The Exchange Hotel

The Exchange Hotel
Address: 131 Edward St Brisbane, QLD 4000
http://www.theexchange.com.au/

A couple colleagues and I went to the Exchange Hotel for lunch mainly because of the promotion we saw for $10 lunches (*conditional on purchasing a drink).

On the menu, the $10 lunches actually looked pretty enticing - steak, battered barramundi, steak sandwich, aussie burger and grilled chicken wrap.

Given that I have been craving for steak for a while now, and given that the Exchange Hotel is relatively close the offfice, we decided to try it out.

Now, when you first walk into the Exchange Hotel, unlike the other old bars you would normally see, the interior has been recently refurbished and the owner has introduced a more mordern edge towards the place with the massive windows that opens the up the drinking area to the streets outside and funky paintings on the walls.

However, despite the nice ambience, the food and the services are somewhat disappointing.

Perhaps it is because we went in the lunch rush hours, our food took close to 40 minutes before it arrived. For a simple steak and chips, I was expecting food to come a little bit faster.

With the steak, you weren't allowed to choose on how the steaks are cooked - all they do is medium. And how 'medium' is their medium are simply decided by the thickness of the steak. (In another work, if you want yours well done, ask for a thinner slab of meat and vice versa.)

The sauces also could do with some improvements. Regardless whether you choose the peppercorn or the mushroom sauce, we soon realised that it was the same gravy mixed with a sprinkle of peppercorns or slices of mushroom.

Honestly, I rather wished that they charged a few dollars extra and did the sauces properly and allowed a few more choices in the way the steaks are cooked.

As for the other selections, I didn't get the opportunity to try it but perhaps they will turn out more delightful than the steak?

Overall, the place feels great for a drink but as for food, definitely not quite there yet.

Recommended: Maybe not the steak?! I heard the $1 taco nights are not too bad...

Directions: Exit Central Station, across Anzac square and post office square and you will be on Queen Street. Turn right, and at first intersection, turn left and walk towards the Botanic Garden direction. You will need to cross one street and The Exchange Hotel is on the corner of the second intersection.