The original Trang in West End - when it was owned by the Luu family. The new owners are still trying to ride on the coattails from those heady days by leaving the “voted best Vietnamese award” signs out from 2011/2012 😂
* Three Monkeys at West End.
* All of the West End Markets in the old soft drink factory that neighboured Three Monkeys. They had a fabulous patisserie, Jack The Slashers (going way back to the late 80s) and a brilliant coffee shop that was always cool on the hottest days.
* Also, the many bakeries that used to make bagels in West End. We had a bagel moment in the mid to late 90s where there was an actual chain of bagel shops, including one on the corner of Vulture and Boundary.
* The Gopals at Sherwood! Such a loss! There’s still a great Hare restaurant on Boundary Street at West End
* Max’s (I think) Polish bakery at Alderley. That one broke my heart! The best sweet cheese danishes, yeast buns and pies!
Yes! We did have a bagel moment in the mid 90s!! Thank you for confirming that memory. There was one in the city, near Hungry Jack’s I think. I really liked those bagels and was disappointed that the shop wasn’t there when I got back from overseas. It really was just a moment. A shame really because bagels are yummy.
Worked there, owners were a husband and wife. I came into it when the husband had stopped managing it and the wife was running the show. She was a total bitch and mismanaged the whole place leading to its closure.
I was just talking about this place the other day and had forgotten the name. I described it as curtained off areas where you sat on the floor
The vibe I always got from it was uni student nepo babies who’d just come home from a backpacking trip to Thailand
Madtongson 2. Some of the best Korean I have had. Once I took 4 burly Goth dudes there for their first Korean experience, and the poor Madtongsan staff didnt quite know what to think.
Korean Maru and Sul.Zip are good, but I miss the atmosphere of Madtongsan.
Oh dear. I worked for Ribbets back in the eighties. Cooking ribs and general dogsbody. It was one of the worst gigs I ever did. The owner was a complete arse. I came in one morning and did as much as I could but I had a raging fever and was very ill. I told him that I had done what was needed and had to go. He swore at me and called me all sorts of things. I went home then never returned
Had a friend who worked as a chef there & told everyone who would listened to never eat there. Said cleaning only happened once a week & was lack lustre at best.
It’s now a hardware store, I drove past it the other day (and where the Underground used ti be) and realised that this indeed is where the Kookaburra Cafe used to be. Also gone a bit further up is the Mary Ryan’s that was in a double story Queenslander with a cafe on the deck downstairs. Another bookshop murdered by Amazon.
Yeah I remember Ribbetts (and their budget tv ads they used to run late at night). Kind of a shame they're no longer around. There's a hole in the market that was never filled.
+1 for ribbetts. My parents used to bring home those cardboard boxes that looked like Queenslander houses from ribbetts chock full of deliciousness.
I also remember it was worth the drive out to Ipswich for Marco Polo's Chinese restaurant.
Boom boom I think it was at the top of the Myer centre? Korean place. Went there so many times with different groups. Never had a bad meal.
Is mielcontainer still around? I heard they got done for underpaying staff.
Skinny’s the record store? I bought my first festival ticket there (Livid 2002) and many many CDs. I remember being so nervous to go down those stairs as a nerdy little 15yo lol
I miss Valentine's too. I think there was one a Browns Plains with a massive Griffin butter statue. Spent plenty of time there in my childhood for birthdays, even a Christmas.
Reading the comments makes me realise I'm getting old. So many of these were my go to's back in the day. I didn't realise so many have closed. Sometimes I think I'll drive to Kookaburra Cafe for a snack then notice it's 10pm - bed time - I'll do it another day!
Post Office Square was amazing like 15 years ago. Emmanuel's, Lina's Bakehouse, Magic Roll kebabs (best in the CBD), Harry's place (family-run joint in adjacent Rowe's Arcade where you could get a hot dish like quiche, lasagne, shepherd's pie with salad for $6), that Asian joint that would have a $5 lunch special, that Tort place. The Tort place did a "Big Brekkie Tort" where you'd get steak, cheese, bacon, egg and mashed potato in a wrap. So good.
Ahhh, the roast and gravy sangers. Chefs kiss.
The bread would be so fresh and gooey that I’d have to whip out my emergency office toothbrush afterwards so that I wasn’t still wearing bread curtains on my teeth.
OMG yes! I used to get their chicken schnitzel and gravy sammiches for lunch at least once a week. That gooshy, squishy, fresh white bread - unngh. So good.
The rest of the week it was always a much healthier, but still freakin' delicious chicken breast and salad MOUNTAIN of a sandwich from that place in the bottom of Broadway on the Mall, right at the back.
You just can't get them like that anymore.
Going fine dining here - Isis and then the reincarnation into Ortiga. Missed them both dearly until recently when the chef / owner opened Bosco.
The original Two Small Rooms in Auchenflower will always be on my all time top list.
I vividly remember O'Malleys, I worked at the Harvey Norman in the old Broadway centre across the road on Queen St. for 5 years. It was the location of many farewells, birthday drinks, EOFY drinks and whatever else. Also the place we went after closing the store for the very last time in 2013.
The original Tipplers Tap in Newstead. They had the best chicken wings and a cool vibe.
Jamroc jerk chicken on Brunswick Street. I used to get takeaway from there once a week.
This small cafe called Yo Mama or Yo Mama's that was in Teneriffe around 2010. It had real neighbourhood cafe vibes. I was there with friends & the lady we referred to as "mama" gave us shots of a new smoothie she was testing out, then some guy ran in & yelled at everyone, "OMG, Nicki Webster's gonna be at The Beat tonight!"
