Shucks Bar — Restaurant in Brisbane City

This is a difficult review to star because our experience at Shucks Bar was such a mix bag.

Having just arrived from Melbourne to visit family, Shucks Bar was reserved for our first night's dinner. The food although really good, was in rather small portions for "share" plates. But this alone would only bring my review down to 4/5 stars. What brings it all the way down to 2/5 stars was the slow service. To no fault of the waitress who should perhaps be promoted to the manager as she appeared to be the only staff actually working hard and trying to keep up with demand. At 45mins after ordering, our first dish arrived and we started more closely observing staff, trying to understand why it was taking so long. While the chef casually walked around with no sense of urgency whatsoever, at one point even stopping to dry/polish cutlery the guy behind the bar had a presence of preparing drinks for friends not a restaurant. I feel the blame lay with these 2 as neither had the vigour or motivation that the waitress was displaying. At 1hour 15mins, we watched as the same dish we'd ordered before 2 other tables was served to them before ourselves. Clearly it was because we had at least received our first dish and they had nothing as yet, but that doesn't lower frustrations much. At 1hour 30min we received the 2nd last dish of the 4 we had ordered.

In the end our dining experience was a little over 2 hours and we had to stop for pizza on the way home We would have very much liked to order more at Shucks Bar but weren't prepared to wait 30-45mins for entre sized...

Disappointing Experience at Shuck – Not Coming Back

I had high hopes for Shuck, but unfortunately, my visit was a letdown. From the start, the bread was stale and hard, making it nearly inedible. The anchovy and pickle skewer was minimal, tasteless, and didn't live up to expectations. To make matters worse, one of my three oysters had an off taste, which is never a good sign when you're at a seafood restaurant.

The swordfish, however, was the highlight of the meal. It was cooked well, but it lacked a simple touch of seasoning—a squeeze of lemon or a pinch of salt would've made all the difference, and these weren’t even available on the table.

While the service was warm and friendly, with the staff being lovely, my meal ended on a disastrous note. After eating a warm oyster, I became violently ill on the way home. I was so unwell that I had to pull over, and the food poisoning was so severe that I ended up with a mess in my car. I’ve never had such a sudden and intense reaction to food in my life.

The staff were genuine and lovey - but unfortunately, the food quality and the impact it had on me have left me with no intention of returning. I can't recommend Shuck based on this experience, and I...

As someone with a severe peanut allergy, dining out can often be a stressful and uncomfortable experience. Not so at Shucks. When my husband and I first visited this lovely little bar in Manly, the usual anxiety I feel when trying somewhere new immediately dissipated when met with the confidence of the staff to happily assure me that not only do they not use peanuts (a rarity these days), but they would do their utmost to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience. Fast forward four years, and we’ve become regulars. Being greeted by Belinda or Brian at the entrance is like visiting old friends as they excitedly share with us a new wine they’re trying or enquire about what we’ve been up to lately. They know our tastes often better than we do ourselves when they recommend a new cocktail, snack or dessert. Always something we love and exquisitely presented. The food is second to none. Delicious and fresh, each seasonal menu is to die for. In winter time, the Malaysian fish curry is a culinary experience everyone must try. Come summer time, oysters and a cold seafood platter truly hit the spot. Thank you Shucks team for an amazing experience every...