It's not so much the pub that draws me in to the Step Inn as much as it is the bands. It was one of…read morethe better venues for local bands to play at for a while there. Now it's home to some trance nights and I hear strong reports that the Step Inn is still a good place to get loose. The space is a little awkward in that the different sections of the pub are organised strangely. There's not much seating in any of the rooms outside of the corner bar, and even then it's not really comfortable. The beers are relatively cheap, and if you see a good gig, you won't have that much to complain about. It is a rough and ready pub, and you should perhaps come there a little rough and ready yourself.

I've been to the Step Inn a few times to see friends play and it's always been a great experience…read more (It's clean, central, and the drinks are relatively cheap.) They've got a few areas packed into the space; the first, a separate bar area where more unknown bands play, the other an open area complete with a stage, snooker tables, old school arcade games, and pokies. It's a great venue to frequent if you want to support local Brisbane bands, but make sure you eat dinner beforehand. They don't serve food here and don't welcome it either; my chips and I were booted out the door. Besides that, they don't have many strict rules besides wearing hard soled shoes.

Tucked away near an alley, The Bowery is a bar that offers the best drinks around Brissy. It's…read moreinterior is a bit dark and mysterious, and a bit reminiscence of what one would picture a something in a U.S. 20's scene, though not quite. I think it's just that it reminded me of Bourbon and Branch in San Francisco, which takes on a speakeasy atmosphere and serves amazing cocktails and drinks. When I was there, they had a band, which was a bit loud for how big the place was, but it was fitting for the atmosphere. The drinks don't come cheap (about $20 a pop) and isn't much of a party atmosphere, nor is it good for dancing, but it's definitely a casual classic bar for a close group of friends.

My first visit to The Bowery was a great one but since then, each time has been subsequently less…read moregreat! I agree with all the reviews that there is no place to dance but the music is great and makes you want to dance. In addition, I waited ages for drinks and then on my way back to the table, other patrons ran straight into me knocking 1/2 of the concoctions out of the glasses. :( I basically paid for 4 drinks and ended up having 2.5 drinks to give to my friends. That's really terrible. If they could expand the space between the bar and the benches, everyone would be a lot happier. If you can find a booth or seat to chat with friends, it's great but if not, making space can be a bit tricky. I like it but I don't think it's my go-to in the Valley especially after my last experience.

This pub wasn't all that bad, though once again, considering its location is probably isn't one of…read morethe best in the area. However, you do tend to get that with pubs that happen to be located in entertainment districts such as Fortitude Valley. In a way, it was pretty much just your standard pub, though the service was friendly enough, and the atmosphere was also pretty good. I didn't mind it, but unfortunately, with the other better ones out there, it really didn't compare all that much.

With so few pubs around The Valley offering good pub food, The Flying Cock is a sight for sore…read moreeyes. I've been frequenting this place pretty regularly since its opening a few years ago, and have rarely left disappointed (besides the one burnt parmy like 2 years ago). The fitout is spacious and unassuming, with the walls plastered with pieces of Australiana - even the table numbers bear faces of notable Australians (my girlfriend, being the ALP supporter she is, had to request a different number to the John Howard one we were originally given). The food is a broad range of pub classics, with steaks, parmys, burgers and all that you'd expect, alongside some more inspired dishes like tacos and ice cream sandwiches. They also offer a $40 chook pack that comes with a slew of accoutrements that will definitely leave 3 people walking away feeling very well sated. There's also a bunch of great weekly deals like 2 parmys for $19.99 on Wednesdays, and the smuggler's bar up top has a great vibe and regularly hosts events like trivia. Definitely a place to check out for good quality, modern pub food that won't break the bank, unlike a few of the other places nearby.

As far as pub food goes this is a beauty! Located in the recently renovated post office building in…read morethe local Sandgate centre this bar and grill is a fantastic location for groups, stop ins of just a sneaky Friday bevvy. Affordable and well presented the food was timely, the staff were excellent and the service was phenomenal. All in all if I were the developer of this site I'd be one happy woman! I ordered the chicken schnitzel, it was absolutely huge (but come on now, who doesn't love a huge pub feed on a Saturday night) it was light and cooked perfectly. We had a group booked for over 20 people, all good arrived in sync and everyone was equally as happy with there purchases! Would definitely recommend!

Great location!! Atmosphere is generally great. Food is good. Cocktails are a bit overpriced, but…read moremade well. Not dog friendly, so doesn't encourage a pop-in while walking the poochie. Staff are a bit young and friendly enough most times, but lacking in strong customer service skills.

I'm in no way Irish, I'm asian. But I could join the Irish club if I wanted to for $44 a year…read more For this, the kind Irish gentleman informed me, I could get a free meal and drink on my birthday, and discounts to city parking and other things around the place. That was pretty cool I said but I was with friends and wanted to try out the food. Plus, I was hungry. The Bunratty Bistro was where we sat our 4 weary bums down and the food we got there was something else. It was a Tuesday night and it was Steak Night for $7. That was pretty good being in the city, where else would you get that... 200g guaranteed Rump or Sirloin? Not many places bar the backpackers let me tell you. And you're not even sure what part of steak you're getting there (sometimes it's very stringy and questionable). If you're not into your steaks, there are $7 toasted sandwiches, chicken burgers, and other things from the menu that will set you back $18-$20 like the Guiness Beef Pie or the Beer Battered Barramundi (pretty juicy). But for $17.50 for a seafood basket for 1, it's pretty good value. And it's hearty damnit!

