The grungy inner-city hotel, with live gigs and floor coverings you stick to, is almost a thing of the past. Thankfully, the Brisbane Hotel lives on, with a real space for live music, pool tables, and the best value pub meals in town.
The Brisbane does all your regular pub meals: steaks, burgers, seafood and chips, schnitzels. But the chef is ex-Tacos, circa-Silos, and on top of all the normal stuff, the Brisbane carries a swag of Tex-Mex options. On Wednesday nights, the menu is dedicated to the stuff.
In the search for cheap eats, The Lovely Deputy and I stopped in at the Brisbane. It’s been a few years since I’ve eaten there and I’m pleased to say that if the prices have increased in that time, I didn’t notice it. The Brisbane is home to cheap eats; you can get your main and a drink for $20.
The Two Girls introduced our hunt for cheap eats here.
So how did they fare on our cheap eats criteria?
The meals are filling, tasty and aesthetically pleasing.
We ate chicken quesadillas and Cajun calamari and chips for $12 each. Both were large portions but the quesadillas was a particularly big serve. This Girl ate half the meal.
I’m a bit fan of the Americano-Mexicana combo cuisine and a big fan of what the Brisbane is doing with their menu. The chips and calamari could cut it with most pubs and cafes.
The presentation was pub-ready.
The main is served with some ethics.
Fish is sourced from Tasmanian waters and eggs are free-range. They have real vego and vegan options with one side of the menu committed to meat-free.
There’s a modicum of comfort.
There’s no glamour here but it is just about the most tolerant pub in Hobart. I drank gold Patron tequila which I rate highly. In fact, I rate the Brisbane too.
