Char House Restaurant — Restaurant in Queensland

Th is place is beyond disappointing and does not deserve to stay open. We were charged $132 for what turned out to be a nightmare of an experience. If it were possible to give zero stars, I would.

It started fine—staff showed us to our table, and we were asked if we’d like water. We requested sparkling water, which never arrived. Maybe the waiter forgot. Then another waiter appeared abruptly, with no greeting or pleasantries, rushing us to order. She started by asking, “Has anyone asked you for water?” We explained we had requested sparkling water but had yet to receive anything—even though it was clear there were no drinks on our table. Instead of addressing the issue, she dived straight into taking our order in a pushy manner.

Entrees: We ordered the arancini and the sausage plate. To our disappointment, the “sausage plate” was just half a sausage and another sausage cut into small pieces. The menu mentioned it came with pickled vegetables and other accompaniments, but we received three tiny pieces of veg and virtually nothing else. To make matters worse, the sausages tasted like they had been microwaved—cheap and far from premium quality. The arancini wasn’t memorable either.

Mains: We ordered a medium eye fillet, which came with no sides aside from a splash of sauce and a sliver of sourdough butter. I might have overlooked this minimal offering if the steak was cooked properly, but it came out well done—completely ruining the dish. While I sat with my overcooked steak, my wife was left with no meal at all.

Adding insult to injury, prior to receiving my steak, the staff mistakenly delivered someone else’s meals (both steaks) to our table. These were meant for the couple seated next to us. This was just the beginning of the chaos.

We had ordered chips and zucchini as sides, which a different waitress delivered along with my steak. She set the chips in front of my wife and asked if we needed side plates. My wife replied, “No, I’m waiting for chicken.” The waitress left in apparent confusion, then alerted the original waitress, sparking panic among the staff. The manager and waitstaff started scrambling, repeatedly rushing to and from the kitchen.

Eventually, the original waitress came back, visibly shaking, and asked if everything was correct. My wife said, “No, I’m still waiting for my chicken.” The waitress then had an “aha” moment, said she’d check the order, and returned shortly after to apologise. She claimed the system hadn’t printed the order and offered my wife a free drink as compensation, promising the chicken would be out “ASAP.” However, there was no mention of my overcooked steak, no inquiry about my experience, and no offer of a drink for me—even though I had to eat alone while waiting.

Frustrated with the cold, inedible steak and the seemingly clueless staff, we decided to leave. When the waitress asked what we were doing, I told her, “We’re leaving. We don’t want the chicken anymore.” She then incorrectly informed the manager that we wanted the chicken as takeaway. We told them to take it off the bill, paid for what we did receive, and left thoroughly disappointed.

The overall experience was atrocious. From disorganised service to amateur-level food preparation, it’s clear this place has deeper issues than an incompetent waitstaff. We regret ever going and wouldn’t recommend...

My family visiting from overseas had high hopes for our visit, but unfortunately, the $46 eye fillet steaks were extremely overcooked to the point of being quite dry and leathery. To their credit, the staff kindly offered to redo the steaks, but with our tight schedule - hence the early sitting around midday - we decided not to trouble them any further, knowing how busy their team no doubt was preparing the lunch orders for patrons.

I must admit I was surprised to find the steak served completely on its own, without any sides included. On top of that, there were no decent gluten-free sauce options to go with it, though they did offer a herb type paste. Sadly, the flavour didn’t quite hit the mark and I left the restaurant hungry for a second meal.

The beef tartare, which I’ve enjoyed at The Plate before, was lacklustre at worst and bland at best, missing any dressing or vinaigrette to bring it to life. The tallow-cooked fries - while tasty and one of my preferred dishes due to dietary requirements - seemed smaller in portion than I remember. They were just enough for two and not really sufficient to share comfortably between three. That said, I might be mistaken on the historical serving size there in light of the recent experience.

Having spent over $180 hosting family accustomed to high quality dining in Western Europe, we were left feeling a bit embarrassed recommending a place we’d spoken so highly of in the past. At the price point, we’re not at all happy with the dining experience today.

That being said and playing devil’s advocate, we might have encountered an ‘off’ day at the restaurant. That’s why I’d still encourage folks to give them a try. They’ve delivered great experiences in the past, but having driven all the way from Brisbane to eat a meal we could have prepared at home for a fraction of the price, better presented and better accompanied, we left feeling a bit disappointed this...

We were served by Daphne who has a warmth and effervescence that is immediately apparent even as she directed us to our table. Of course, The Plate is not a dedicated cocktail lounge. Nevertheless, I asked for a Martini (not standard on the drinks menu) and Daphne knew enough to ask how I’d like my martini- I.e. Gin or Vodka. I asked for a wet martini on Gin. My cocktail was just right - and happily set the tone for the rest of our dining experience. Daphne knew all of today’s specials faultlessly. Our meals came in a prompt and timely manner for each of our party of six. We each ordered from the steak menu and they were all cooked exactly as requested. The savour and tenderness surpassed our expectations and without exception. The menu offered a side of Macaroni Cheese - and together with the greens and chips, the Mac-Cheese was a welcome hearty accompaniment that was enjoyed by all. Not at all stodgy. Personally, next time I’d forsake the obligatory chips for the Mac-cheese. My daughter and I shared the 550 gram 90 day aged as one of todays specials. Wow! I won’t try to describe it except that I’m salivating as I write, even though I’ve finished 3 courses with the utmost satisfaction.

Both Daphne and Conor the Manager afforded us excellent attention and care throughout our time this evening. Despite having very reasonable portions, we all made room for desserts. My wife in particular always takes careful note of the dessert menu at the beginning of the night. She thoroughly enjoyed her final course. Let me assure you that is no faint praise.

Sorry we didn’t take food pics this time. Frankly, we were relishing everything so much and well, just didn’t get to it. This note hopefully conveys our enjoyment as a whole - all the elements of service, local and international wine list, ambience, as well as a delicious meal made for a delightful and...