So when somebody tells a South Jersey kid you got to try this cheesesteak place while you're in…read moreBrisbane Australia, you go right -- you must be kidding. But we trusted the recommendation and during our tour os Brisbane made our way to PJ's. I have to admit, it was one of the best cheesesteaks I have ever had outside of South Jersey. If you're there, give it a try. You won't be disappointed.

Upon wandering around West End, I stumbled upon PJ's steaks, a placed I had bookmarked for a while…read morenow. Though I didn't get a chance to try their cheesesteaks, which look quite scrumptious (a glass window separates you and the grill), they do look mighty tempting! I had the sweet potato fries, which were fried perfectly, and was just the way I liked it - batter to tater ratio. They're more like shoestring fries, rather than wedges that some other places around Brissy do, and I'm a big fan! They also have complimentary BBQ sauce (yum!), mustard, and tomato sauce on the side, which is always a plus, as I find most places here don't do that. The atmosphere is a bit like that of an American diner, and the pop culture references and photos on their wall will definitely keep the conversation going! I have yet to identify everything...

Well, there are two words that describe this place - customer service. The thing is that I ended up…read morehere at lunch time, on the day that the final State of Origin match was going to be played. Needless to say that I was definitely not the only person in the pub. Yet, despite the hecktic nature of the place, the staff just seemed to handle it without breaking a sweat. Now that impressed me. Oh, and they had a pretty awesome selection of beers, and the beer garden was nothing short of awesome.

Had lunch at the Boatshed, the most formal of the dining places at the Regatta…read more Nice setting, was about 80% full on a public holiday, luckily we had booked (2 hrs earlier). I had the small eye fillet, medium rare, with the chips and a tiny bowl of salad. This is a steakhouse, and the beef was very nice, albeit a bit too salty for me. The other steaks on our table, Nolan's Sirloin medium, the Banksia 500 gram rump rare, and the Wagyu medium rare were nowhere as salty and were assessed as "excellent".

After having this restaurant recommended to us by a friend, we decided to check it out. My first…read moreimpression is that it was a nice place that unless you know where to go, you could walk straight past it, so we are trying to tell everyone we know about it because we think it is just awesome. As soon as you are seated (we made a reservation, but we aren't sure if you can just walk in and grab a table), you are given a bottle of water and some nice bread & butter. We didn't try any of the entree's, but my fiance had a steak and I had the slow cooked 1/2 rack of marinated BBQ Pork Ribs, and I must say it was the best ribs I have ever eaten. Both the ribs and the steak came with a lovely smooth meaty tasting bbq sauce, and chips (I believe you can select mash if you don't want chips). We followed this by trying the hot chocolate (which is really good, the only time I have ever bought hot chocolate that I didn't burn my mouth on), and my fiance had the flourless chocolate cake, I had the sticky date pudding. Both came with a scoop of vanilla icecream. All in all, it was a very nice place, with awesome food, and the staff attend to you as soon as you glance their way or just look at them, and are more than willing to please their customers. As the other review mentioned, it is a bit pricey, but it is well worth it. For 2 softdrinks, 2 mains, 2 desserts, and 2 hot chocolates, it cost us around $124. If you would like a wine recommendation to go with the food you would like to order, the staff can recommend one for you. It was the best experience we have had in a long time, and we will be returning for sure.

Self-proclaimed as 'specialists in beef dining,' Embers is the upscale Park Road's version of a…read moresteakhouse. While you won't get a meal for under $30 here, you will get amazing steaks and ribs, including their certified black angus steaks. Their steaks are perfect, tender and full of flavour they come about as close to melting in your mouth as a steak can get. Not being a red meat fan, this is rare enthusiasm from me over a steakhouse. The staff are fantastic, really friendly, quick to assist in any way and recommend something from the menu. They also have an amazing wine list sourced from Australia's leading wineries. So if you want to impress the man in your life, take him to Embers.

