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Ratings and reviews

#255 of 333 Bar in Brisbane
#1,457 of 2,793 Restaurants in Brisbane
RATINGS
Food
Service
Value

Details

PRICE RANGE
USD 4 - USD 12
CUISINES
Bar, Pub, Diner
Meals
Drinks, After-hours, Lunch, Dinner
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features, about
Reviews (23)
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Reviewed 25 March 2023

4 of us came here because of the 25% off offer from our hostel but after finding out that the offer ended at 5pm we ordered food anyway because we were starving. There was no problem with ordering and the food came relatively quickly after...about 25 minutes. 2 of us ordered the steak which was cooked the complete opposite way to which we ordered and was the worst steak ever had and all of the chips were cold. I had the vegan burger which was not how it was described at all and my sweet potato fries tasted like they had been reheated loads of times. Also, the peppercorn sauce was HORRIBLE. Out of politeness and not wanting to cause a scene we just left most of the food and left because it seemed like their kitchen staff of 1 wasn’t in any place to make anything better, nor did the bar staff seem like they would be sympathetic and offer a refund. Avoid at all costs because the food wasn’t even cheap so we expected a lot more.More

Date of visit: February 2023
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Laura, Marketing at Empire Hotel, responded to this reviewResponded 27 March 2023

Hello, Thanks for taking your time and leaving this review. I'm sorry to hear you had a bad experience. We appreciate your feedback and have forwarded it to the management. Best regards, The Empire Hotel team

Reviewed 13 September 2022

Visited as part of a large tour group, the tour company regularly takes groups there and has never had an issue before. We chose to eat here due to the attractive buy a drink get food half price offer but despite the discount there was...very little value for money. A couple of meals were served quickly within 15 minutes of ordering to a good standard, the issues were yet to come. By the time I had eaten my entire meal, no other member of the party had been served despite ordering from the quite limited menu at the same time. Some more meals came out of the kitchen but after 1h less than half had been served. Half the party was offered a free drink refill for soft drinks only as compensation, the others were repeatedly ignored by staff. Slowly more meals begin to filter out of the kitchen but some were cold and didn’t meet special requirements. One main meal was served before the customer had received their starter which never arrived. After 2h, 5 meals were yet to be served and we saw the chef leave the kitchen and storm out of the restaurant. A member of the party works in a kitchen back in the UK and offered to step up and help when the chef returned but this was not possible. Refunds were given to those who cancelled their order but no compensation apart from drink refills for those who waited over 2h to be served. Very few apologies were received from staff along the way, a very disappointing evening for all members of the party overall.More

Date of visit: September 2022
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Raminta B, Marketing at Empire Hotel, responded to this reviewResponded 19 September 2022

Hi Elisabeth, thank you for taking the time to share this review. I am so sorry to hear about your experience and want to thank you for this feedback. I will be passing all of your feedback on to management, as it is very valuable...More

Reviewed 14 November 2020

Whole thing is absolute class. Guy in the Jameson hat is literally the moodiest dude ever, thought it might just be one off. We ALL have bad days, but 3 days on the trot? I understand that we all have bad days and if it’s...something personal I apologise but my god this lad is so rude and short it’s insane. Other than that amazing barMore

Date of visit: November 2020
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JessicaD6109, Owner at Empire Hotel, responded to this reviewResponded 16 November 2020

Hi Danny, Thank you for your review. We appreciate all feedback and have forwarded your feedback onto management. The Empire Hotel Team.

Reviewed 26 October 2020

Went twice in two days and both times the food was actually really cheap, great quality, fantastic crunchy chips and the staff were lovely. I'd definitely recommend going here!

Date of visit: October 2020
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JessicaD6109, Marketing at Empire Hotel, responded to this reviewResponded 10 November 2020

Cheers James! The Empire Hotel Team

Reviewed 12 August 2019

This (ex bloodbath) old style pub is bang in the middle of nightclub central in the Valley. Ordinarily, it's not the place I'd frequent. But, in the earlier evening it was beautifully quet, and had an amazing array of great (craft) beers on tap. The...pub food is typical of the venue style and nothing special; but at least not too greasy.More

Date of visit: July 2019
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jessica D, Manager at Empire Hotel, responded to this reviewResponded 19 August 2019

Thank you for your review. We welcome all feedback and look forward to having you again. The Empire Hotel Team.

Reviewed 12 July 2019 via mobile

Really lovely venue which is quirky and comforting. Came to watch the live music as recommended by a friend. However the bloke with long hair who seemed to be doing the sound check for the band's was extremely rude and ignorant when asked questions about...what bands were playing. The emcee was great and made us feel so welcome, he was fantastic, even recommended the espresso martini on offer which was amazing. The girl behind the bar was nice but extremely stand offish when asked questions about drinks deals. The food was fantastic (the rottisorie chicken was to die for) , would come again just for this and the emcee (I think his name was locky)More

Date of visit: July 2019
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jessica D, Manager at Empire Hotel, responded to this reviewResponded 15 July 2019

Hi Adele, Thanks for the review. We appreciate the feedback and hope to have you again at Empire Hotel. The Empire Hotel Team.

Reviewed 5 June 2019 via mobile

Popped in for a glass of Sav Blanca n soda after walking around the valley getting to know the area. Young lass behind was lovely. She said have a seat I'll bring it over to you. I really appreciated that wee gesture.

Date of visit: June 2019
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jessica D, Manager at Empire Hotel, responded to this reviewResponded 17 June 2019

Thank you for the glowing review. We look forward to your next visit. The Empire Hotel Team.