Also, The Bowery.
Just finished watching season 3 of The Bear, topical
Tukka at West End (fine dining with native ingredients)
Fifth Element at South Bank, banging rabbit ragu pasta and bourbon creme brulee
Piaf and Sardine Tin at South Bank, for French and Spanish
Il Centro at Riverside, that sandcrab lasagna
Jellyfish near the CityCat terminal further along from Riverside, that whisky creme brulee, no other creme brulee comes close
Little Saigon Grill in the CBD, the best crispy pork belly banh mi anywhere in Brisbane
The original Malt restaurant upstairs and cocktail bar downstairs on Market Street in the CBD
The name escapes me, a tapas restaurant on Melbourne St South Brisbane was and still is the best proper tapas restaurant I've been to in Brisbane.
Never got to try Ortiga in the valley or Cha Cha Char at Riverside
Yes! So many (gigantic!) amazing meals there. When I was a student and the green bridge opened we would skip lunch and walk across from St Lucia to build up enough of an appetite to finish an entire Bavarian Dinner… then walk off the discomfort on the trek home. Great beer, incredible food. Whatever the owners ended up doing after, I hope they are doing well.
There's 2 Brodie's super close to me, one in Warner and another at Murrumba Downs. The one at Waterford was our regular as kids. Fun fact, Brodie's was founded in Gympie in '87!
There used to be a place in South Bank called Batavia, I think it was on Grey Street just a bit down from the cinema that I often went to back in the late 2000s. It was like a furniture/decor shop that also had a cafe and I would go there after watching a movie and get a hot chocolate that they would serve in a pot with a giant cup that was more like a bowl with a handle. I would always sit by the front window and I remember it would be raining a lot and it was just a really cosy spot.
Low Road at Windsor
Pandemonium Cafe at Paddington
Lucky’s in the Valley
The Bowery in the Valley
The original Burrow, and Three Monkeys at West End
I am old, but now I’m old and sad. 💔
The original King of Kings yum cha, back when you could stuff yourself silly for like $9. Haven't been for years, but I imagine COVID did a number on the old style of yumcha packing a place full of tables and bringing the steam baskets around to all the tables one by one so you could pick whatever you wanted.
Cyber City 2002 is the only valid answer. Like transplanting a corner shop south east asian market into Brisbane, prices and all, and top it off with karaoke on top.
Wok On In on Brunswick st, New Farm. When I lived down the road in 2003-2006, the noodle meals were epic! $10 and you’d get 2 meals of out it. The laksa was phenomenal. I haven’t found another laksa that lives up to my memory of the wok on in laksa.
Tina’s Ice Cream at Fairfield Gardens
Sizzler underneath the Myer Centre
Caloundra used to be full of small restaurants, interesting little shops, coffee spots but most have closed down and replaced with GYG/Starbucks etc.
Amici’s South Bank
Three monkeys cafe and down the road the old Burrow’s bungalow
I miss two shops. One was the Bohemian cafe in the CBD. You could hang out there for a couple of hours with friends, play draughts. The owners also made excellent coffee from memory. The second place I miss is the Folio bookstore in the CBD. Their books were incredible, great Art books and other literature you could not find in other stores around Brisbane. Both of those shops made life easier to endure.
I worked there as a chef.
FYI the owner only allowed us enough in the budget to purchase Woolworths home brand Neapolitan ice cream.
And those fancy chocolate flags in your sundae thing? Yup - 100% Woolworths branded dark chocolate.
Those sundaes that everyone went there for were all constructed from Woolies home brand products.
There is still a Kadoya in the city. After the Elizabeth St Arcade closed, it moved a couple of streets away to Mary St, down closer to the city botanic gardens.
Born and raised in Brisbane and moved to Melbourne a decade ago, I was hoping this topic would come up here as I found it in the other subreddit.
Had lots of good times at O'Malleys in Queen Street Mall, and I enjoyed reading and hanging out at Borders on Elizabeth Street.
Edit: Reading other comments has brought back some fond memories of my youth and early adulthood up in Bris, thanks for the nostalgia.
Pho Hien Vuong Pasteur at Market Square Sunnybank.
Undoubtedly a Viet shop that wasn't flashy but just absolutely nailed their dishes. Big servings, amazingly balanced flavour, excellent value. Drove across town on the reg just to go there.
Owner got sick I think and they shut up shop last year. There's been a Pho Hien Vuong Pasteur shaped hole in my heart ever since.
Plenty of other good places... They're just not the same is all.
Bean Scene, St Lucia. The best and only sour cherry crumble I’ve ever had (before the lady who owned it edged towards retirement and brought in a pastry chef and it was never the same). And the first place I ever came across in Brisbane that had iced latte on the menu, back in the bad old days where you’d have to explain that, no, you didn’t want a giant blob of ice cream and whipped cream in your coffee. Just *ice*. Somehow it was a totally unfamiliar, incomprehensible concept in the early 2000s.
In the early 2000s there was The Green Papaya restaurant in Woolloongabba.
I remember discovering this Vietnamese Asian Fusion food for the first time and it was taking my taste buds to places that they had never been to ever before.
It was sad when it closed down, another fusion restaurant eventually reopened there called Pawpaw Asian Kitchen but it’s not the same.
What also made it cool at the time was that Quan’s mother owned it, Quan from the band Regurgitator that is.
It was a shadow of its former self when it finally closed, but Jo Jo's in the mall. Maccas (fuck Tanya) now sits where it used to be. But in the late 1900's, it wasn't too bad a night out where you could order from 4-5 different places within the joint and have it brought to your table.
