Jailhouse Grill — Restaurant in Launceston

When we arrived we were greeted by a greeter not overly excited by us arriving and were told they only had something upstairs, we thanked her and were walked upstairs by the first waitress to an empty room with a zebra on the wall - we all commented about how cool it was and the quiet space was really lovely - First waitress explained our options and left us for a few minutes to have a look over the menu

Second waitress come and we ordered a child's meal and a beef platter to share between my partner and myself We asked and were told we could access the salad bar downstairs so I took our son down to grab our salads

We returned to our table and our meal arrived, the second waitress delivered it and our drinks Whilst she was serving we asked how the salad bar worked and was told the salad plate could be refilled as much as we liked

We ordered another drink and continued our meal

We were almost at the end of our meal when the first waitress returned and told us that we would actually need to pay for another salad bar meal as both of us had eaten off of the same plate, but not to worry as it came with chips or roast potato which she could bring straight up to us

I tried to explain through my embarrassment there was no need for more food as I had had bariatric surgery and my few mouthfuls were more than enough but we were told rules were rules and as both of us had eaten the one plate of salad we needed to pay for another meal - even though the salad plate had not even been refilled

I hate making a fuss. It's nobody else's problem that I can't eat as much as a regular person, but we had asked the questions and felt well within our order as per the advise of the second waitress so it was genuinely the most embarrassed I've ever been eating out - I felt like I was being accused of being deceitful and was stealing, kind of ironic given who I work for and we chose the venue for the novelty of being a jail

We were then asked if we'd like dessert and coffee which was lovely, but as I couldn't see the table through my tears of embarrassment we said no and left

When paying my partner was asked to pay for the second salad bar and he said sure, but he'd like to go a fill up another plate to the brim which would be paid for and left behind at the bar given we had only had one and thankfully common sense prevailed and we paid for one

We've been in Tasmania for a week visiting from WA and by far, this has been the most off putting experience - dark mushroom gravy was delicious. Ribs were average.

Hopefully your night out will end in less...

Dining Experience @ Jailhouse Grill. . A popular steakhouse renowned for their charcoal-grilled steaks and free-flow salad bar, the 140 years old Jailhouse Grill naturally requires advance reservations. . Selection From Salad Bar (AUD $Complimentary With 1 Main Dish Ordered Per Person). . Had the Waldorf Salad, Lettuce & Bacon Salad, Potato Salad, Coleslaw, Burrata Salad, and Pasta Salad, just 6 of 25+ salad varieties available. . The Beef Scotch Fillet (AUD $49) or Beef Ribeye steak, is a 300g cut that has equal parts meat and fat, chunky and thick. . Grilled to a perfect medium-rare doneness by compressing it over the charcoal fire grill with a cast-iron meat press, the beef ribeye steak is tender and juicy and succulent, carrying smoky meaty savoury salty flavour. . Served with tender roast potatoes on the side, carrying smoky starchy salty savoury flavour. Finished with a knob of creamy garlic butter, which lends an addictive milky savoury salty spice flavour. . A traditional but increasingly uncommon dish, the Carpet Bag Steak (AUD $55) features a tender juicy succulent beef scotch fillet / beef ribeye steak that's stuffed with fresh seafood, in this case, juicy oysters and bouncy scallops. . Steaming hot when you cut in, the combined smoky meaty savoury salty briny sweet flavour is tantalising. . Served with tender roast potatoes on the side, carrying smoky starchy salty...

Thank your wonderful staff and chefs for another wonderful night out at Jailhouse Grill.

On this occasion (Tue night), we came in celebration of a newly awarded Australian citizenship for a good friend - what better themed restaurant for a brand new Aussie! As expected, the night was accompanied by one too many convict puns.

I don't usually comment on service but (due to a recent spate of notably horrid service at a notorious Chinese restaurant on York St) the service here was immeasurably sublime! The service was, as always, really, really good. 👌

Food-wise... Steak is always good here. Our party of 6 was served beautifully, promptly, courteously by very friendly staff. The half-duck caught my eye... It was cooked beautifully... tender, moist, not too fatty (as with most ducks) with a delectable, tasty, slightly glazed, crispy skin. Needless to say, everyone else enjoyed their fare. The service was fantastic as beverages were promptly refilled.

Payment was a breeze - we used our entertainment cards which gave us a total of $80 off our entire meals... What a bonus!!

Split payment accepted... no fuss, no drama... Wonderful experience.

ALWAYS A RECOMMENDATION TO FRIENDS AND VISITORS FOR A SLIGHTLY INTERESTINGLY-THEMED DINING EXPERIENCE... and we will, once again,...