Quarterdeck — Restaurant in Queensland

I went here tonight with a friend. We arrived at about 4:30pm, and we left at about 9pm. In that time, we had 4 cocktails. The cocktails were amazing, and I think they're very reasonably priced! I'm giving this place 5 stars because as I just said, the drinks were very well priced and incredibly well-made. However, I do want to offer some constructive criticism. I am autistic, and as such, I engaging in stimming behaviours (swaying to music, fidgeting, etc), and I also have difficulty talking to people, and I get nervous/stutter quite a bit. Tonight when I went up to the bar for the fourth cocktail, the bartender was slightly rude, and after making my drink (and my friend's drink), he asked the other bartender who was there to pour me a glass of water, and they told me to drink it. I know that this usually means you've been cut off, and I was slightly surprised, as I was not intoxicated. I was standing in one spot, swaying slightly to the music and giggling over a message that had just been sent to me on instagram. As stated before, I am autistic, so some of my behaviours can come off as slightly awkward/strange. I just wanted to offer some feedback on this as I feel like neurodivergent behaviours need to be taken into account when assessing someone's sobriety. If this bartender had spoken to me/asked me a few questions, I think it would have become quite clear that I wasn't drunk. Unfortunately, he didn't, and rather, he reached the conclusion that I was intoxicated based on very minor behaviours that I engage in while sober. I am also a bartender, and I am not mad at being cut off, because I understand the importance of responsible service of alcohol. The bartender did what he thought was best, and I don't want him to be reprimanded for that. That's why I'm still leaving a 5-star review! I just hope this criticism is kept in mind in the future, and that more consideration is taken before cutting off someone for engaging in behaviours typically associated with autistic and neurodivergent individuals. I will return to the Quarterdeck, but I truly hope this criticism is taken to heart....

We're visiting from Brisbane and thought we'd go check out the quarterdeck as social media made it seem like a well run spot.

The view is lovely, however that send to be where the positive points end.

The cocktail menu has some interesting ideas, albeit pricy for some of the ingredients. Unfortunately the lack of urgency or skill of the bar tenders meant we only sampled a few options. Even though there was a line 20 people deep, it seemed to take an eye watering amount of time for the 4 bartenders to serve people. When you finally reached the front of the line you understand it's because they work at their own slow pace while having chats with each other. One bartender even told me that they don't make the Rose spritz cocktail I ordered... Until I pointed it out on their menu. Yep, doesn't compel me to line up another 20min for a poorly made drink.

Our table was not cleared of empty glasses in the 3hrs we were there, nor did I see much clearing of other nearby tables.

Even the placement of the bar is poorly thought out as the line then blocks people coming into the venue and spills and navigating to the food or toilet areas.

We were planning on having dinner there but the menu seemed a duplicate of every other pub in this town with a few more dollars added to compensate for the view. Throw in no table service and it really was not worth our money. Ended up going to another establishment on the stand where the bartender's didn't seem disinterested and with a decent food menu that suit the location.

Again, beautiful view. However we have no reason to return...

Ah, The Ville in Townsville, a glittering oasis of misplaced dreams and hopeful jackpots, where the dazzling lights often promise more than they deliver. I ventured into this den of optimism to sample the culinary offerings, lured by the siren call of what was promised to be a prime rib eye steak. But alas, promises are as flimsy as the paper they're printed on in these high-stakes halls.

The steak, a slab that might have once known glory but had long since surrendered it, was a disappointing affair from the start. It was tough, as if it had been engaged in a long, bitter battle against a world determined to chew it up and spit it out, leaving it devoid of any tenderness or joy. The flavor followed suit—absent without leave, leaving my taste buds wandering the barren wasteland of what might have been.

And the mushroom sauce? A tragic companion to an already dismal meal. Thin, runny, and utterly crook, it was as if the essence of mushroom had been chased through the kitchen by a band of rabid, water-logged specters, only to leap onto my plate in a final act of desperation. It was an insult to both the fungus among us and the noble cow that had laid down its life for this culinary crime.

In this temple of chance and illusion, the steak at The Ville was a gamble that didn't pay off, a reminder that not all bets, especially those placed on the grill, are winners. So, take heed, fellow seekers of fortune and flavor, the only beef worth betting on here is the one you'll have with the chef after you've tried this tragic...