Harry O's brings taste of America to Echuca

Harry O’s serves traditional American foods such briskets, ribs, chicken and hand-made sausages, cooked low and slow on their offset smoker using locally sourced meats and woods.

The new kitchen has already started cooking, with a belated launch event this Saturday, February 26.

The event will feature live music from 3pm, a live broadcast on Edge Radio and giveaways throughout the night, including the chance to win a year’s supply of takeaway growlers.

The American-style kitchen has been operating since Christmas, but COVID-19 restrictions have made it difficult to hold an opening event – until now.

Harry O’s was born out of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the American Hotel looking for a way keep rolling during lockdowns and government restrictions.

The name of the new kitchen has a special connection for Dean Oberin, the owner of the American Hotel. It is named in honour of his grandfather, Harry, who was a farmer and butcher.

Ron O’Bryan is the head chef at the American and said Harry O’s offered locals a unique dining experience that they couldn’t get anywhere else in Echuca.

“It’s something that no-one else is offering at the moment,” Mr O’Bryan said. “There’s nothing like it in the area, no one is doing it.

“It’s a chance to bring some authentic American cooking to the region.”

Mr O’Bryan, originally from Yarrawonga, has a rich culinary history. He is classically French trained and has spent a long time cooking Italian food.

He earned a hat as the executive chef at Church St Enoteca, spending six years at the restaurant.

He previously owned The Vine Hotel in Collingwood and also spent time as the executive sous chef at the Melbourne Racing Club.

Now though, he said he was looking forward to trying something different. Having grown up on a farm, he said he always had a keen interest in butchery and meats.

“It’s always good to learn new things,” he said.

“I’m always excited to learn new ways of doing things.

“I’ve got 30-odd years in the industry now, so to be able to learn a whole new skillset is always an interesting challenge.”

Mr O’Bryan spent two and a half years living in the US when he was younger, saying he spent a lot of time in different barbecue joints while he was there.

“It was a bit of a revelation how good it was,” he said.

The food at Harry O’s is slow cooked using locally sourced meat and woods, with everything made by hand.

Mr O’Bryan said cooking meats with a smoker was far more difficult than it might seem. From the weather, the temperature outside and the wind to the wood and the meat – each element needed to be carefully managed.

“It’s quite involved. You have to manage the fire, manage the temperature, manage the meat,” he said.

“It’s learning how the meat reacts and learning what to look for.

“Everything about it is a living product. Your fire is alive, your meat is a living product – every piece of meat will react differently.

“Small briskets, large briskets, ribs, they all cook differently. Every step of the process has to be managed properly and monitored.”

Mr O’Bryan offered a simple message to people thinking about heading to Harry O’s.

“Come along and have a good time. See what we do, enjoy sitting out in the open air and smelling the smells,” he said.

“We’re here to provide a good time, we want people to come and have a good time.

“Come determined to have a good time and you’ll succeed.”