Aussie Pub Soi 11

[NedKelly]

I have to say the worst food and service currently has to be the Australian Pub in Soi 11. They have this huge outdoor B-B-Q at the front, and the idea of having some sausages cooked on a big grill like that quite appealed to me. What returned to my table was a long way short of my expectations. Firstly the food was not cooked on the big open grill, it was cooked somewhere else in the restaurant. How anyone can claim to selling Australian food and not be able to plate up 2 B-B-Q sausages is beyond me. Not only were they not properly cooked, the sausages actually tasted off.

After I politely pointed this out to a rather indifferent waitress, she mumbled something and left the plate in front of me. This brings me to the second point they don't have the worst service in all of Bangkok, then they can take the prize of the most indifferent staff. Having a foul taste in my mouth, I had to flag down a waitress to get me another drink. From memory I was drinking beer that was 220 Baht a bottle.

Finally I asked the waitress about 20 minutes later to remove the plate as I did not like the smell. She then told me that she wanted to get her boss to hear my complaint. Thinking my blood was about to boil I gently moved the plate onto a spare table and asked for the bill. To think that I would wait for more than 20 minutes for the boss to listen to my complaint I could not believe, particularly as there seemed to be plenty of staff standing around and talking or surfing the internet in the back corner.

In summary, the two foul sausages were about 340 Baht and a few beers, maybe 2 before and 1 after comes to about 1,000 for 3 beers and two sausages. In my mind price-wise and value-wise that makes the Suatralian Pub in Soi 11, about the worst value if not in all of Thailand then probably South East Asia.

They really didn't have the poor excuse of "Oh sorry, we can't cook this" or "No that grill is not operating" this was because of the soft opening. Mind you, with minimal service and food, they were happy to take the full price for the food. So I decided again a few days after their formal or Hard opening to see what the place was really like. Well, I cannot say I would ever bother wasting my time there again.

I then think like this:

Its Expensive.

The staff are indifferent and self posessed.

The food is not all that good.

Have to add my bit about this establishment as my experience of the friendly service (not) was exceptional in that this is how not to run a pub. Arrived to watch footy on tv and have a few beers. Walk inside.....am told the footy is on outside.....I say I dont want to sit with smokers outside.....and ask to sit in one of the big empty booths......whole inside was empty in fact......then ask to turn the tv volume up just a little so I.....the only customer inside....can hear it.......watch the first 10 minutes or so and then all of a sudden the volume goes right up loud and almost deafened me......I turn to see the small man with the bald head darting away ......you brave bastard.....should have tapped u........anyway had to argue as to why this happenned and got no real explanation......<deleted> small man syndrome mate......will never go back there. He might be a pommie too ...thats sick !

[bkkjames]

havent been yet but from what I have read on here and heard from others who have visited, wont be anytime soon.

What's that, a pommie running an Aussie bar? no wonder its fu_cked up.

[mark5335]

I was there last Saturday 'arvo to watch the Tri-Nations rugby. I noticed that the guy sitting next to me at the bar had ordered sausages also, and had to send them back to the kitchen as they were uncooked inside. Also noticed that the BBQ wasn't fired up at all.

Last month I was there with the cheese n kisses for dinner on a Saturday whilst watching the Springbok-Lions test, and to later watch the band (which isn't too bad with quite a buxom lass as lead singer). I ordered the 895 baht tenderloin medium cooked...it came out tougher than a buffalo hide and very well done. Also ordered bruschetta but the bread seemed over-cooked and too chewy. The wife ordered the Vietnamese spring rolls which she couldn't eat coz the the rice wrappers were as hard cardboard and would cause a stomach complaint. We politely complained...the waitress took our complaint to the short bald farang boss...he said we need to complain to the chef!. Later, the chef came down from the upstairs kitchen and proclaimed that the bread was fresh daily and the spring rolls are supposed to be as hard as cardboard because that's Vietnamese style. The wife countered that in Thailand, Viet spring roll rice papers are supposed to be served soft. The chef mentioned that my steak was fresh also, but he had recruited a new Thai cook earlier in the week who was not up to scratch.

Anyway, in conclusion there were no apologies, the customer was wrong and no replacement meal.

Also the short bald boss's Thai wife kept snarling at us for the rest of the evening. I guess they consider customers who offer polite feedback to be trouble-makers.

Edited July 21, 2009 by mark5335

[bkkjames]

maybe they just got to get themselves sorted as the business is new ( I guess).

or

perhaps they thought that opening on Soi 11 gives them the right to be naughty and bitchy minus the sexy?

