The Spotted Cow Hotel — Restaurant in Toowoomba City

A very pleasant return visit to what has always been, in my experience a reliable venue. A booking was made on-line. We visited at lunch during a School Holiday period. The service was very positive, prompt and friendly, with the food being of a very high quality. Thanks go to the Staff Manager, and persistence with sorting out the mystery of the missing Prime Rewards Card. I would recommend this venue to anyone visiting Toowoomba who wants a reliable, well priced pub feed. The rib fillet was cooked exactly as requested and required. The Lunch Parmigiana (I shall use the full term to avoid the Parmie/Parmy/Parma debacle. It is almost as tragic as Potato Scallop vs Potato Cake, but I digress. Everyone knows that it is a Potato Scallop...) was also of good size. Both meals were served with a generous amount of very crispy, but not over-cooked chips. The vegetables with the steak were a 'just right' serve of beans, broccoli and carrot, and the salad accompanying the Parmigiana was fresh and well dressed. The background music could have been a little less bass prominent and quieter, but it did not interfere with conversation. I suspect that this aspect of the experience says more about this writer than the venue. It did not warrant a request to turn it down. Slightly more obvious signage for Pub Parking would be of benefit. Street parking was easy, close, and inexpensive. No 'regular' alcohol was consumed, as driving was required after lunch. The 'Dead Lizard' (Coca-Cola and Raspberry, for the uninitiated) was approved of, as was the Lemon Squash with Bitters that I drank. The range of alcoholic drinks on hand would suit all types of drinkers. Overall, an experience that would have me return again to what, as I wrote earlier, has always been, in my experience a reliable venue.

Great food and great service.

Thanks to the Staff and The...

We came to The Spotted Cow for the steak but were let down almost immediately. Our waitress, Sam T (as listed on the receipt), told us there were no cocktails and no drink menu. For a venue with a full-sized bar, that was surprising. Even more confusing : no wine at a place selling “premium” steak? My wife checked reviews while we were there and saw that they used to serve cocktails, so something has clearly changed for the worse.

Our soft drinks arrived with what looked like hardened snot on the side of the glass. There were two burgers sitting on the counter when we first walked in. About 25 minutes into our visit, we watched a male staff member place the back of his hand on one to check its temperature… Whether they were for staff or simply forgotten, it didn’t give a good impression.

The menu didn’t mention that a baked potato would cost an extra $3. It’s listed alongside the included side choices, but the surcharge is only revealed when you ask for it. When it came out, it was just a plain whole potato with a line of sour cream and a sprinkle of chive. No salt or pepper on the table, and none was offered.

My first bite of my steak and I pulled out a hair. I dismissed it as mine, until I found another one underneath the steak that clearly wasn’t.

We were the only customers there. With no one else to serve, you’d think extra care would be taken. Sadly, that wasn’t the case.

The steak tasted good, but between the hygiene issues, unclear pricing, and poor attention to detail/service, we won’t be coming back. $105 experience.

P.s - When we left, those same burgers were still sitting there....

Restaurant Review

We’ve been loyal customers of this restaurant for years and have consistently sung its praises, but after our most recent visit, we are deeply disappointed. Sadly, the experience left much to be desired, both in terms of food quality and atmosphere.

The meal itself was a letdown. I ordered the roast lamb, which was nearly inedible—tough, dry, and tasting as though it had been prepared far in advance. The accompanying vegetables were gritty, suggesting inadequate washing or preparation. Unfortunately, the consequences of the meal extended beyond mere dissatisfaction; I suffered severe food poisoning shortly afterward, making me question the hygiene and freshness of the ingredients.

The atmosphere of the restaurant was equally troubling. While it’s understandable that new staff need to be trained, the way this was handled was highly unprofessional. Experienced staff openly criticized and humiliated the younger team members in full view of the customers, creating a tense and uncomfortable environment.

This visit was not only disappointing but deeply disheartening, especially given our long-standing patronage and previous positive experiences. We sincerely hope the management takes these issues seriously and implements the necessary changes to restore the restaurant’s former quality and professionalism. Until then, we sadly cannot...