Hoosegow Charcoal Restaurant — Restaurant in Adelaide

The old favourite Back. We decided to go back to Hoosegow last night since we really love their food and accept the invitation from the management to come back after our previous experience.

The service was very different than the last time we were there. The staffs are attentive. The wait time for food and drinks are very reasonable.

As for Hoosegow food. They never disappoint. We even got take away from there during COVID.

We really appreciate the management that openly admitted that they dropped the ball in our previous visit and their generosity that beyond our expectations in our last visit. Thank you. Hoosegow is one of our old favourites and will always be.

Good food. Terrible Service. Hoosegow food & drink are consistently good. Can't fault it at all.

But the service, even given allowance the fact that hospitality industry hit hard due to covid, and short staffs. We can only say it was terrible & ruining our experience.

After we were sat, we have to wait for a long time to have our order taken. Even though it could not be more obvious that we had made our choices. Menu not touch, eyes roaming the room trying to get waiting staffs attention. I had to resort to raised & waved my hand. Additional drink order was taken but never arrived until second waiting staffs need to retake our order. But wait..... it got worse. After we finished our main meal trying to get any waiting staff attention was futile. Yes we saw that there are big groups arrived, but our table literally in between those groups. No waiting staffs looked at our direction let alone asking do we need more drink or dessert? No. We just don't exist. While small tables at other rooms get their attention. I had to resort to went up to one of the waiting staff asking for dessert menu. The replied was: I bringing them straight to your table. 15mnt later that promised menu didn't show up. So after 40 minutes since we finished our main meal, it's obvious according to the waiting staffs, they no longer need to look after us , we left. Worst service we ever...

Am pleased with this place! Going to start off with the staff here, all very friendly and kind. They are so considerate with the little details and made sure everything was ok and well with the ingredients. They greet you so kindly upon arriving and leaving, staff waited at the door and walked my friends and I out. That was super lovely. The restaurant was not hard to locate at all and there is parking on the sides of the restaurant on the first turn. Simple good ambience with warm lighting. I must say though, the seating we were sitting at was quite close to the next tables, could use a bit more space between for private conversation reasons.

The food is indeed good and definitely makes you want to come back and try other dishes. We all shared our mains and all enjoyed it very much.

The listed bellows are just what stood out to me most.

The Lamb Cutlet was cooked quite well, it comes with 5 pieces. Was not over cooked and has a nice simple flavour. The mash that comes with was very nice, the portion of it was a little too small for my liking. I feel it could definitely use a bit more of that as the portion ratio of cutlets and mash didn’t compliment fully well. 9.1

Signature Chilli Chicken is how it sounds, if this is more to your liking, it is chilli alright, the portion was done perfectly well for a main meal and the amount of veggies was a good size to go with, chicken was done good too, it was not too dry, but almost— the dipping sauce to compliment with can use a bit more for the portion of the chicken. 8.8

The Swiss Mushrooms was banging! If you don’t like mushrooms, you may change your mind after tasting this, because I sure as heck did! 9.6

The Berry Mocktail was very refreshing, light and super yummy, not too sweet at all. 9.2

Something Corn (I don’t recall) It was good too. 8.5

Highly recommend and will be coming back to try the other foods and...

A Hidden Gem with Exceptional Food & Service

From the moment we walked in, the experience at this restaurant was nothing short of outstanding. The staff were incredibly welcoming, super friendly, and highly professional. Their warmth and attentiveness set the perfect tone for the evening. The business owner, a lovely and passionate lady, personally introduced us to the menu, sharing the stories behind the recipes and describing each dish with such enthusiasm—it was an absolute pleasure to listen to.

We started with the Swiss mushroom appetizer, which was beautifully balanced with goat cheese, pomegranate molasses glaze, walnuts, and rocket. It was the perfect combination of savoury and sweet, setting the bar high for the rest of the meal.

The wine and cocktail selection was impressive and reasonably well-curated, offering a great variety to complement the dishes.

For mains, the signature chicken dish stole the show. Cooked to perfection over charcoal, the skin-on chicken thighs had a delicious smoky aroma and a deep, rich flavour. The signature sauce was the perfect pairing, making each bite irresistible. The lamb chops with truffle cauliflower mash were another standout—the flavours were phenomenal, and the meat was tender and full of depth.

The potato chips were a delightful surprise—thick-cut, steakhouse-style, incredibly crunchy on the outside yet soft and fluffy inside. The sauce that accompanied them was simply amazing.

To round off the evening, we indulged in the panna cotta with berries—a dessert that perfectly balanced sweetness and tartness. It was velvety, creamy, and the ideal way to end the meal.

Overall, I couldn’t be happier to have discovered this restaurant. The food was outstanding, the atmosphere was welcoming, and the team truly delivered a memorable dining experience. I will absolutely be back to explore more of the menu. Well done...