Pig 'N' Whistle Riverside — Restaurant in Brisbane City

Around 20 friends and I had a terrible experience during a birthday party yesterday because of the manager (I don't know her name, but I will find out and make a formal complaint, she was a short asian girl), which makes me want never go back to that place again. It was the worst service (manager and 2 staff) I have ever seen in my entire life, the manager is totally unprepared, unprofessional and driven by emotion, not worrying about the interests of the establishment and good customer service. As a person who has already worked in hospitality, as most of my friends, and as customers, we hated it and know she is uncapable to deal with issues. It was the birthday of a friend, who brought around 25 people to the place, she personally went to the place and then made the reservation by email some days earlier, where she told them she would bring a cake and she was never told about any fee. When we arrived yesterday, in 3 people, 6:30 pm, the manager informed us at the door that we would be charged $ 25 for the cake, as they sold cake there, we accepted without agreeing, because we had no other option. Inside, I went to talk to a guy who seemed to be a manager too, maybe just a barman, but as he had talked to us too, I thought he was the manager, and I said that my friend hadn't been told about that fee, that it was her birthday and she had got upset, that she would bring many people who would consume a lot, if there was no way to review it, he said he would talk to the manager and would come to our table to give a feedback, nobody showed up tho. At the time to cut the cake we tried 3 times to ask for a knife and a staff (young girl with glasses) rudely denied it, so I asked the reason why and she (equally unprepared, treating the matter as personal) said that we had not paid the fee, so we would not have the knife, so I explained that I had tried to talk about it but I hadn't have any feedback, so she preferred to call the manager, who came and said the same thing, so I said again that I was waiting for her feedback and she didn't come up, and that my friend hadn't been told about the fee when she booked the table, so she did not answer anything about it and lied saying that when my friend called to book the table she had been told about the fee, but my friend never called there, everything was done by email. In the meantime, my friends got a knife from some staff that the manager should have forgotten to warn, then when we were cutting the cake, the manager came back to our table bringing the security guard and he said they were going to take OUR cake away! What?? That's when I started to argue, because that was the biggest nonsense I had ever seen in my life. At the end a friend paid the fee, just not to screw up our friend's celebration, but we were all very angry. We consumed a lot that night, had a good time and never disrespected anyone in that establishment. I advise you to review the professional preparation of that manager who acts through emotion. We didn't let that ruin our night, but it was a very tense moment. We all got very shocked by the immature attitude of that girl who said to be the manager. Disappointing to go through this in a birthday...

I am writing to express my disappointment with the dining experience my family and I had at your restaurant tonight. We chose The Pick and Whistle at Riverside to celebrate my son's 17th birthday, expecting a memorable evening. Unfortunately, our visit fell short of our expectations, prompting me to share our concerns.

To begin with, our server, though friendly, struggled to provide a clear description of the menu items. This lack of guidance left us uncertain about what to expect from our selections. However, the real disappointment came when our mains were served before the starters or entrées. Three out of the four dishes arrived promptly, but my wife's meal was inexplicably delayed.

As a result, my family found ourselves eating our mains without having enjoyed any appetizers. This timing issue significantly impacted the overall dining experience, and it was disheartening to see my son eagerly anticipating his chicken wings, only to receive them five minutes after the rest of us had started our main courses.

I understand that mistakes can happen in any establishment, but when paying $250 for a meal, one would expect a higher level of service. It wasn't about the money; it was about creating a special and enjoyable moment for my son on his birthday. Unfortunately, the service we received did not reflect the standard we anticipated.

I write this review not out of spite but with the hope that it serves as constructive feedback for improvement. I believe in giving credit where it's due, and I'm sure The Pick and Whistle at Riverside has the potential to provide outstanding experiences. Regrettably, our visit tonight did not meet that standard.

Thank you for your attention to this matter, and I sincerely hope that our concerns can contribute to enhancing the overall dining experience at your establishment.

Best regards,

Sent from...

Great place to eat and dink close to everything you need for a good night out in Brisbane city weather with family or friends. Been many times but New years eve and river fire are always my favorite nights of the year at this venue. The staff are always so helpful with great friendly service in a timely manner even though there can be big crowds of people. This venue not only boasts huge rooms a dance floor, outside area and bar areas with large tables for big or small groups to hang out and specialize but also plenty of toilets so your not jiggling around in a line waiting your turn and i have always found them in a clean and respectful way. The smoking area is i the right place and big enough not to be on top of each other its also around the side out the way not to trouble other guests. Tvs are just everywhere so if you looking to watch a match, boxing fight or cricket you have no problem finding viewing areas with a clear view as all Tvs are high up and are pointing in the right direction. Drinks are priced well and are not to expensive with a wide selection of beer (yes they even do pints ) wine and spirits. The food i was even impressed with lovley great portions and cooked just right with plenty of sauce options available and some cracking traditional home cooked English meals on the menu that are clearly advised and easy to read. I can see why so many visit this great venue and keep coming back. Well done to the security team for such a warm welcome at the door i love that they ID on the door it makes me feel safter that there will not be troubles hardly ever while enjoying our visit. Last but not least its right next to the beautiful Brisbane River so you can enjoy a romantic walk after your visit to end the...