The Queens Hotel Gladstone — Restaurant in Queensland

It was recommended by 2 office colleagues on different occasions. From the name and recommendations, I had imagined a restaurant with good décor, courteous staff and excellent food. So I visited this place last weekend. Well to say the least, it turned out almost opposite of an image I had. The place is divided into 3 sections; bar, pokies and restaurant. Like usual food places, as you enter a person asks you how many people and then takes you to the hotel. I waited 5 minutes at the entrance for that (my mistake), while people having dinner were giving me odd look (I realised later). The game is that there is no ushering but take a plastic-coated menu from the table on the side of entrance, select your order, go to the counter, pay and take the seat. All is good in this strategy, but it is more of a fish and chips style than a steak house. The best part was yet to come, if you want a drink, you have to walk outside, get into the bar, take your drink and walk back to your table. You think “Queen” would like it, wait until you see the steak, “creamy” coleslaw with more onions in it than woollies vegetable section, and half cooked fries. And yes that lemon size brownie looking thing is a 32$ half burned steak. The only saving grace (and hence 2 stars) was the beef burger and aioli sauce, that my wife ordered. It might have a great place in its hay days, but now it’s a worn-out food joint quickly making its journey from a fancy restaurant to a fish and...

Mate. Who would of thought a corner pub in Gladstone could rival most high end restaurants in any major city. Well done I say. Travelling for work, and my fellow colleague knowing I'm a steak chaser, and a brutally honest reviewer. Goes I've got a restaurant for us to try tonight. Well, that's a great start as I didn't even have to think. We walk down the street and enter the Queens Hotel Restaurant. Old saying. Don't judge a book by its cover. Well I did. I instantly thought here we go. This blokes idea of a good steak is at a pub. Anyway, boom shacka lacka. Staff super friendly and welcoming. Decor ok too. Even a half decent wine list. Menu's came out, and the old order at the bar please announcement. So, we went with the duck spring rolls followed by the 450g Rib on the bone. Spring rolls had plenty of duck filling, and lightly fried with fresh oil flavour. Now for the 🥁 roll please. The steak landed on the table with a good char and a nice cut. Medium rare on point. Slice with softness and flavour. The head started to nod to old mate, the recommending man. My eyes lit up with raised eye brows and thought. Wow. Not bad. So well done Queens Hotel. A pub feel with absolute quality outcome, for half the price of a lot of wannabe restaurants charging triple for this. It was a $55 steak. Which was absolute value and quality. Restored my faith. Hats of to the chef...

Did not live up to the hype. Four of us (plus one infant in pram) for dinner on a Wednesday night. Place was hardly full, but were told we had to sit at a table for four (we were hoping we could have a bigger table to accommodate the pram...no.

No drinks menus available at the table. You have to order up at the bar which still doesn't have a wine list. In order to start a tab, you are directed to walk down to the gaming area to do this and then come back.

There were only 3 items on the entree list and they were out of one of them (duck spring rolls, gutted). Got the calamari which was quite greasy and the haloumi sticks which were nothing to write home about.

Ordered the $45 rib eye meal - 2 with chips and salad, 2 with veges and mash. The veges were something reminiscent of childhood trauma with beans boiled to death and the mash was lumpy. The chips were soft and dry. One of the steaks was very chewy and no one finished all of their meat. The Dianne sauce was rather tasty, but that probably shouldn't have been the highlight of the dish.

There was also no baby changing facility (nor did I see disabled access toilets, come to think of it).

The only redeeming feature of this experience was the selection of red wines (granted no price list anywhere so it was a lucky dip).

All in all, a very disappointing experience. Would...