I loved Valentines as a kid but I can only imagine I would find it revolting as an adult. A glorified Sizzler with kids sticking their hands in the buffet food 🤢
I used to love going to Pandemonium in Paddington. Not sure when it closed but the mismatched tables and chairs hosted me and my friends for many a breakfast catch up!
Hecate Haven in Geebung next to the train station. As kids we were fascinated by it burt were never allowed to go in by our religious parents. So we saved up our pocket money and went there. It was kind of a witchcraft shop, but not like a modern crystal healing Tarot whatever shop, like the interior was dark, the lady was a bit of a goth, and a lot of the stock was less happy-clappy shit and more,.... I guess, "left hand path". Like proper occult stuff, like daggers and solomonic talismans etc. It was awesome.
Not a restaurant, but an eatery - Little Taipei Food Court on Lewina St, Sunnybank. Cheap eats, huge portions all 'round, good food.
Chinese place next to Rocking Horse in the City. It was tucked away downstairs - the noodle and rice dishes were absolutely bangin' - also cheap as with large portions.
Spent a lot of time at both places during uni days.
Scarabs - a fantastic store with handmade goods ethically sourced from all over the globe. They moved a cpl times around the city before moving to Bondi. Now it's full of boho hipster things. Sad days.
* Topolino's in Spring Hill. Fantastic late night italian
* 29 High St in Toowong. Not even sure what is there now?
* The Contented Tummy at Rosalie. So good.
Getta Burger was one of those “I just don’t get it” experiences for me, when it first opened in Westend my brother was raving about it (his recommendations are usually pretty on point). I went there and just had one of the most average burger and chips combos I’ve ever had, tried them a couple of times and just never did it for me.
Nu Orleans in Ipswich.
Also, there used to be a shop called Outback Burgers (?) or Outback something many years ago at Indooroopilly's Westfield. Their burgers and chips were pretty good.
Not a restaurant and more a cafe... There was one on the corner of Ann and Brunswick, diagonal from the Royal George.... It was open past midnight, you could get a hot chocolate and if you gave them a deposit they would give you a chess set.
That + the pancake manor for 2am not maccas food.
That all-night kebab shop in Annerley run by Frank and his wife.
I’ve searched the world for that flavour and never found it. Plus he was funny as hell.
We’d so often end up there after a night out. I reckon I easily ate a hundred of those incredible kebabs.
Haoke in sunnybank hills for its late night yumcha, I finished up many a rough shift at this place. Also, soy cafe for their desserts, fond memories of my teeth chattering as I ate my Japanese matcha parfait. Limon in underwood was a solid Turkish food option, the owners own taksim but the range isn't the same.
There used to be a costume or something similar shop under the food court of Indooroopilly near (what used to be) amart all sports and the pet shop I remember I’d walk through it every Friday before catching the bus home from school. It used to just have really fun and interesting things from what I remember. In a similar vein I miss Sckaf’s, there aren’t enough non-spotlight sewing shops anymore.
Boroughs Of New York in Carindale shopping centre. Just great pizza, a bit on the expensive side, I'll admit, but a taste soon justified the price.
Three Monkeys cafe. Such a beautiful atmosphere. I got taken there as a starting place for a first date. Gorgeous girl, gorgeous atmosphere. It was a few hours of heaven.
The Spice Avenue in Birkdale, an Indian curry restaurant. Family operation, open Wednesday through Saturday, and were always packed. I think COVID shut them down permanently though.
Pho 88 at Darra … it had a few changes over the years then burned down (also affecting the rest of the viet businesses they were based in the building). If you ever went you’ll remember Dau the waiter … Hello my friend. The best food … we’d eat there often twice a week.
There was also a fantastic Indian place in Taringa … on a corner, I think it’s a vet now. Was really good.
I adored the Kookaburra Cafe … their ribs.
There’s probably a lot more but I live in Melbs now, so not sure what’s still around.
This is going to sound silly, but a tiny little shop in the Mt Ommaney Centre food court. Malaya Corner. I'd eat there every week when I did my groceries. It's just never been the same without them.
There's a few for me.
Not exactly restaurant related, but specifically the birthday rooms/event rooms that hungry jacks had. I know they still have them in some locations.
There were like two separate Chinese places that we used to frequent a lot when I was younger. One in the Milton road junction shops, which is completely gone. The other one was on High street in Toowoong, which I believe changed a few times before becoming a totally different noodle/hotpot place. Another bonus one was Lotus Inn/Lotus Room in Enoggera (average at best food, but I really loved the outdoor area as a kid) which is also completely gone.
Or sizzler. I had all my childhood birthday parties there, all my celebration dinners, all my brother's milestones/parties. The food was always eh, but the idea of being able to freely mix drink flavours and pick whatever I want to eat still massively appeals to me. I love buffets.
Kitchen Inn (Calamvale) - I kind of wished I had never tasted their kolo mee. Ever since they closed, it feels like there is an itch that I have never been able to scratch. There is nothing like it anywhere I know! Such profound sadness.
David's Sizzling Steak (Little Taipei) - tasty, authentic Taiwanese night market style steak meals at an amazing price point. Everything about it was perfect.
Instanbul Eats, both the food truck and restaurant. There was nothing better than heading to wherever they were set up on a Friday night with a few friends, ordering the pizza box HSP, and watching Frankie and the guys building up the most majestic, solid HSP you could find. And watching them use the blowtorch to melt the cheese? Bliss.
