Pig ‘N’ Whistle Indooroopilly — Restaurant in Brisbane City

This is an update of the review that I did at our last visit here in March 2021:

Interesting to note the extent to which prices have increased. I had the same steak and Guinness pie that I had last time, except now (as of this writing, I’m sure it will continue increasing with each visit) it cost 33, compared to 29 last time, a 14% increase. A basic rump steak now costs 38. You will recall what I said back then about how our little Aussie peso has been devalued to nothing by our govt. But I could not have imagined how bad it would get. We ordered five drinks at the bar: two pints of lager and three cold drinks: That cost 42 pesos. Unbelievable. And it’s not as if the PnW or the restaurant industry is to blame for this disaster. The blame lies squarely at the feet of successive profligate govts and the Res Bank.

Apart from that though, the PnW delivered a similarly high standard of food and service as last time.

Six of us dined (five adults and one child) and we ordered a selection of dishes including the aforementioned steak and Guinness pie, a rump steak, chicken burger, chicken salad and nachos for the toddler. That came to a hefty 171. Now it’s great to be able to use the app to order, but I can’t stand the fact that they add a 1.25% “surcharge” for that pleasure, on top of the substantial prices that they are already charging. I would have thought that we should get a discount for app ordering as it clearly requires less staff involvement.

My other gripe this time was the noise. We dined on a Sat night and unbeknown to me, it’s a night that they have live music. And given that the venue has wooden floors and no carpets or noise absorbers, this just made it hellishly noisy and uncomfortable and it it ruined the evening for us.

And here is the original review:

Four of us dined on a quiet Sunday in March. We arrived at 5.30pm, and with only a smattering of other diners, we were easily able to get a nice table outdoors, where we wanted it. But there’s plenty of seating here, indoors and outdoors, so you can take your pick.

First up a couple of drinks, inc a pint of Old Speckled hen and a pot of my fav Stone & Wood pale ale, and cold drinks for the ladies. $32 for that lot, which was a good start, and set the tone for what was to follow, which was fairly hefty prices.

For our dinners, we ordered two slow cooked lamb shanks with vegetables and mash ($35), a steak and Guinness pie with mash and veg ($29) and the chicken curry ($29). That came to exactly $128 for four meals, which just shows you the extent to which our little Aussie peso has become a worthless piece of paper, thanks to our govt’s insane spending spree. But despite that, we all enjoyed our meals. The food was first class, and portion sizes were generous. My steak and Guinness pie was delicious, with big chunks of tender well cooked meat in a crispy pastry and served with creamy mash and a variety of fresh and tasty green vegetables. It was the genuine article, and I could taste and smell the Guinness lager, which added a great flavour and zest to the pie. The other meals were pretty good too: the lamb was melt-in-you-mouth tender and flavoursome and the chicken curry was a spicy and hearty dish with rice, naan bread and yoghurt.

Service was polite, friendly and efficient. It took only around 15 minutes from the time of ordering our meals to the time that they arrived at our table. Just long enough to enjoy our drinks and a bit of light-hearted chit-chat before getting down to the serious business of eating.

Ambience was casual, laid back and relaxed.

There’s easy parking in the shopping centre with three hours free, and ample toilets in the restaurant itself or just outside in the food court.

An excellent venue all round with outstanding food, fast service and a pleasant ambience, if...

It amazes me how this horrible place has a 4 star rating, when infact it doesn’t even deserve 1.

I rarely take my time, nor waste it by writing reviews unless I’m very impressed. If you don’t have anything nice to say, then don’t say it right? Nor should you act on it. However this is my first negative review, ever. If you’re planning to go dine at this premise, just don’t. Save your time and go somewhere else, like next doors betty’s burger or even maccas. You’ll get way better service there. I wish I had of went to Betty’s, as I’m not a local (from another state) and won’t visit indooroopily again.

Instead I went to this poor excuse of a bar/restaurant, thinking it’d be nice/ a little bit fancy. It wasn’t, don’t let their newly renovated venue fool you. I was extremely disappointed with the service, food and over all experience.

My partner and I had just flew into Brisbane and were expecting to have a wonderful evening, celebrating our 11th anniversary weekend get - away together. We would’ve stayed in Brisbane however the film we wanted to watch was only at indooroopily event cinema that night. We went to dine at the pig n whistle and the bar staff were offensively rude, impolite, bad - mannered and unprofessional. It felt as it they were being prejudiced to us. We could feel it in their actions, words and tone. It killed the whole vibe, stole away our appetites but my partner and I ignored it. We tried to eat our food but the food matched the staff. Unpleasant.

The service counter in the restaurant area (downstairs) by the indoor exit/entrance to the shopping centre also placed poorly. It needs to be turned around so staff can face customers while they’re greeting/paying. Not next to them.

I really hope they turn the staff over, for the sake of the business, or at least train staff to be more polite and provide a good standard of service.

The only pleasant experience was the young lad Neil (i think that was his name) who partially served us. He was very polite, respectful and professional. Keep up the good work buddy, you’ll do...

I was with a group of mates today and wandered into the shopping centre to buy some lunch. After some debate regarding options, Pig 'N' Whistle was suggested. There was initial hesitation as my friends (all locals) had previously encountered an unsatisfactory experience. However, they opted to give the benefit of the doubt and try again.

Well, last time must have been a one-off affair, because we all loved today's outing. We sat outside in the fresh air and ordered the British fish and chips, a chicken parmy, ribs and, for me, the amazingly priced special offer, consisting of a 300gm MB9+ wagyu rump + chive mash + broccolini + peppercorn sauce + a pot of Heineken for a mere $39!

Truthfully, I wrestled with my choice for ages (nearly selected the Mushroom risotto!) as I was sceptical the steak would be any good at that price. Luckily, I went with my gut and took the plunge, and a great choice it was. The steak was genuinely cooked to perfection and the knife slid through it with ease. The mash was lovely, the greens were cooked yet firm, and the sauce was beautifully creamy yet loaded with peppery bite. I loved every aspect of the meal.

As for my mates, they all sang their praises and were both impressed with their choices, and the marked improvement following their previous visit. The parmy was a cheesy chunk of chicken decadence, the ribs were massive and had all the trimmings, and the fish and chips, with accompanying sauce and mashed peas, were also much enjoyed.

Overall, as a first-time visitor, I was very impressed. The venue is really big and spacious, with ample seating indoors and out. The staff were professional in their conduct, and the meals were delivered within an acceptable timeframe. The QR code ordering helped significantly too, as we were able to independently browse the menu, order, and pay to suit. No splitting bills and no owing one another money. It was convenient and efficient.

Thanks for a positive experience and a great meal. Keep up the...