Bracegirdle's Blackwood — Restaurant in Adelaide

I understand that mistakes do happen but unfortunately, when I came here today there were multiple pretty major mistakes that occurred and absolutely no apology from any of the staff. Wrong drinks were given as well as wrong food. We checked with the waitress and the order was taken correctly, meaning it was an issue with the people delivering our food. She explained there was a new chef on today. Fair enough. But it was a bit disconcerting that none of the staff even attempted to apologise for any of the multiple inconveniences. We had to wait longer for food as they were giving us the wrong thing, and even then there wasn’t even a half hearted ‘sorry about that’. The customer service isn’t bad but in situations like that, it did feel as though we were the ones in the wrong for questioning the food we were being given, when in reality it was the fault of the staff. Some of the food was good and the coffee was good but the food we waited longest for was a chicken wrap that was horribly dry. I understand a new chef was on but given the wait along with all the other inconveniences, it was a little too much negativity for one lunch outing. I’m sure it’s not always this bad but it was a pretty poor experience with no attempt from staff to apologise. I would hope for better experiences...

Had dinner at Bracegirdles tonight. They were offering a special as it was the first anniversary, so we went and tried it. I ordered the Shepherds Hill Pie, but what I got was a bowl of pulled lamb with no flavourings of any sort, just plain lamb (was tender), with a dollop of mashed potato on top and some greens on the side. Very underwhelming and really tasteless and boring. Not even a bit of onion or mushroom or any seasonings to spice it up. I suppose it was supposed to be a Shepherd Pie. But this sort of pie has mashed potato but that is then put back in the oven to brown on the top and has butter added to make it creamy. It also has lot of other things added to the meat. It was so bland and boring and bore very little resemblance to a Shepherds Pie. My husband had seafood. He was warned the salt and pepper squid was all gone. They gave extra prawns to make up for it. But his meal too lacked the normal sauce that comes with a fish meal. All in all a disappointing experience. If you are going to put pie on the menu, serve a pie. Prices were reasonable I suppose, but probably not for the unattractive and bland meal I was served. The chocolates looked lovely and will go there to buy those as I normally do, but will not dine...

Busy around 2pm and as we entered the premises, several tables were not cleared.

Waiting in queue while the customer ahead ordered a chicken curry, but the attendant said kitchen closed. Customer asked to check with chef, attendant responded that it was closed since her brother working in the kitchen. Customer requested to check, attendant sighed, customers in line waiting and wondering what would happen next as attendant went to check. Came back and said the item could be made. My friend said the customer was arrogant insisting, but I disagreed and commended the chef for going the extra mile probably knowing its good for business.

Customer service was lacking at front of the house. It is surprising to witness this especially during this time when businesses have been impacted by covid.

As for our order, coffees arrived lukewarm with same attendant dropping it off and walking away without any acknowledgement. Dessert arrived 5 minutes after coffees were half finished. Bad day, perhaps? Try not to let it reflect on your service and attitude with other customers and those nearby, as it leaves a lasting impression that influences whether or not we return or try the other food...