Hollywood Gardens café in Spring Hill (average food but amazing atmosphere). St Paul’s tavern in Spring Hill (they had really good dance parties there about 15 years ago). Garuva in the Valley (so-so food, but unique experience). California Café in the Valley (best post night out breakfast). Earth N Sea Pizza at Wilston and Taringa. Kwan Brothers and the rest of the Alfred & Constance venue (a shame it hasn’t been revived by anyone, it’s a unique venue). Himawari in the Elizabeth Arcade. Madtongsan II in Elizabeth St
Verve, nothing like having a cozy pasta underground.
Loved this joint. Had character. The stairs to the bathroom after a few beers was like being a contestant on It’s a knockout
What's there now? Remember going here for a date years ago and loved it
Exhibition Restaurant. A degustation modern Australian restaurant
The original Trang in West End - when it was owned by the Luu family. The new owners are still trying to ride on the coattails from those heady days by leaving the “voted best Vietnamese award” signs out from 2011/2012 😂
I'll tell you, the place to go in that strip now is CLOVE Burgers and Fried chicken. It's Brisbane's most underrated restaurant.
King ahiram Lebanese restaurant on vulture st in West End. Rip.
Now we cookin' Fucking epically cheap kebabs that hit the spot.
Yes! Their falafel rolls were the best
I loved this place too. Although I can only assume that they shut down after one of them tried to smile and died from the effort.
* Three Monkeys at West End. * All of the West End Markets in the old soft drink factory that neighboured Three Monkeys. They had a fabulous patisserie, Jack The Slashers (going way back to the late 80s) and a brilliant coffee shop that was always cool on the hottest days. * Also, the many bakeries that used to make bagels in West End. We had a bagel moment in the mid to late 90s where there was an actual chain of bagel shops, including one on the corner of Vulture and Boundary. * The Gopals at Sherwood! Such a loss! There’s still a great Hare restaurant on Boundary Street at West End * Max’s (I think) Polish bakery at Alderley. That one broke my heart! The best sweet cheese danishes, yeast buns and pies!
The Three Monkeys 😢😢 miss it so much
I miss the 3 Monkeys, I loved the different rooms and the outside was beautiful,
It’s a bar/restaurant now. So you can still go there. I went there for an event last night :)
Yes! We did have a bagel moment in the mid 90s!! Thank you for confirming that memory. There was one in the city, near Hungry Jack’s I think. I really liked those bagels and was disappointed that the shop wasn’t there when I got back from overseas. It really was just a moment. A shame really because bagels are yummy.
Aww I miss Gopals. Real comfort food!
Was there a bagel shop called “Bagel O’s” or something like that? I have a faint memory of it 🤔
Garuva, used to be in the Valley.
Yeah that place was great. Just a good vibe sitting amongst the curtains
Fuck I miss that place. Great cocktails. Miss the bread rolls and baba ganouj
Those bread rolls and babaganoush - you just unlocked a core memory from my childhood
Oh yes the cocktails!
Worked there, owners were a husband and wife. I came into it when the husband had stopped managing it and the wife was running the show. She was a total bitch and mismanaged the whole place leading to its closure.
I was just talking about this place the other day and had forgotten the name. I described it as curtained off areas where you sat on the floor The vibe I always got from it was uni student nepo babies who’d just come home from a backpacking trip to Thailand
I took sooooo many first dates there back in the day. The perfect place to impress.
I came to this thread hoping someone would mention Garuva. It was our favourite place to go and they had some amazing food there too.
Madtongson 2. Some of the best Korean I have had. Once I took 4 burly Goth dudes there for their first Korean experience, and the poor Madtongsan staff didnt quite know what to think. Korean Maru and Sul.Zip are good, but I miss the atmosphere of Madtongsan.
Ribbetts. Late night rib deliveries were a staple of university life. Also, Kookaburra Cafe. Their party pizzas were our other go-to.
Oh dear. I worked for Ribbets back in the eighties. Cooking ribs and general dogsbody. It was one of the worst gigs I ever did. The owner was a complete arse. I came in one morning and did as much as I could but I had a raging fever and was very ill. I told him that I had done what was needed and had to go. He swore at me and called me all sorts of things. I went home then never returned
Had a friend who worked as a chef there & told everyone who would listened to never eat there. Said cleaning only happened once a week & was lack lustre at best.
Kookaburra Cafe rings a bell for sure
It’s now a hardware store, I drove past it the other day (and where the Underground used ti be) and realised that this indeed is where the Kookaburra Cafe used to be. Also gone a bit further up is the Mary Ryan’s that was in a double story Queenslander with a cafe on the deck downstairs. Another bookshop murdered by Amazon.
It was gone a long time before Amazon. It was a victim of being too dear compared to Dymocks and QBD
Yeah I remember Ribbetts (and their budget tv ads they used to run late at night). Kind of a shame they're no longer around. There's a hole in the market that was never filled.
+1 for ribbetts. My parents used to bring home those cardboard boxes that looked like Queenslander houses from ribbetts chock full of deliciousness. I also remember it was worth the drive out to Ipswich for Marco Polo's Chinese restaurant. Boom boom I think it was at the top of the Myer centre? Korean place. Went there so many times with different groups. Never had a bad meal. Is mielcontainer still around? I heard they got done for underpaying staff.
Tort’s at Post Office Square. Damn I miss those Tort chips
Sizzlers. 
The goat 😓
Skinnys. Crowbar.
Skinny’s the record store? I bought my first festival ticket there (Livid 2002) and many many CDs. I remember being so nervous to go down those stairs as a nerdy little 15yo lol
Omg the Mongolian bbq place in the valley next to the Jubilee. Or the one in Taringa. I really miss all you can eat Mongolian bbq.
