CC's Bar & Grill by Crystalbrook — Restaurant in Queensland

Having read over 100 reviews of this bar and grill, I was apprehensive booking here because so many reviews are negative. However, it was our friend's birthday choice, so we went along with an open mind. Unfortunately, it was disappointing, at best. To their credit, a complimentary bottle of generic Australian bubbles was presented when we were seated because the original reservation was booked for Anzac Day, and the restaurant cancelled the reservation the day before. We re-booked for the following day. We were 2 couples, and our entrees arrived in good time, and were very tasty. Then, we waited 45 minutes for our mains. Only 3 of the 4 mains arrived, and the beef cheeks I ordered had to be sent back because it was cold. Not just warm or even room temperature, but straight from the fridge cold. This is a meal that can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated, and this is what appears to have happened. Even with that delay, my wife's Crispy Duck had still not arrived, so I shared my cheeks with her. It was difficult to find a forkfull of beef to share with her, as the meal was mostly mashed potato and gravy, which now had been microwaved to a soupy consistency. Still no duck, despite asking several times about it, and the other mains were finished. We cancelled the duck, and the waitress admitted to us that the kitchen had forgotten to cook it. We had thought that perhaps the reason we waited 45 minutes for the mains was to allow time to cook the duck and have the mains come to the table at the same time. This was not the case. We asked for our invoice and the floor manager prepared it, but the waitress intervened and presented us with a revised account that did not include the duck or the beef cheeks. Perhaps this had been a 5 star bar and grill in 2021 and 2022 when many restaurants were struggling to operate at all, but I can not see that it would rate above...

Over-rated disappointment, living on former achievement

I've seen this a lot - restaurants can get a bit arrogant and sloppy

We walked in, and waited 3 or 4 minutes at the unattended reception. The barman looked at us, and ignored us. The chefs looked and ignored, until eventually a waiter said we'd be seen to' soon'. Who are the important people in a business?

We were eventually met but there was no table which we had booked - no issue. We were asked to wait in the bar, which was fine

Nobody came to see us.

Nobody brought us menus.

The barman looked over but carried on tidying his bar, which was probably easier than walking over to us. Didn't ask if we wanted a drink. We were just left there for 15 minutes

Eventually to table. Table service was good, but overall meal delivery was quite slow.

It was VERY cold. For the convenience of who?

One couple across from us had a blanket round them, it was that fierce

It was not a comfortable environment and after a seeming brief improvement, it then went cold again

The rump steak was neither especially tasty nor tender - just an average rump, and not justifying this price level.

The Wagyu was better though, as it should be. Good not amazing

The food arrived more warm than hot but quickly went cold due to the room temperature.

Not a bad meal, and nice setting, but viciously cold.

I've seen this many times before, especially on reaching 2nd/3rd Michelin Star, etc

It may tick local boxes but this doesn't stand up to international expectations at this price point

There is an over-casualness...

We dined at CC's Bar & Grill last Saturday, and our experience was disappointing. Upon entering through the Arte. Wine Bar, a waiter abruptly stopped us and told us we needed to go back outside, walk all the way around the building, and use the "correct" entrance. This felt unnecessarily stern, almost like being reprimanded, and it left us confused and frustrated. The reasoning given was that we shouldn’t disturb the other diners, but ironically, using the designated entrance meant walking past everyone to reach our table anyway. Not a great first impression.

Once seated, however, our service improved. We had a lovely waiter who was attentive and friendly. We opted for the three-course set menu. The starter, a share board, was nice enough, though we were underwhelmed by the tiny portions of tataki and beef cheek—so small they barely registered on the share board.

For the main, we both ordered the NSW Black Angus Scotch fillet. Unfortunately, this is where the meal really let us down. The steaks were disappointingly thin—barely a centimetre thick—and mine, ordered medium-rare, was dry and overcooked. My husband’s steak was slightly better, but still not up to the standard we expected from a restaurant known for its steaks.

On a positive note, the dessert—crème brûlée—was fantastic. It was rich, creamy, and a nice way to end the meal.

Overall, while the food was tasty, we left feeling disappointed, especially considering the $300 bill for two people. We expected much more from a steakhouse of...