I do love me an accent. And an Irish one is forever my favourite. So surprise and delight awaits…read moreyou if you're like me and you're also thinking of heading along to the Irish Club. Guys and dolls alike who work here have a thick Irish lilt that lulls you into a nice daze and has you nodding without conscious thought as you order drinks. They have some pretty swanky function room areas upstairs that I've found are great for gigs and live music. Downstairs you'll find your true Irishmen and Irish enthusiasts and, as you can probably assume, this area gets a little wilder as the night wears on. Keep your wits about you and you'll be fine. Also, they were serving $5 pints of Corona when I was there. A pint guys, for $5. That's pretty excellent value so I'll pay that. Get the best of Irish culture when you come here and enjoy a cheap pint.

The Stones Corner Pub located right under the Stones Corner Hotel is a great bar/bistro. There are…read more16 beers on tap, a great wine selection and a great cocktail selection. They have daily happy hours and other deals on food and drinks that vary depending on the day and the deal, some of these include buy one main meal and get the second one for 5$. The bar/bistro is great for a few drinks after work or for a romantic meal for two. The outside area is perfect during spring and summer nights when the weather is good and for those who enjoy people watching it's the perfect winter daytime spot. They have live music nights on Thursdays and Fridays from about 7 pm onwards boasting some great local acts. They are open from 7 am to 2am daily so really any time you want to stop in is fine. It's also located right across the road from the Stones Corner bus station so is great for public transports which you might consider taking as parking is not all that abundant. So if you are after a nice night chilled out night or some afternoon drinks this could be the right place for you.

This was my local for two years. The food is great quality, and the building facilities itself are…read moregreat. It's however, owned by Woolworths, at time of writing, which destroyed it. When they bought the business, it essentially became one part fancy restaurant (which is great), one part sports bar - the T-Bar. This is where non-dinner patrons mostly hang out, and you'll find your locals having a laugh with each other here. There's something wrong if 95% of your T-Bar customers are outside in the smoking area. It could be that they're socialising, but another key reason is to avoid the music and saturation of "the games." The bar is coated in advertising too, which makes me sad, and the last bar area to close where you won't annoy diners is the pokies room. The bar closes at midnight, I'm fairly sure. Seems I'm always still there when they want to close. Once during the week (Thursday, I recall) we were there celebrating my birthday in the T-Bar when we were told to move into the restaurant at 9pm! That was disappointing, as then we didn't feel that comfortable sitting among diners when we just wanted to have drinks and be ourselves. Maybe that was just my reflection.

As it was my first time, I didn't know what to expect. The location is great and easy to get to in…read morethe Valley. When we first walked in, the place wasn't too crowded. A few minutes later, the band got on stage and the place started filling up! The music was pretty good and everyone was dancing. Great place for groups to grab some drinks and dance without feeling that you need to dress up or anything. I didn't make it to the outdoor area so I would definitely be open to going back to check that out. A good place to stop on a pub crawl or start the night off. It's casual and everyone is welcome!

At first glance the Elephant and Wheelbarrow looks like just another old English pub with a typical…read morewooden interior and a carpeted floor. However there is much more to this pub than initially meets the eye. If you walk through the British style pub it leads you to the biggest beer garden in the Valley which is quite a nice surprise. The beer garden is perfect for nights out and accommodate allot of people which makes it prefect for those group nights out. The great thing about the Elephant and Wheelbarrow is that it has something happening every night of the week. The most noticeable of these are the great food deals. This includes 2 dollar steak nights on Sundays and 1 dollar taco nights on Tuesdays. These are just some of the examples of meals for under 10 dollars every day of the week. Don't be fooled by the cheap price however because the food is definitely up to standard. On Fridays there is also a great deal for groups of 5 people or more, this gives a group a meal platter worth 80 dollars when you book in. The Drink prices are fairly pricey however so this is where people wanting a cheap night out need to watch out as the cheap meal deal can quickly get pricey. There is also a wide range of live music nights such as Monday karaoke, live music on Sunday and a great range of other live local acts through the rest of the week. Personally I enjoy the Elephant Unplugged on Wednesday nights. The Web site is updated regularly and is a great way to find out more about events that are hosted by the Elephant and Wheelbarrow.

I went here one time with my legal teachers party on the veranda one after noon and it was nice old…read morebuilding and the food was good.

Now, depending on my mood, I can be a sucker for dive bars. Don't get me wrong, I relish the…read moreopportunity to dress up and act like a lady. But sometimes it's good to get reckless and a bit silly over some beers and some really, really terrible love music. Irish Murphy's doesn't necessarily have bad music (I'm also a sucker for an accent, especially Irish) but they certainly have the collective crowd keen on getting drunk and roaring along to an inaudible and stereotypically perfect karaoke song. Maybe it's the fact that Irish Murphy's adopts an appearance actually like an Irish pub, but I can't help but have a little fondness for it. I have to search for the fondness a little but believe me, it's there. It's just an ideal place to gather around a table and sling back a few casual (or not so casual) beers and get a little messy and fun. And when you've had a few, who can't join in with the crooning and tuning of the blokes on stage? The beer's fairly cheap, the company's not half bad, and the entertainment isn't sot stale either. I'm not trying to sound begrudging here, because like I said, I do have a soft spot for Irish Murphy's. I just like to be with a larger group of people and get a little silly in the name of fun. If you're after slurry banter and Irish accents, Irish Murphy's is the place to be.