The Plough Inn South Brisbane - The Slow Burn of Love

“You know I brought a pretty girl here for a date once?” Says my husband, blue eyes twinkling.


Now you would think that I would get cranky, stomp off or maybe even throw my drink at him. But no. Cheeky bugger that he is – he’s talking about our first date.

There was no love at first sight for us. We actually knew each other for 5 years before even the first flicker of romance appeared. So I guess you could say that it was more of a slow burn… rather than a nuclear reaction.

After a brief flirtation while I was home visiting from London – we kept in contact and literally, on arrival back to Brisbane, he met me at the airport for our first date. After a 24 hour flight, me with bed head, questionable breath and enough luggage to floor an elephant – I’m honestly surprised he stuck around – I didn’t offer much by the way of a good first impression!

Our lunch at the Plough Inn all those years ago was good. Nothing phenomenal – just good, uncomplicated pub food. Which to be honest – that’s what it is. A pub. Maybe the food would have been better if it wasn’t competing for space with the 5 million butterflies that had also taken up residence in there, but it was fine.

The actual highlight of our lunch here was our waiter. Now the Plough Inn  doesn’t have Waiters as such. Mainly just staff that clear tables and make sure there’s no glass lying around. But at this time they had the most gorgeous Waiter who had Downs Syndrome; and he was so blissfully happy going about his duties – collecting glasses, clearing plates and making sure everyone enjoyed their meals.

He sat down with us while we were eating and regaled us with stories of working in the kitchen, how he was so good at helping the Chef because he did exactly what he was told to, and how he was secretly all the pretty Barmaid’s favorite because he picked them flowers for their hair. Never in my life have I been so charmed by such a sweet individual.

Even to this day, every time we pass South Bank, we remember him and how much he impacted our first date and the beginning of our relationship.

On this visit, it was a sentimental one – we sat at the same table, ordered the same drinks and reminisced over the years that have passed. Hubby ordered the Teys 250g Eye Fillet while I was content with a smaller meal of Salt and Lemon Pepper Squid.

While hubby is a tough customer when it comes to steak – he was pretty happy with his lunch. Given that it is a Pub, not a steakhouse or even a “proper” Restaurant – it was pretty good. The steak was well handled, cooked as requested and came with a generous serve of Steak Fries and Vegetables. I pinched the Coleslaw which was (surprisingly) homemade.

My squid was super-thinly sliced which just added to the appeal, both tender and crisp all at once and nicely seasoned. It came with a small side salad – and shock horror! – no chips! But that was okay – my expanding waistline really didn’t need any – and I just helped myself to hubby’s when he wasn’t looking. He’s not yet fully trained in this “sharing” thing… he still calls it stealing.

So tell me dear Reader, have you ever had a meal where the service completely surpassed the actual meal?

The Verdict: A great hangout if ever you’re around the South Bank area. Casual, easy going and unpretentious – it doesn’t try to be anything it’s not. It’s a good decent watering hole with a broad menu that appeals to families, young party goers and backpackers alike.

Recommendations: There is nothing earth shattering here – but you don’t come here for the food alone. The atmosphere is great, the food decent and the drinks aplenty. If you go on a busy day or weekend – make sure to arrive early to grab a spot on the deck to make the most of the views and cool breezes.

Contact: Plough Inn