The Gunshop

Posted by: Grace B. | 25 February 2010, 3.10pm

As what appears to happen once a bit of nationwide publicity is given, the standards have started to slip at the ol' Gunshop.

I used to live in Vulture St until 2008 whereupon I was one of many regulars at the cafe.

Now back for a visit, I found the atmosphere tight and uninviting with the wait for food bordering on unacceptable.

When they finally arrived, the Toulouse sausages were pink and the sweet potato hash had that microwave feel. The coffee was literally thrown at me.

In addition, I could hear staff arguing and overall I felt the initial, wonderful ambience at GC has been lost.

I won't be going back.

Food:			Visit: Sat 20 February 2010 Mealtime: breakfast
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Posted by: dinearound | 19 January 2010, 4.46pm

Another delicious meal here, and I'll just keep coming back.

The food is fabulous, fresh and lovely flavours. The heirloom salad is a bouquet of taste bud tantilizers, and Pan fried fish was enough for two. The staff is always friendly and smiles even when the heat is on with a full house.

The Callebaut desert was so amazing I'll dream of it for weeks - a chocolate addicts best dream served along double cream and fresh strawberries, so heavenly.

Value for money, two course each with drinks and coffee. $70.00 not bad.

Even on a hot day of 34C it wasn't uncomfortable inside with only fans - thank you heritage buildings.

I dine out typicall 8-10 times a week. I'd like to keep this treasure secret but if more people could experience this quality of food and service they would stop visiting the abismally overrated Brisbane seems to have on offer and close them down by only supporting quality. Brisbane is international, time the quality met the prices being demanded by underproducers elsewhere in the city.

Aspire to Gunshop quality Brisbane, stand up and be counted!

Food:			Visit: Tue 19 January 2010 Mealtime: lunch
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Posted by: Jen Adams | 29 November 2009, 2.54pm

I have been frequenting the Gunshop Cafe for about 6 years and have noticed a decline in the service - mainly around speed in delivery of food and drinks. Breakfasts often involve a delay of a solid 10 mins for coffee. I went to Gunshop with a large group of colleagues for lunch. I ordered the tomato salad with buffalo mozzarella and organic avocado. Instead of mozzarella, I was presented with a smattering of small, unimpressive sliced bocconcini. No explanation of either the unavailability of the mozzarella or that this key ingredient had been substituted was offered by the less than gracious waitstaff.

When questioned about the mozzarella, again the waitress was less than helpful, walking away from me mid-sentence. She returned to tell me that there was no mozzarella available today and I could have either danish or goats fetta with the salad. I requested danish, and after enough time for my colleagues to mostly finish their meals, my salad was returned to me with goats fetta.

Two emails to the manager and the owner later, I am no closer to receiving a genuine apology or any recognition that this substitution of key ingredients being inappropriate. I was told that there was a problem with ordering on the day, the staff are new and 'still finding their feet' and that the chef meant to put the bocconcini in the salad and the problem lay with the menu not being updated. That's fine - but tell your customers when they order so they can make an informed choice!

All in all, a rather unsatisfactory experience both on the day and in extracting a satisfactory responsibility from the people in charge. It leaves me in a quandry as it is one of my favourite restaurants in so many ways.

What compounded the lunch experience was a trip there on the same day for breakfast (a coincidence) involved the fruit toast with creamed honey being delivered with butter and jam. The rather surly waitress rolled her eyes when I enquired as to the whereabouts of the creamed honey. It did appear - but why do I need to ask for an advertised ingredient? This is the aspect of the service that has me most unhappy.

Let's hope this approach to service is only temporary.

Food:			Visit: Fri 27 November 2009 Mealtime: lunch
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Posted by: Gillyw | 30 July 2009, 2.08pm

Having lunch at the Gunshop cafe had been a great experience for me a number of times previously. However this time the service was extremely slow, with the two tables beside us receiving and finishing their meals before our arrived despite arriving and ordering after we did. The food was nothing spectacular. The waitress was sullen and impolite.

Food:			Visit: Thu 30 July 2009 Mealtime: lunch
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Posted by: Georgia Brown | 27 January 2009, 11.09am

The Gun Shop Cafe is reputedly a local favourite but our party seemed to catch them on a bad day. We arrived very late in the morning to avoid the breakfast rush and the line was only two or three deep. We were happy to wait a little longer for a table inside to avoid the heat on a sticky Brisbane day in January. Our drink order was extremely slow to arrive and it was an uncomfortable wait considering we ordered drinks as soon as we sat in the waiting area. When the drinks finally arrived I got a pineapple juice instead of the apple juice I ordered but didn't complain as the wait staff appeared rushed and bothered.