Reviewed 21 February 2019

The pub was described as having rustic charm in another review, I think that rather than rustic, in the first half of last century it was one of Brisbane's finest and most elaborate pubs and It has been restored beautifuly and originally. The young lady...on the bar was very friendly and helpful and I arrived during the first of the two happy hour periods (tap beers $5 a schmiddy). This meant that despite being high on the tightarse scale and very low on the trendy scale I was able to sample some tasty craft beers. It's a great place to have a drink, eat in Chinatown and pop in for another afterward.More

Date of visit: February 2019
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jessica D, Manager at Empire Hotel, responded to this reviewResponded 25 February 2019

Hi ightsee31447363162 Thank you for your amazing review. We are thrilled that you enjoyed your time at the Empire Hotel and look forward to your next visit. The Empire Hotel Team.

Reviewed 15 November 2018 via mobile

Found this place very interesting. Had soo much kool and fascinating art and decor. Most interesting was distinguishing male and female toilets lol. Had a huge selection on drinks and the service was friendly.

Date of visit: November 2018
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JessicaD6109, Manager at Empire Hotel, responded to this reviewResponded 19 November 2018

Hi foodieadventure80, Thank you for your amazing review. We are so thrilled that you enjoyed your time at The Empire and we hope to have you again. The Empire Hotel Team.

Reviewed 3 October 2018

Looks very much the same inside, but now more of a pub. Okay place and has some decent beers, and nice staff, but not a favourite.

Date of visit: July 2018
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JessicaD6109, Manager at Empire Hotel, responded to this reviewResponded 5 October 2018

Hi there, Thank you for your review. We appreciate all feedback. We hope to see you again at The Empire Hotel. Many Thanks, The Empire Hotel Team.

Reviewed 24 May 2018

I was looking for a brewpub. Notice to Tripadvisor: just because you have eight taps doesn't make you a brewpub. It was really quiet early on a Thursday evening. That was OK by me: I was eating alone and not looking for a lot of...noise. Menu is limited, but rotisserie chicken was good, chips were very good. "Caesar" salad was a fishy, wrong lettuce, saucy mess. Portions very, very generous. Had to place my orders at the bar. Pretty much one of each type of beer on tap: one pale ale, one IPA, one lager, etc. Beer a bit cold, almost as cold as in America! Service was friendly - when it is not, in Australia? All in all, minus one for the faux brewpub thing (may not have been their fault), minus one more for just being average-ish on food and beer.More

Date of visit: May 2018
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jessica D, Manager at Empire Hotel, responded to this reviewResponded 11 June 2018

Hi Fe_Flyer, Thank you for your review. We appreciate all feedback. We have passed along your review to the appropriate channels and we look forward to having you again. Thank you The Empire Hotel Team.

Reviewed 4 May 2018

Two meals for the price of one! How great!!! Had a few beers and saw the food special, decided right there and then we have to try it. The chicken was really delicious, with a crispy skin. The decor is really funky!!! Could not stop...looking around at everything there is to see.More

Date of visit: October 2017
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jessica D, Manager at Empire Hotel, responded to this reviewResponded 11 June 2018

Hi Alex, Thank you for your amazing review. We are thrilled you enjoyed your time at Empire and we look forward to your next visit. Thank you. The Empire Hotel Team.

Reviewed 10 March 2018 via mobile

Nice place that retains its historic charms and rustic interiors. It has a wide selection of cocktails, beers and spirits for alcohol lovers. They have an extensive list of rums as well. Food is not bad, though the juicy rotisserie chicken can be less saltier...then it would great. Nice music and friendly staffs as well. As of writing, UQU members get 25% off all food items. Like any other nearby establishments in Fortitude Valley, parking can be a bit of concern, so catching public transport or a cab would be wise options.More

Date of visit: March 2018
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jessica D, Manager at Empire Hotel, responded to this reviewResponded 12 March 2018

Hi Albertwcs, Thank you for your amazing review! We are glad you enjoyed your time at The Empire Hotel and we look forward to your next visit. The Empire Hotel Team.

Reviewed 2 February 2018 via mobile

Friday night out at Fortitude Valley. Found a great place with great music. The band was fantastic and the venue was so comfortable with lovely soft chairs and chandeliers. Drinks were well priced also. Will definitely party on there again on a Friday night.

Date of visit: January 2018
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jessica D, Manager at Empire Hotel, responded to this reviewResponded 15 February 2018

Hi lovingmoving, Thank you for your amazing review! We are so glad you enjoyed your night out at Empire! We look forward to your next visit!

Reviewed 5 September 2017 via mobile

Used to go in all the time. Two meals for the price of one was really good. But they then changed the menu. Hardly any stuff on it now and not much variety. The male member of staff got really arsey with us when we...asked if that's all there was on the menu. Nachos, poutine etc have all been taken off. Which were really nice!More

Date of visit: September 2017
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chris C, Manager at Empire Hotel, responded to this reviewResponded 16 September 2017

Hi Meggys Thank you for your feedback, and we're really disappointed that you didn't enjoy your experience with us. We take any feedback seriously as we continue to try and improve our customer's experience with us. If you would like to discuss your time with...More

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EMPIRE HOTEL, Brisbane - Updated 2023 Restaurant Reviews, Menu & Prices - Tripadvisor

Frequently Asked Questions about Empire Hotel

Yes, Empire Hotel offers takeaway services.

Empire Hotel is rated accordingly in the following categories by Tripadvisor travellers:
  • Food: 3.5
  • Service: 3.5
  • Value: 3.5