Chophouse Grill — Restaurant in Newcastle-Maitland

I am writing to express my disappointment regarding the unacceptable service my parents and I received at Chophouse at Wests New Lambton on January 3, 2025. We were dining to celebrate our last day in Newcastle, but unfortunately, our experience was far from pleasant. Upon our arrival at 6:00 PM, we were informed that the restaurant was fully booked and were advised to return at 8:00 PM. When we came back and were finally seated, we ordered steak and drinks. While we received our drinks promptly, we then waited over 50 minutes for our food. During this time, we noticed that two guests who arrived after us had already received and finished their meals. Additionally, a larger group of six to eight people, who arrived 20 to 30 minutes after us, was served their meals while we were still waiting. Concerned about the delay, I approached the staff to ask when our food would be ready. The staff member checked with a chef and would come out soon. By this point, my parents were extremely upset, particularly my mother, and we ultimately decided to leave before our food was served. We explained we wished to leave and asked why other tables received foods first while we hadn’t. Female staff explained that it was a busy night and that cooking times varied depending on the dishes. While I understand that delays can occur during peak hours, this does not justify why multiple groups who arrived much later than us were served first. I have dined at several steakhouses in Sydney and Melbourne during the New Year period—an even busier time—and have never encountered such excessive waiting times. It was incredibly frustrating to see others, who arrived significantly later, receiving their meals Page 1 of 3 while we were left waiting without any updates, especially at such a late hour when we were starving. We were told that we would still need to pay for the drinks. My mother, feeling we had been treated unfairly, refused to pay, as we had ordered drinks expecting to enjoy them with our meal, not while waiting indefinitely. Furthermore, we had barely touched our drinks. When my mother declined to pay and asked to speak to the manager. While calling the manager, a female staff member (with a blond hair at the checker) referred to us as “Asians” over the phone. This was deeply offensive—why was our ethnicity mentioned at all? She could have simply referred to us as "customers." When the manager arrived, my mother explained that our dinner had been ruined due to the long wait and the unfair prioritization of other tables. Only at that point did the manager apologize. However, they still insisted that we had to pay for the drinks, claiming that the speed at which we consumed them was our own choice. This was completely unreasonable, as we were never informed that the steak would take over 50 minutes to arrive. The situation escalated further when the manager threatened to call the police if my mother continued to refuse payment. In the end, we were forced to pay for the drinks and left. However, upon reviewing the receipt, I noticed that we were charged for a drink we did not even order. There were three of us, and we had only ordered a cocktail, a glass of wine, and a ginger beer—yet we were also charged for an extra bulk beer, bringing the total to $52 (Receipt as below). Overcharging customers, on top of the poor service, only worsened an already unacceptable experience. This experience was truly appalling, and we will never return to your...

First time customers for a special birthday dinner. Upon arrival, was greeted by a lovely young lady who seated us quickly and within seconds we were greeted by another woman who asked if we would like water for the table and presented menus. Unfortunately, it took a little longer than we expected to have someone come to take our order and we had to wave a waitress down but it was extremely busy. Also due to it being so busy, it was extremely loud which made it difficult to enjoy a nice dinner conversation. We ordered the 1kg tomahawk steak to share and we were advised that there is a little bit of a wait for this meal and we also had to wait for confirmation that it was available to order, this information was not on their website or menu so anyone wanting to order this it’s best to call ahead to ensure they have it. We asked for medium rare and it came out perfectly cooked especially given how difficult it must be to cook such a large steak whilst under the pressure of cooking so many meals for a packed restaurant. The sides were really well cooked and the crispy garlic potatoes were delicious as were the baby carrots and beans. We also ordered the homemade Jack Daniel’s bbq sauce and a mushroom sauce. The bbq one was lovely and flavoursome however the mushroom sauce was so runny that it was almost like water. The salsa verde was lovely however our dish was not brought out with the jus like stated on the menu so cannot comment on it. A few little imperfections however overall it was a nice dinner and we were satisfied afterwards and had full tummies. A little on the expensive side but if you’re strapped for cash, as a pair sharing a meal, the tomahawk is great value for money. The entire meal was around the $150 mark and that included the meal, a small glass of red wine and 4 soft drinks. Staff...

The reviews were promising, however we were a bit dubious about the steakhouse being attached to a leagues club, thinking it would be more of a ‘bistro’ experience. We were soon after proven wrong! Entering via Hobart St revealed a multi level car park with a walkway to the club, where Chophouse is located beside a classily designed Asian restaurant and seafood restaurant. Chophouse has somehow achieved a feeling of ‘poshness’ using an industrial mix of reo, particle board, cow skins and dimmed lights. We started with an entree accompanied by two glasses of local Hunter Valley wines, before moving onto steak mains. The blackened rib was sensational, and the rib eye was mouth watering. The staff are efficient, attentive and didn’t miss a beat. Whilst the prices may be higher than other steak places, the experience, taste, ambience and service are far better than a certain steakhouse mentioned previously in these reviews. Would definitely return, and highly recommend to fellow travellers. NB: Would recommend entering via Hobart St to avoid having to pass through the gaming room and bistro etc. which we discovered on...