Hello Weekend - South Side Diner

I was really excited when I read about the opening of South Side Diner. A diner style themed restaurant serving up milkshakes and burgers, Mister T and I thought this was what Brisbane needed, adding something more to busy rows of eateries in South Bank.

Mister T and I decided to drop by prior to our evening at the Ben and Jerry's Open Air Cinema, which turned out to be a really big mistake. First up, service.

We arrived a little past half past four in the afternoon on Saturday and were greeted by a staff who told us that the kitchen is currently only serving snack food items like fries and wings as it is between lunch and dinner hours. Fine by us. She then asks us if we would like to sit at the counter or table, outdoor or indoor, and then promptly tells us she would have to check if any of the tables are still available for us. We thought this was a little confusing as you have just asked us where we would like to seat and then tell us you need to check if there is even a seat available in the entire restaurant, that was still 70% empty.

After consulting a fellow staff, we were directed to an outdoor table and instructed that "The table has been reserved for 6:30pm". We were not asked if that would be good for us, we were just brought to a table and then told it was booked for an evening appointment. We understand the need to honour reservations but it would have be appreciated if we were talked to nicely and asked properly.

We tried to brush it all aside as it is after all the first few weeks of operations and staff can still be flustered. Service got a little bit better with Andy, our server for the afternoon. He was prompt and frequently checked in on us, which we appreciated plenty.

We ordered a side of Big Fries with Chicken Salt, and while a little pricey, it definitely hit the spot. The fries were huge and chunky, and we could not stop devouring them with their hot, fluffy potato insides.

As big fans of chicken wings, we were utterly disappointed by the Buffalo Wings. While we applaud South Side Diner for using really huge chicken wings, we think there is plenty to work on with regards to the sauce and batter.

Firstly, the batter was very thick, making it very unpleasant to eat. The chicken was also seemed to not be seasoned at all, so the flavour of the dish relied entirely on the sauce. This failed as well since the wings were not entirely smothered in sauce which also brings us to the other problem - the sauce.

We were expecting something tangy with heat, but all we got was a really thick sticky sauce that was sickly sweet like ketchup with a teeny weeny bit of spice. Overall, we did not enjoy the wings and would have preferred another portion of fries if we could turn back time.

The menu at South Side Diner definitely looks promising, and based on the crowds it is evident that we are not the only people keen to feast on some good old American diner grub. I still have my eye on some dishes like their Fried Duck and Beer Battered Onion Rings. But if our dining experience is any indication of how the food is across the board, I doubt that Mister T and I will be coming back any time soon. Here's hoping that it is all just kinks that need to be worked on and a better meal at South Side Diner!

South Side Diner
Shop B8/B9
Grey Street
South Bank, Brisbane

Phone: +61 (07) 3844 3040