Sorry Australia, but you suck at cooking steaks…read more After a few tries at a few places, I'm now convinced that you export all your good beef and force the leftovers upon your unknowing citizens. My last attempt of an Australian steak was at Cha Cha Char. The waitress assured me that the Wagyu rump had the best marbling of any of their steaks and it would be the fattiest. My cohorts ordered a couple of the other steaks, so we had a fair assessment of the spread. Opening up the dinner was an auto-amuse of beef wrapped around some stuff. Meh, nothing too fancy here; http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/qKhgQa4HSqeYJyN26QqPIQ?select=7hdJuLedzLIvyT9Lm73gjA#7hdJuLedzLIvyT9Lm73gjA Then came my steak with a side of very well executed fried gnocchi. The side was the best part of the meal, each ingredient was there with a purpose and had my plate been full of just this, it would have been a much nicer dinner. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/qKhgQa4HSqeYJyN26QqPIQ?select=FXH2o8O0XYecvAXIsTmrRQ#FXH2o8O0XYecvAXIsTmrRQ The steak itself had an okay crust and was seasoned well enough. But looking inside you can sympathize with my disappointment. Zero marbling. I've had "Australian Wagyu" all over the states and even the worst of that lot easily trumps what was on my plate. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/qKhgQa4HSqeYJyN26QqPIQ?select=d-M97RYS3NpQ8_3mpNp0Tw#d-M97RYS3NpQ8_3mpNp0Tw It was chewy, not that juicy, and really lean. Lean should not exist in a highly marbled steak. Neither of the other two steaks order fared much better. Overall, a miss and the nail in the coffin of my ever trying to enjoy steak down under again. PS - here's a great read on the lie that is Kobe Beef: http://www.forbes.com/sites/larryolmsted/2012/04/12/foods-biggest-scam-the-great-kobe-beef-lie/

Awarded National Restaurant & Catering Award for Excellence as Australia's best steak restaurant -…read morefor the fourth time in a row back in 2007 means that this place means serious steak business. I have on good knowledge that every year these restaurants bid on the prize cows that come from around the country. Basically they try and get the cow that will give them the best steak in a cow auction. It's very prestigious and the top cows have been known to have been bought for over $15000... back in the day, could be more now. To have won this cow, is to have claimed the title The Best Steak In Brisbane pretty much. MSA certified etc etc etc it is the cow to have ticked all the boxes, and now it was up to the chefs. Having said that, these guys know how to cook up the best steak. The prices are on the pricey side being in the fancy pants Eagle Street Pier and the waiters are very particular about the sides and side sauces you put next to your piece of beef. On a Friday night, it gets a bit loud with the business men of Brisbane crowding into their regular tables, opening up their expensive wines and sitting down for the 9:30pm service... the Saturday NIght crowd seems a little better in my opinion. Don't expect there to be many sides with your steak, and expect the steaks to be over $40. Yes, you can get steaks somewhere else for cheaper, but no you won't have had the Cha Cha Char experience that I need everyone to have. So check it out just because.

What a delicious steakhouse. Upon finding this steakhouse on a whim and wanting more of an upscale…read moremeal in Brisbane, I'm so glad I found this spot. Immediately, upon walking in, the whole experience was amazing. The porterhouse was pretty good and was served perfectly. The pierogis are a must order and it's always great to start with a fresh salad. Our waiter was amazing. So welcoming and accommodating. The vibe feels older yet lively. Be prepared to smell steak; everyone is ordering the porterhouse!

Fabulous steakhouse!! Old fashioned vibe with a New York feel. Famous for their aged Australian…read moreSteaks and extensive drink list. Other great item on the menu as well, including lots of good sides and desserts. The most impeccable waitstaff!!! Our meal was perfect!!! Should not miss this place when visiting!!

Exquisite food in a wonderful setting!…read more We came here for a work Christmas party and we were allocated the table right in front of the kitchen. Every dish was a masterpiece - duck liver parfait, fried Jalapeno peppers stuffed with goat's cheese, piquillo peppers stuffed with salted cod and figs wrapped in jamon to start with followed by meltingly tender beef short rib. I chose the berry crumble for dessert which was amazing. The wine was delicious and the service was impeccable. This was a wonderful treat and a fabulous way to celebrate Christmas!!

Tuesdays are usually unimpressive, with lots of class and a workout of some kind, but not this one!…read more I was lucky enough to enjoy a fancy dinner date with a couple of friends at Moda, a beautiful restaurant located near Eagle Street Pier. We started the night with Mooloolaba Prawns, Half Shell Scallops, and Duck Liver Parfait (in a share plate for two). The prawns weren't extraordinarily impressive, but they were good, though I enjoyed the scallops and duck liver much more. The scallop was tender, but not overcooked, and paired perfectly with the jamon, cauliflower and saffron. My favourite of the three was definitely the duck liver parfait. It was a great flavour with the Pedro Ximinez Jelly, and was probably one of the best liver parfaits I've ever had! I was torn between the Duck Confit Leg (yes, I love duck) and the Beef Cheek, and ended up ordering the latter as a recommendation from our waiter. Naturally, beef cheek is very forgiving, but I actually did enjoy the flavour of the marinade and sauce itself. My biggest complaint was that the meat was way too salty (including the swordfish I had a bite of), which left me thirsty the rest of the night. The horseradish mash was also a great flavour, but also too salty. The swordfish was perfectly done - not overcooked, and crispy on the outside. I was impressed with the mains that night - both with the presentation and the taste. Of course, as with all dinners I have with Jo, we ended with dessert. Between the three of us, we had the Spanish Creme Caramel, Crema Catalana, and Valhrona Chocolate Fondant. I'm not typically the biggest chocolate dessert fan (more of a fruit tart kind of person), but I think the Valhrona chocolate fondant won my heart that night. The orange marmalade ice cream wasn't as orange-y as I had hoped, but the chocolate fondant spoke for itself. It wasn't overly sweet, and was both rich and fluffy at the same time. I also enjoyed the Crema Catalana for the honeycomb and the fruit, but we weren't a fan of the jelly. As a restaurant in Brisbane, Moda has actually impressed me with their food, service, and ambience. The food did take a while to come throughout the night, but to be fair, they were quite busy for a Tuesday night! The chandeliers, pretty plates, space heaters, and Spanish ambience only made me fall in love with this place more.