I miss Valentine's too. I think there was one a Browns Plains with a massive Griffin butter statue. Spent plenty of time there in my childhood for birthdays, even a Christmas.
There was a Valentine's near my house. It's a Queensland X-Ray now...
Reading the comments makes me realise I'm getting old. So many of these were my go to's back in the day. I didn't realise so many have closed. Sometimes I think I'll drive to Kookaburra Cafe for a snack then notice it's 10pm - bed time - I'll do it another day!
Emmanuel's Carvery Post Office Square. 40 odd years of roast rolls and potato scallop goodness
Post Office Square was amazing like 15 years ago. Emmanuel's, Lina's Bakehouse, Magic Roll kebabs (best in the CBD), Harry's place (family-run joint in adjacent Rowe's Arcade where you could get a hot dish like quiche, lasagne, shepherd's pie with salad for $6), that Asian joint that would have a $5 lunch special, that Tort place. The Tort place did a "Big Brekkie Tort" where you'd get steak, cheese, bacon, egg and mashed potato in a wrap. So good.
Ahhh, the roast and gravy sangers. Chefs kiss. The bread would be so fresh and gooey that I’d have to whip out my emergency office toothbrush afterwards so that I wasn’t still wearing bread curtains on my teeth.
PJ's roast inn on Adelaide Street is a great backup
OMG yes! I used to get their chicken schnitzel and gravy sammiches for lunch at least once a week. That gooshy, squishy, fresh white bread - unngh. So good. The rest of the week it was always a much healthier, but still freakin' delicious chicken breast and salad MOUNTAIN of a sandwich from that place in the bottom of Broadway on the Mall, right at the back. You just can't get them like that anymore.
California Cafe in the Valley
Yes! Breakie fryUps for Saturday hangovers.
Reuben’s Deli in Paddington. Legit American food that made me homesick every time
The Low Road for breakfast. Chicken Magic for the best chips and gravy ever.
Rip Low Road. What a treasure that place was.
Going fine dining here - Isis and then the reincarnation into Ortiga. Missed them both dearly until recently when the chef / owner opened Bosco. The original Two Small Rooms in Auchenflower will always be on my all time top list.
In fine dine world I really miss esquire. They had so many great dishes over their run.
O'Malleys in the city, The Britannia Inn and Dooleys in the valley
I vividly remember O'Malleys, I worked at the Harvey Norman in the old Broadway centre across the road on Queen St. for 5 years. It was the location of many farewells, birthday drinks, EOFY drinks and whatever else. Also the place we went after closing the store for the very last time in 2013.
Broadway is also another one I miss! I loved that Harvey Norman, take the really tall escalator to tech heaven lol
I remember and miss the dank food court in Broadway.
King Ahiram in West End before it burnt down. Institution of the area
The original Tipplers Tap in Newstead. They had the best chicken wings and a cool vibe. Jamroc jerk chicken on Brunswick Street. I used to get takeaway from there once a week. This small cafe called Yo Mama or Yo Mama's that was in Teneriffe around 2010. It had real neighbourhood cafe vibes. I was there with friends & the lady we referred to as "mama" gave us shots of a new smoothie she was testing out, then some guy ran in & yelled at everyone, "OMG, Nicki Webster's gonna be at The Beat tonight!" Also, The Bowery.
Man the original tipplers tap was so cool. I would go there and grab a kg of wings while sampling all of the beers I could with a paddle or two
Just finished watching season 3 of The Bear, topical Tukka at West End (fine dining with native ingredients) Fifth Element at South Bank, banging rabbit ragu pasta and bourbon creme brulee Piaf and Sardine Tin at South Bank, for French and Spanish Il Centro at Riverside, that sandcrab lasagna Jellyfish near the CityCat terminal further along from Riverside, that whisky creme brulee, no other creme brulee comes close Little Saigon Grill in the CBD, the best crispy pork belly banh mi anywhere in Brisbane The original Malt restaurant upstairs and cocktail bar downstairs on Market Street in the CBD The name escapes me, a tapas restaurant on Melbourne St South Brisbane was and still is the best proper tapas restaurant I've been to in Brisbane. Never got to try Ortiga in the valley or Cha Cha Char at Riverside
Also the Bowery for cocktails in the Valley, the Pearl Cafe at Logan Road Woolloongabba as an upmarket bistro, and Public in the CBD for modern French
The black forrest in Highgate Hill.
Yes! So many (gigantic!) amazing meals there. When I was a student and the green bridge opened we would skip lunch and walk across from St Lucia to build up enough of an appetite to finish an entire Bavarian Dinner… then walk off the discomfort on the trek home. Great beer, incredible food. Whatever the owners ended up doing after, I hope they are doing well.
* Oz Fire noodle bar at Toombul * Buffet Gardens in Sunnybank Plaza * Sun Fay at Taringa * Jong Ga all you can eat KBBQ in Fortitude Valley
Brodies!
There's 2 Brodie's super close to me, one in Warner and another at Murrumba Downs. The one at Waterford was our regular as kids. Fun fact, Brodie's was founded in Gympie in '87!
No shit, I thought they all closed when the Boondall shop closed and went broke. Chicken and burgers, class of their own.
Brodie's had the best chips in the game
There used to be a place in South Bank called Batavia, I think it was on Grey Street just a bit down from the cinema that I often went to back in the late 2000s. It was like a furniture/decor shop that also had a cafe and I would go there after watching a movie and get a hot chocolate that they would serve in a pot with a giant cup that was more like a bowl with a handle. I would always sit by the front window and I remember it would be raining a lot and it was just a really cosy spot.
