La Boca Bar and Grill Brisbane — Restaurant in Brisbane City

Boca: A Tale of Two Meals in Brisbane

Boca in Brisbane presents a fascinating duality, a culinary Jekyll and Hyde that caters to both the health-conscious early riser and the ravenous carnivore come evening. My experience encompassed both, and while they were vastly different, the core quality of the food shone through.

Morning Light: A Wholesome Start (with a Caffeine Caveat)

In the morning, Boca transforms into a haven for those seeking a healthy breakfast. The buffet is a simple but effective affair, offering a delightful selection of fresh fruits, a variety of muesli, and creamy yoghurt. It's a perfect way to kickstart your day with a light, refreshing meal. However, the coffee experience fell short. The reliance on an automatic machine resulted in a rather lackluster brew, lacking the depth and richness one desires. While functional, it certainly wasn't a highlight.

Evening Ember: A Meat Lover's Mecca

As the sun sets, Boca undergoes a dramatic metamorphosis, revealing its true identity as a meat lover's paradise. The atmosphere shifts, becoming warm and inviting, with the open kitchen taking centre stage. Watching the chefs masterfully handle the flames, reminiscent of traditional Argentinian "asado" or "parrilla," is an experience in itself. The air fills with the enticing aroma of charcoal and woodfire, promising a feast.

The execution lived up to the anticipation. The meat, cooked to perfection, was undeniably juicy inside, boasting a beautiful, smoky char on the outside. The flavours were robust and authentic, a testament to the quality of the ingredients and the skill of the chefs. Portions can be generous, bordering on massive, and the price reflects the quality and quantity. Be prepared to indulge, and perhaps loosen your belt a notch or two.

The experience is truly akin to enjoying an Argentinian barbecue, with the primal satisfaction of watching your meal being cooked over open flames. The atmosphere is lively and engaging, making it an ideal spot for a celebratory dinner or a special occasion.

Overall Impression:

Boca offers two distinct experiences. While the morning breakfast is a decent, albeit unexceptional, start to the day, the evening is where Boca truly shines. For meat aficionados, it's a must-visit. The authentic Argentinian-inspired cooking, the high-quality ingredients, and the vibrant atmosphere create a memorable dining experience. The slightly disappointing coffee in the morning is a small price to pay for the evening's culinary delights. If you're looking for a genuine meat feast in Brisbane, Boca is undoubtedly a top contender. Just be sure to bring your appetite and a willingness to embrace the primal joy of perfectly...

Dinner last night and breakfast this morning as we are staying at the Stamford. For a 5 star hotel, this restaurant as their main dining option is very ordinary. 30 mins to receive drinks last night, and another 30 mins to receive food. There are no set places on the tables, it's a rather cheap wooden box of cutlery on your table with a few paper napkins tucked in it as well. You would have thought there would be one on every table, but no. Waitstaff took our order and left, and we resorted to taking a box of cutlery from another unoccupied table. No salt/pepper on any table... had to ask for them. Plastic, garish uncomfortable chairs with rickety wooden tables, that were pretty sticky. Yuk. No air-conditioning, just some overhead ceiling fans, which are a bit useless given the humidity in Brisbane right now. Dinner was average, nothing spectacular. We had the Surf and Dine Experience, which was served on a board. Meats medium rare, the lamb was chewy. Seafood ok. Barramundi overdone. Ice tap water was provided fairly quickly. It's definitely not a fine dining experience, and in fact we have had far better meals at local cafes. Breakfast this morning is what you would expect at a 3 star hotel, or a cheap breakfast before a conference. Coffee was from an urn, only milk we could see was full cream or skim. No non dairy options. If you want a cappuccino or flat white, you pay extra. Small selection of fruit and breads, one toaster, a small selection of pastries that were very cold, so obviously brought in external and frozen. Hot food was hash browns, scrambled egg, mushroom, chicken chipolatas and bacon. That's it. No grilled tomatoes, no beans, no pancakes/waffles, and definitely no international foods. There is a chef on the floor who can do either eggs your way, or an omelette. Juice selection was only orange (not fresh squeezed, but preserved) and apple juice. Honestly the waitstaff are quite hopeless, and I don't think any of them are trained in restaurant service. Agree with other reviews on floor manager (older white male who is bald)... he is very arrogant and condescending. There is a young Asian girl with long hair in a ponytail, short and slim who looked completed bored this morning at breakfast. Wandering around and not doing much of anything, let alone clearing and resetting tables. To be honest, there is nothing awful about La Boca Brisbane, but it just feels half cooked. Nothing stands out, it's just all very ordinary. Would rather go elsewhere for the prices, which is a shame for a 5star hotel...

To the owners of La Boca Brisbane, please consider our following review as we take pride in sharing honest feedback in the hospitality industry and hope this message will assist with the further development of your restaurant.

We ordered the following for our special anniversary dinner, excited to experience the menu.

Expectation: Empanada Sampler $18.00

Reality: these pastries were nothing special. Flavour/freshness was not there. Overall, very underwhelming entree.

Expectation: Lomo / Eye Fillet $52.00 Reality: Steak was a quality peace of meat but didn’t meet the benchmark with flavour and punch. It was served on a pumpkin puree which was dreadful (if you were to compare it to pumpkin soup from a hospital I’d say the flavours were very similar). It also had a side of half a tomato that had been heated but certainly not grilled.

Expectation: Pollo / Half Chicken GF $38 - Free range chicken, with paprika lime sauce slow cooked to perfection over charcoal

Reality: chicken had no grill marks, lacked any good flavour and was served with the same underwhelming sides as the steak.

Expectations: Rosemary Chips DF $12.00 Reality: stale frozen chips (very small bowl portion) rosemary was not even noticeable.

Expectation: Roasted Butternut Pumpkin $14.00 with crumbled chevre, pecan and honey dressing

Reality: see photos for this one. Nothing like it’s listed as and served on dry rocket.

Expectations: Rocket and Pear Salad GF, N 

$18.00 - 
Shaved parmesan, balsamic dressing and glaze

See photos for this one. Not fresh, over dressed with poor ingredients and shared parmansen was nothing but a few leftover crumb's.

Overall I mentioned I’d feel better if they could do something for us and we ended up not paying for our salad (as requested)

The staff handled our requests well and had a genuine service. The head chef took the time to hear our concerns and was very understanding.

Reviews like this take time to do and we feel it’s ultimately important to share this.

We wish the venue all the best in its success but unfortunately we do not...