If you walk straight through Morrison's Pub and out the back, you'll enter into Fiasco's…read moreSteakhouse. Please wait to be seated as Fiasco's does get booked out quite regularly, especially towards the weekend. The restaurant manager is no nonsense about service and treats you as though you should be too. I have to admit, I skipped to the back of the menu where they had their steak list. All of the cuts had the weight, location, diet and back story listed. Each listing said "Grain Fed". Now, I for one, think it's horribly odd where we live in a world where grain fed beef is celebrated. Traditionally, cows eat grass. Cows can eat grain, but they aren't meant to: it's not nearly as healthy for them, but people who sell steak often don't care about the welfare of the cow, they care about how fast they can 'grow' meat, so as to sell enough steak to meet ever increasing demand. I chose the 400g black angus rump (180 days) for $31.00 (all meals come with salad and chips/potato). The knife just sank in and exposed that perfect medium rare flesh so easily that I damn near forgot my moral apprehension about eating this steak. It was delicious, I have to admit. My friends who choose the porterhouse were also impressed. One steak is a whole lot of food and you may have trouble getting through it alone. Make sure you're really hungry before you come. You can get a steak from $30. If you're a bit like me and care about eating ethical meats, you might have issues with Fiasco's. If you don't care so much, you'll be glad to know the steak is delicious and that it's worth the moula you put down for it.

Ok. So as I was writing this I was still in the restaurant. The length of this review should give…read moresome indication of the root problem. Let me give the blow by blow so far. Had a 7:30 booking, a long time in advance. Called up at 7pm to ask if they had free parking spaces. They assured us they did and that it wouldn't be a problem. Arrived at 7:25pm. They did not have a free park. Managed to snag one at around 7:43pm. Waited in line until 7:50 just to be acknowledged to be given literally the worst seat in the entire restaurant. While the couple in front of us with no booking got a relatively cosy table out the front. (I assume they gave away our table, realised their mistake and gave us a makeshift one, it certainly wasn't set for two) We were sat down and told we'd have a specific waitress managing our table. This turned out to be false. We waited 10-15 minutes to be acknowledged by a waitress. We waved. Stared. Called out. No response. I wound up resorting to attempting to call the restaurant as I thought it might be the only thing that could illicit a response without having everyone in the room stare at me. Thankfully she arrived at this point. We ordered our food, some drinks and asked for water in the meantime. 5-10 minutes later the drinks arrive. (water was forgotten). And that's the story so far at 8:25pm. 8:50 and no food has arrived. I decided to flag down a waitress more forcibly and get a different seat away from under the kitchen heatlamps. Hopefully the right side of my head doesn't develop cancer. If it does it might make this one hour wait more enjoyable though. Silver linings. 8:52 I summon another waitress. My invisibility seems to have worn off. I ask where the food is. She says they're plating it up now. 8:57pm food arrives. In an amount of time that suspiciously feels like it would have taken them to fry a steak and gather some chips and salad. Chips are soggy and I'd honestly prefer hungry jacks chips. Salad was pleasant. Steak was great. The two star review stands. It might have been a better use of my time to find a cow, kill it and then fry it rather than wait this long again. I believe we were able to exit the venue at 9:15pm. At this point I had some time in the car to reflect on the prior events with my partner. At first we mused that perhaps we were overlooked as the only interracial couple in the venue. This led us to believe that the owner is perhaps an expatriated confederate. This would certainly be corroborated by the faux cowskin seating. I think the real beautiful part of this evening is that after a relatively turbulent week with a lot of relationship stress we came out a stronger couple. Many cultures bond over having a common enemy. Our combined hatred of the abhorrent service made us leave feeling more happy with each other than ever. I still remember our combined sigh of relief as we were able to leave the venue. It's going to be etched into my brain for a while. Edit: Originally this review was 2 stars. The server we complained to told us management would be in contact with us to resolve the situation. It has been 4 days since then and no one has contacted me.