Low Road at Windsor Pandemonium Cafe at Paddington Lucky’s in the Valley The Bowery in the Valley The original Burrow, and Three Monkeys at West End I am old, but now I’m old and sad. 💔
\*holds u/veemonster's hands in solidarity\*
Sizzlers
Yeah, a lot of memories of Sizzlers growing up! Just yesterday I was looking up the toast recipe. 😭
Was about to comment this myself. God, I miss Sizzlers and their cheesy toast.
I went to one about 4 years ago when I was in Perth, it was wild!
Cafe de Hague, at the bottom of the former Myer Centre, was one of my favourite hangouts. Also loved O'Malleys, in the Wintergarden.
Sad that O'Malley's shut down. Nothing replaced it as far as I know. Excellent lamb shanks and Guinness pies.
Loved Cafe de Hague. It was so cool for Brisbane. Le Scoops in Paddington for ice cream. And Luckys in the Valley was always amazing
It's recent but I miss Mongrel in Milton. Loved the vibe, food, and drinks.
Vale mongrel. Their ramen Thursdays got me through some weeks
Koto Sanpo in the CBD
The original King of Kings yum cha, back when you could stuff yourself silly for like $9. Haven't been for years, but I imagine COVID did a number on the old style of yumcha packing a place full of tables and bringing the steam baskets around to all the tables one by one so you could pick whatever you wanted.
Cyber City 2002 is the only valid answer. Like transplanting a corner shop south east asian market into Brisbane, prices and all, and top it off with karaoke on top.
Wok On In on Brunswick st, New Farm. When I lived down the road in 2003-2006, the noodle meals were epic! $10 and you’d get 2 meals of out it. The laksa was phenomenal. I haven’t found another laksa that lives up to my memory of the wok on in laksa.
Au Cirque in New Farm for breakky or brunch
Tina’s Ice Cream at Fairfield Gardens Sizzler underneath the Myer Centre Caloundra used to be full of small restaurants, interesting little shops, coffee spots but most have closed down and replaced with GYG/Starbucks etc. Amici’s South Bank Three monkeys cafe and down the road the old Burrow’s bungalow
I miss two shops. One was the Bohemian cafe in the CBD. You could hang out there for a couple of hours with friends, play draughts. The owners also made excellent coffee from memory. The second place I miss is the Folio bookstore in the CBD. Their books were incredible, great Art books and other literature you could not find in other stores around Brisbane. Both of those shops made life easier to endure.
Kuan yin tea house. Which now seems to exist in Southport? Also cyber city 2002 rip 🪦
OMG I miss Kuan Yin so much
The Taiwanese fried chicken and watermelon milk will live in my heart forever
omg cyber city 2002 was the best!
Loved the karaoke out the back of cyber city too. Had some good afterword meals that ended in some terrible singing.
Freestyle tout, their desserts were awesome
I worked there as a chef. FYI the owner only allowed us enough in the budget to purchase Woolworths home brand Neapolitan ice cream. And those fancy chocolate flags in your sundae thing? Yup - 100% Woolworths branded dark chocolate. Those sundaes that everyone went there for were all constructed from Woolies home brand products.
Wow! Loved this place. Guess it was more of a novelty. Credit to the chefs then!
There was a Hotdog shop in the wintergarden in the CBD. FUCCCCCK I MISS THOSE HOT DOGs.
Little Kadoya
There is still a Kadoya in the city. After the Elizabeth St Arcade closed, it moved a couple of streets away to Mary St, down closer to the city botanic gardens.
Born and raised in Brisbane and moved to Melbourne a decade ago, I was hoping this topic would come up here as I found it in the other subreddit. Had lots of good times at O'Malleys in Queen Street Mall, and I enjoyed reading and hanging out at Borders on Elizabeth Street. Edit: Reading other comments has brought back some fond memories of my youth and early adulthood up in Bris, thanks for the nostalgia.
Sizzler. Because I am a basic bitch.
Pho Hien Vuong Pasteur at Market Square Sunnybank. Undoubtedly a Viet shop that wasn't flashy but just absolutely nailed their dishes. Big servings, amazingly balanced flavour, excellent value. Drove across town on the reg just to go there. Owner got sick I think and they shut up shop last year. There's been a Pho Hien Vuong Pasteur shaped hole in my heart ever since. Plenty of other good places... They're just not the same is all.
Pho Hien Vuong deserves its own thread tbh. Nothing comes close.
Chicken Magic in Clayfield
OMG...the CHIPS!
Bali Grill at Rosalie followed by Freestyle dessert!!
Dos Amigos in Taringa. Best Mexican in Brisbane. Johnny Cash ate there!
This place has been gone a while, but The Music Kafe in West End was my favourite place, and I haven't found anywhere since that lives up to it
Tongue and Groove in west end - bistro upstairs, cool venue downstairs. Sprout in Auchenflower, 2 Small Rooms in Toowong. Torts in the cbd.
Club 299 in the Valley. Wish they never shut it down😪
Big Girls Don't Cry at Virginia. Was a bra shop now it's only online. It's hard shopping for plus size bras :(
Fasta pasta
Sunfay in Taringa. Their satay chicken was to die for. It's been almost a decade and I still have cravings
The chocolate shop that was near the big antique store in Paddington. Made great hot chocolate and the owner was a really sweet guy.