My breakfast special of banana bread and figs was also disappointing. Two large slices of a very dry and crumbly bread did not meet the expectations that raving friends had built up. In fact, I was only able to swallow the first slice and asked to have the second put in a take away container which the waitress begrudgingly obliged to do. The portions were very generous and the menu is interesting so perhaps it was just a bad choice. Tables around us seemed to be wolfing down their dishes so hopefully this was the case.

The cafe has a lively atmosphere when packed full of punters and seems to be a great place to meet friends. By the end of service, however, the atmosphere was quite different. The cafe had emptied and we were one of maybe five tables left in the whole place. This uncomfortable moment topped off a bad experience. I would think twice before coming here again but would probably try again to give them the benefit of the doubt.

Breakfast for three with coffees and juices cost around $45. With improved service this could have been a great morning out. Nice setting, good ideas, poorly executed.

Food:			Visit: Fri 16 January 2009 Mealtime: brunch
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Posted by: beachsands | 27 October 2007, 9.57pm

Eating alone is is not my preferred option, but sometimes necessary if you are a stranger in town. My hotel was very close to the Gunshop Cafe and I made an impulsive decision to eat there, despite the five or so restaurants between my hotel room and it. (It was at least 100m.)
Despite a storm brewing, I chose to eat outside as the light was bright enough to read by. I was only going to order a main, eat and go, but the menu tempted me with white asparagus with olive truffle butter.
Choosing a main was difficult as they all sounded good. I chose the steak, because the potatoes were cooked in duck fat....sad, but true. There was broccolini listed as part of the dish. Quite a welcome inclusion in these days of anything green being a substantial extra charge.
The wine list was excellent and not priced beyond the range of normal working stiffs such as myself. It was short, but interesting. Better still most wines were available by the glass (150mls as stated on the list). I chose a Clare riesling to go with asparagus. It worked a treat.
It was delicious. Gentler in taste than the green, but turned into something great by the subtle flavour of the butter. A little woody on the ends, but I did have a knife and fork. It also worked well with the Momo savvy blanc.
By now the rain had really started bucketing down, so I moved a little closer in, but was still outside, so I was able to indulge in the singular passion of watching other diners. Everyone seemed to be having a great time and service was casual, friendly but efficient. My steak arrived when I was around the corner perving on handbags. The obliging waitress had kept it warm, which probably explains why it was more medium than medium rare. Fortunately it was so good and still pink, that it was still extremely good. The potatoes were excellent (that is such a rare thing to say) and the brocolini perfectly cooked. The jus was absolutely superb.... lush. A 2004 Langhorne Creek Cab Sauv was a great accompaniment. By now the rain was fairly tropical and dampening the pages of my book. So I moved inside. It was pretty noisy, but I still felt quite welcome and comfortable.
The wait staff were really obliging, friendly without fawning. So I looked at the dessert menu. Hmm... I'm not really a dessert person, just like to have tastes of everyone else's. It was raining very heavily, so what else could I do? Order that lovely chocolate pot topped with Persian fairy floss and an old Spanish sherry to go with it. Well, that marriage was better than 95% of the human couplings I have seen! Sadly I couldn't finish, but I felt replete. Quite blissful really. The rain had eased to a gentle drizzle, so I ordered the bill.
I truly had a great night. That is so rare as a single diner. I wasn't invisible. I was not treated as a pariah, because I was on my own. I had read at least 70 pages of my book and enjoyed the rain. I had some good wines with some better food. All for less than $100. The previous week, I had eaten with friends at quite a legendary restaurant and had one course and a side dish and spent about the same amount of money.

Food:			Visit: Thu 25 October 2007 Mealtime: dinner
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Posted by: Haleth | 4 December 2006, 10.19pm

Need I say more? The long lines during weekend breakfasts speak for itself. It's a shame I don't live near the area.

Food:			Visit: Fri 1 December 2006 Mealtime: breakfast
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Posted by: cordias | 22 July 2006, 1.28pm

I keep coming back for the feta-whipped hash browns! Delicious!

Food:			Visit: Sat 22 July 2006 Mealtime: brunch
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