Let me paint the picture. My parents had been staying with us for awhile and on their last night…read morein Brisbane before the long trek back to Ireland, we wanted to treat them to a fantastic meal with great views. Being good country folk they love their meat and veg, and being irish of course they love spuds! Me on the other hand I love seafood, Asian dishes and very little red meat. In fact I was vegetarian for a number of years. But I had been to Kingsleys before and I knew the quality of food. It is the only place that I will happily order a steak medium and enjoy every mouthful. So i booked in advance and requested a table with river views if possible. When we arrived we were taken to our outdoor table with an amazing view of the Storey Bridge. The table was under a lovely heater which suited mum perfectly, and the rest of us weren't overwhelmed with heat so it was perfect. We were offered different water types and given the wine list to browse whilst getting settled with our menus. The wait staff were very friendly and happy to explain anything on the menus. They had a reasonable selection of wines at varying prices. Then it was time to pick the food. I'm the sort of person who will go to a steak restaurant and order the chicken! But i ordered the New York Striploin medium and LOVED it. However picking the entrees was more challenging. There were just too many fantastic options. We had crab cakes, salt and pepper squid, scallops and a scotch egg. All were delicious and beautifully presented. I was too hungry to take a picture. Clean plates went back to the kitchen and my parents couldn't stop talking about how delicious it was. Then out came our main courses. We all had a steak, all different cuts and each person was happy with the quality. Mum and I had the green peppercorn sauce which was perfect. Dad had a mushroom brandy sauce which i thought he was about to lick off his plate. My husband had the bearnaise sauce which he also thought was delicious. At kingsleys after you have selected your steak then you pick your individual sides. We decided to each order something different and then share. We had garlic mash, onion rings, carrots and green beans. These all really compliment the steak. There were clean plates all around which i think tells a lot about a restaurant. Mum kept saying that her steak and sauce was so good that she would have happily eaten just those, but then tried they sides and thought WOW, just when I thought it couldn't get any better. There were 2 desserts ordered, neither of which I had but the others seemed to love them. My only complaint was that they took a very long time to arrive at the table. However the others report that it was well worth the wait. The staff at Kingleys were very friendly, professional and helpful. They appeared to enjoy their work which helps add to the atmosphere of the place. Speaking of atmosphere it was fantastic, everyone there that night was having a great time. The view is just breathtaking and the tables are positioned so that the majority of people can see the river views. Why have I given it only 4 stars and not 5? Parking can be difficult through the week but many of the undercover private car parks offer evening discounts after 5.30pm, e.g $13 for the night. Also the bathroom facilities in the restaurant aren't great. There are signs up advising how to flush the toilets to avoid blockage which I found odd, However when I went back later in the evening all of the ladies toilets were blocked to almost overflowing. The males in our group reported that the gents were exactly the same. The fact they have signs up advising how to flush a toilet makes me think this problem has existed for awhile and I believe it should have been addressed. No one wants soggy shoes after walking into a bathroom. I did report it to the manager that night so hopefully the problem will be fixed.

Perfectly cooked steak. Quality wine. Beautiful river views. Staff that are helpful and friendly…read more Kingsleys is easily one of the best steak restaurants in Queensland. The snow crab is also brilliant and a must try. Wine. Steak. View. Perfect!

Really liked this place. Came here with the in laws (plus 3 kids) for an anniversary dinner…read more Going somewhere fancy with young kids (for me at least) is an incredibly anxiety laden experience. I am often too stressed about policing the behaviour of my toddler (and his cousins) to eat or enjoy my food. Not so here. The waiters and front of house guys were welcoming and didn't give us any disapproving looks. For such an opulent setting this was remarkably relaxed and friendly. The NY strip/del monico steak was excellent. Perfectly seasoned, nice bit of char (altho I would have loved even more). The crème brûlée was also crazy good - adding caramelised bananas on top was genius, not to mention the swirl of candy floss. My only criticism - and I'm honestly saying this constructively with a hope that they could improve rather than to be a d*ck - is about their pizza. Honestly it's an absolute disaster guys. We got it for the kids but i thought I'd take a look. What first had me curious was that even though the base was super thin (which is a good thing) there was a "gum line" under the toppings. You mainly see this in thicker (sicilian/detroit/Chicago) styles of pizza where the dough doesn't cook through properly so you get a soggy line on top of the base where it meets the sauce/cheese. But to see it on such a thin pie was unusual so i had a bite. The base was totally uncooked like it hadn't even felt any heat. My guess is that the pizza was grilled rather than put in an oven, and certainly not on a pizza stone/steel. I heartily suggest you look into "bar pie" or "tavern style pizza". There are also various hacks you can use instead of using a pizza stone or proper pizza oven you can use a frying pan to cook the base first and then "dome" it in an oven... worth a look!

For a hotel of this caliber, food was surprisingly bad. Both entree and dessert. Will not be…read morereturning.