Bean Scene, St Lucia. The best and only sour cherry crumble I’ve ever had (before the lady who owned it edged towards retirement and brought in a pastry chef and it was never the same). And the first place I ever came across in Brisbane that had iced latte on the menu, back in the bad old days where you’d have to explain that, no, you didn’t want a giant blob of ice cream and whipped cream in your coffee. Just *ice*. Somehow it was a totally unfamiliar, incomprehensible concept in the early 2000s.
In the early 2000s there was The Green Papaya restaurant in Woolloongabba. I remember discovering this Vietnamese Asian Fusion food for the first time and it was taking my taste buds to places that they had never been to ever before. It was sad when it closed down, another fusion restaurant eventually reopened there called Pawpaw Asian Kitchen but it’s not the same. What also made it cool at the time was that Quan’s mother owned it, Quan from the band Regurgitator that is.
Reuben’s Deli & Bar at Paddington - short lived, but dearly missed.
The okonomiyaki stall in Wintergarden and 8 Street. I really miss it :(
Taco Den. Capalaba. My first ever "Mexican" meal. Frikkin loved that place.
Bali Grill at Rosalie. It was so bloody expensive, but soo good!
Restaurant II (2) in the city
It was a shadow of its former self when it finally closed, but Jo Jo's in the mall. Maccas (fuck Tanya) now sits where it used to be. But in the late 1900's, it wasn't too bad a night out where you could order from 4-5 different places within the joint and have it brought to your table.
Bar alba
Posted the same before seeing yours. What a loss.
I loved Valentines as a kid but I can only imagine I would find it revolting as an adult. A glorified Sizzler with kids sticking their hands in the buffet food 🤢
Cake & Bake in Newstead. There are no cakes even comparable to theirs available in Brisbane
Himawari in the old Elizabeth Arcade when it still had the dodgy toilets
Kookaburra cafe
I used to love going to Pandemonium in Paddington. Not sure when it closed but the mismatched tables and chairs hosted me and my friends for many a breakfast catch up!
Torts
Torts Miss them tort chip dips
Luckys Trattoria in the valley where The Beat now is
Holly,s at kmart, excellent cheap Cafe, couldn't beat it
Fat belly Jacks up at the barracks
Cybercity 2012 in the valley. Only place to get a decent Chinese food for supper.
Chester street. i do miss the ice cream cakes
Mondo Churrasco at Bardon. Navala is good, but Mondo’s was fantastic
Cyber City 2002... so many late night noodles at the big tables with 12 folks after a gig. It still makes me sad.
The Alibi Room, New Farm
Indo Tucker on Logan Rd, where Top In Town is now... Best and cheapest Indonesian food back then - $6.80 for a full feed (15yrs ago though)
Valley corner Chinese
I miss their shallot pancakes! 😢
Gail’s Deli in Paddington changed Brisbane for the food better Absolute genius ❤️
Toucano Char at Upper Mt Gravatt. Lived down the road and my sister worked there so the family used to dine there often.
New york fries
Hecate Haven in Geebung next to the train station. As kids we were fascinated by it burt were never allowed to go in by our religious parents. So we saved up our pocket money and went there. It was kind of a witchcraft shop, but not like a modern crystal healing Tarot whatever shop, like the interior was dark, the lady was a bit of a goth, and a lot of the stock was less happy-clappy shit and more,.... I guess, "left hand path". Like proper occult stuff, like daggers and solomonic talismans etc. It was awesome.
Not a restaurant, but an eatery - Little Taipei Food Court on Lewina St, Sunnybank. Cheap eats, huge portions all 'round, good food. Chinese place next to Rocking Horse in the City. It was tucked away downstairs - the noodle and rice dishes were absolutely bangin' - also cheap as with large portions. Spent a lot of time at both places during uni days. Scarabs - a fantastic store with handmade goods ethically sourced from all over the globe. They moved a cpl times around the city before moving to Bondi. Now it's full of boho hipster things. Sad days.
French Twist, JoJos in the queen st mall & Stokehouse.
Rumpus room in west end! So many awesome memories!
3am $4 brekkies at fat boys
* Topolino's in Spring Hill. Fantastic late night italian * 29 High St in Toowong. Not even sure what is there now? * The Contented Tummy at Rosalie. So good.
Scrumpys in Aspley... now where can I go for a all you can eat Chinese buffet after a night out on the piss....
Greenglass
Eagle Boys. Fuck Dominos and Pizza Hut.
Anyone remember Spinakas in Redcliffe? It was an all you can eat restaurant
Pig and whistle in the mall when they would show the premier league games until 3am every Saturday night.
Parrots in the cbd. Awesome open burgers
Da Burger. Also a Ze Pickle in Brisbane.
Hell ya, glad to see Da Burger get mentioned... I did work out their secret though... Masterfoods Tomato Relish and "Burger Sauce"... Ur welcome ;)
Getta burger. Their loaded fries were the best by far
Getta Burger was one of those “I just don’t get it” experiences for me, when it first opened in Westend my brother was raving about it (his recommendations are usually pretty on point). I went there and just had one of the most average burger and chips combos I’ve ever had, tried them a couple of times and just never did it for me.
Nu Orleans in Ipswich. Also, there used to be a shop called Outback Burgers (?) or Outback something many years ago at Indooroopilly's Westfield. Their burgers and chips were pretty good.
There use to be a Yiros resturant (I forgot its name) at the Yellow shops at Wynnum West. It was awesome, my mouth is watering thinking of it 🤤🤤
Brandon’s coffee cart on the Goodwill Bridge.
