of beer battered fries.
• House Fries — A side of house fries.
• Fried Mushrooms — A side of fried mushrooms.
• Egg x 2 — Two eggs as a side.

Desserts

• Sticky Date — Warm sticky date pudding drizzled with butterscotch sauce and vanilla bean ice cream.
• Lemon Meringue — Tangy lemon curd topped with golden meringue, served with vanilla ice cream.
• Chocolate Fondant — Molten chocolate cake with a gooey centre, paired with berry compote and whipped cream.
• Rhubarb Crumble — Rhubarb and apple topped with golden crumble, served with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream (GFO).
• Classic Sundae — Ice cream topped with golden crumble, served with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream (GFO).

EntréEs & Light Meals

• Southern Chowder — A rich, creamy seafood chowder served with lemon and warm garlic butter toast.
• Salt & Pepper Squid — Crispy golden squid seasoned with salt and cracked pepper, served with fresh herb slaw, lemon and garlic aioli (GFO).
• Fried Chicken — Tender chicken in crunchy buttermilk crumb, served with zesty pickled salsa and honey mustard dressing.
• Prawn Skewers — Battered prawns with a touch of chilli, served on steamed rice with creamy garlic sauce (GFO).
• Garlic Loaf — Warm, crusty loaf served with garlic butter.

Frequently asked questions

What is Thar & Feather known for?

Southern comfort food, especially its famous Southern Chowder, along with steaks and generous portions.

What are Thar & Feather Restaurant's hours?

Monday to Wednesday, 5pm to 8.30pm, and Thursday to Sunday, 5pm to 9pm.

What are the Southland Sports Bar's hours?

Open seven days from 11am until late.

Does Thar & Feather offer delivery?

Yes, via Delivereasy, delivered to your door.

Is there a courtesy coach available?

Yes, guests can ask a member of the team about the courtesy coach for a ride.

Are there gluten-free options?

Yes, a number of dishes are marked GF or gluten-free option (GFO).

Is there entertainment at Southland Tavern?

Yes, including Live Music Fridays and weekly food specials.

Tips

• {"body":"It's the restaurant's signature starter, served with garlic butter toast.","title":"Start with the Southern Chowder"}
• {"body":"Customer reviews single this out as a favourite, cooked to your liking.","title":"Order the Porterhouse Steak"}
• {"body":"Ask the team about a ride home if you've had a drink.","title":"Use the courtesy coach"}
• {"body":"Live Music Fridays and weekly food specials run regularly.","title":"Check what's on"}

Good to know

• {"dietary":"Several dishes are marked GF (gluten-free) or GFO (gluten-free option)."}