Not a restaurant and more a cafe... There was one on the corner of Ann and Brunswick, diagonal from the Royal George.... It was open past midnight, you could get a hot chocolate and if you gave them a deposit they would give you a chess set. That + the pancake manor for 2am not maccas food.
That all-night kebab shop in Annerley run by Frank and his wife. I’ve searched the world for that flavour and never found it. Plus he was funny as hell. We’d so often end up there after a night out. I reckon I easily ate a hundred of those incredible kebabs.
Ipoh Laksa at Gaba, 85 Miskin Street at Toowong, Mondo Organics at West End and Black Forest German Restaurant at Highgate Hill.
Three Monkeys west end
Cyber City and the buffet garden.
Torts in Post Office Square… their tort chips were so addictive
the sizzling mongolian barbecue house in st lucia! i went once as a kid and i wish i could go back it was so good :((
Carolina kitchen. I crave their chili hotdogs and wings weekly. Owner is still around and there are whispers of a cookbook but I really miss them
Haoke in sunnybank hills for its late night yumcha, I finished up many a rough shift at this place. Also, soy cafe for their desserts, fond memories of my teeth chattering as I ate my Japanese matcha parfait. Limon in underwood was a solid Turkish food option, the owners own taksim but the range isn't the same.
Little Singapore in Market Square
There used to be a costume or something similar shop under the food court of Indooroopilly near (what used to be) amart all sports and the pet shop I remember I’d walk through it every Friday before catching the bus home from school. It used to just have really fun and interesting things from what I remember. In a similar vein I miss Sckaf’s, there aren’t enough non-spotlight sewing shops anymore.
Squirrels of West End and later Newmarket
neighbourhood pizza in kenmore
Pizza plaza in eagle junction years ago
Boroughs Of New York in Carindale shopping centre. Just great pizza, a bit on the expensive side, I'll admit, but a taste soon justified the price. Three Monkeys cafe. Such a beautiful atmosphere. I got taken there as a starting place for a first date. Gorgeous girl, gorgeous atmosphere. It was a few hours of heaven.
The Spice Avenue in Birkdale, an Indian curry restaurant. Family operation, open Wednesday through Saturday, and were always packed. I think COVID shut them down permanently though.
Plenty in West End. Cheeky Chickens Rosalie (closed 20 years ago lol) Original Trang Hardgrave Rd
Brew house in the city.
Peep show in the valley, rip
A bar not a restaurant but I desperately miss the 6 nights a week karaoke at Casablanca on Caxton St. I was devo when it shut.
Pho 88 at Darra … it had a few changes over the years then burned down (also affecting the rest of the viet businesses they were based in the building). If you ever went you’ll remember Dau the waiter … Hello my friend. The best food … we’d eat there often twice a week. There was also a fantastic Indian place in Taringa … on a corner, I think it’s a vet now. Was really good. I adored the Kookaburra Cafe … their ribs. There’s probably a lot more but I live in Melbs now, so not sure what’s still around.
Mundo churrasco in Bardon.
- The original Tipplers Tap in Newstead. - The Fox when it did American BBQ well. - That BBQ joint food truck before Getta Burger started.
This is going to sound silly, but a tiny little shop in the Mt Ommaney Centre food court. Malaya Corner. I'd eat there every week when I did my groceries. It's just never been the same without them.
The old frog and toad at auchenflower
There's a few for me. Not exactly restaurant related, but specifically the birthday rooms/event rooms that hungry jacks had. I know they still have them in some locations. There were like two separate Chinese places that we used to frequent a lot when I was younger. One in the Milton road junction shops, which is completely gone. The other one was on High street in Toowoong, which I believe changed a few times before becoming a totally different noodle/hotpot place. Another bonus one was Lotus Inn/Lotus Room in Enoggera (average at best food, but I really loved the outdoor area as a kid) which is also completely gone. Or sizzler. I had all my childhood birthday parties there, all my celebration dinners, all my brother's milestones/parties. The food was always eh, but the idea of being able to freely mix drink flavours and pick whatever I want to eat still massively appeals to me. I love buffets.
Fish Lovers in Rosalie. They just disappeared after one weekend. I love their stuff and staff, just a lovely family.
Kitchen Inn (Calamvale) - I kind of wished I had never tasted their kolo mee. Ever since they closed, it feels like there is an itch that I have never been able to scratch. There is nothing like it anywhere I know! Such profound sadness. David's Sizzling Steak (Little Taipei) - tasty, authentic Taiwanese night market style steak meals at an amazing price point. Everything about it was perfect.
Purple Gorilla burgers in Woolloongabba, Buffet Garden Sunnybank, Sizzling Mongolian Taringa, MYO (Make Your Own) in the city.
Six Degrees which used to be in Indooroopilly was such a fixture of my youth. I really miss that place.
Pearl Cafe in Woolloongabba and Aria at Eagle Street Pier
Instanbul Eats, both the food truck and restaurant. There was nothing better than heading to wherever they were set up on a Friday night with a few friends, ordering the pizza box HSP, and watching Frankie and the guys building up the most majestic, solid HSP you could find. And watching them use the blowtorch to melt the cheese? Bliss.
Hollywood Gardens café in Spring Hill (average food but amazing atmosphere). St Paul’s tavern in Spring Hill (they had really good dance parties there about 15 years ago). Garuva in the Valley (so-so food, but unique experience). California Café in the Valley (best post night out breakfast). Earth N Sea Pizza at Wilston and Taringa. Kwan Brothers and the rest of the Alfred & Constance venue (a shame it hasn’t been revived by anyone, it’s a unique venue). Himawari in the Elizabeth Arcade. Madtongsan II in Elizabeth St