Going for the bed crowd?

Aiming to steal a few from Q Bar?

Hoping to capture one from the throngs at Man U restaurant?

It's too bad, the decor from the street looks quite alright.

[soloman]

I visited on the first day that it was open to the public, and stopped for ONE drink only, and chatted with the cook and also with the owner. Friendly enough, and I thought both were Aussies. I like the basket ball? outfits of the lady employees in the Aussie green and gold colours. Beer prices on the very expensive side. Walked past frequently to get to my hotel after that, and noticed that after the first few initial days the place was empty. Food prices very expensive. Imho oversized, overambitious, and overpriced. I won't go back.

[bkkjames]

I visited on the first day that it was open to the public, and stopped for ONE drink only, and chatted with the cook and also with the owner. Friendly enough, and I thought both were Aussies. I like the basket ball? outfits of the lady employees in the Aussie green and gold colours. Beer prices on the very expensive side. Walked past frequently to get to my hotel after that, and noticed that after the first few initial days the place was empty. Food prices very expensive. Imho oversized, overambitious, and overpriced. I won't go back.

An Aussie I know told me it's 500 baht for fish and chips there. I said to him "Man, I didn't know Aussies liked fish and chips?"

He said, "I don't either, but at 500 Baht, it's sure to keep the Pommies out".

[jumparound]

I visited on the first day that it was open to the public, and stopped for ONE drink only, and chatted with the cook and also with the owner. Friendly enough, and I thought both were Aussies. I like the basket ball? outfits of the lady employees in the Aussie green and gold colours. Beer prices on the very expensive side. Walked past frequently to get to my hotel after that, and noticed that after the first few initial days the place was empty. Food prices very expensive. Imho oversized, overambitious, and overpriced. I won't go back.

An Aussie I know told me it's 500 baht for fish and chips there. I said to him "Man, I didn't know Aussies liked fish and chips?"

He said, "I don't either, but at 500 Baht, it's sure to keep the Pommies out".

Only 1 thing worse than a whingeing Pom, thats a whingeing Aussie,I have had the pleasure of working in

Aus,all i can say is the tough guys are now like woman,woman wear the pants down under, strange.

[loser1]

I visited on the first day that it was open to the public, and stopped for ONE drink only, and chatted with the cook and also with the owner. Friendly enough, and I thought both were Aussies. I like the basket ball? outfits of the lady employees in the Aussie green and gold colours. Beer prices on the very expensive side. Walked past frequently to get to my hotel after that, and noticed that after the first few initial days the place was empty. Food prices very expensive. Imho oversized, overambitious, and overpriced. I won't go back.

An Aussie I know told me it's 500 baht for fish and chips there. I said to him "Man, I didn't know Aussies liked fish and chips?"

He said, "I don't either, but at 500 Baht, it's sure to keep the Pommies out".

Only 1 thing worse than a whingeing Pom, thats a whingeing Aussie,I have had the pleasure of working in

Aus,all i can say is the tough guys are now like woman,woman wear the pants down under, strange.

Jesus, can you imagine having to deal with one of them sheila's? I bet they know their rights !

500 bt will keep this pommie out, i've learned my lesson on food in thailand, only eat where the thai's eat. It's funny how when i decide to spend it up i go for a steak, it will cost 500bt plus a drink lets say 600bt that 2 day money for the waitress can you imagine paying twice what the waitress earns in a day for a steak meal for one, that would come to £80= 4000bt in the uk. And when it comes out raw and still cold from the freezer complimented by burger mustard they just look at you like you are some kind of cretin eating the chips while they re-cook it.

Now i never eat anywhere for tourists. One to be avoided is Hua Hins' Chao lay seafood restaurant well known for jutting out into the sea, it's a to tier jetty, i went there once two years ago with my old man and the steamed snapper in lime came out warm to the touch let alone steaming i complained and a candle was brought out. A couple of months ago we went back again to see if things had improved but unbelievably the same meal came out warm to the touch, the fish are obviously cooked in advance there, i related this to my thai guest house owner and she reckons they are well known to be second rate. It's the disrepect for peoples hard earned money that riles me, and when times are tight people don't want to risk the time and money giving restaurants a chance, gimme the street any time, i'm rarely disapointed and when the whole lot come to less that 200bt for a couple of meals then i just walk away if it's rubbish.

Edited July 26, 2009 by loser1

[ozzieovaseas]

If this the same guy i ran into,yes he came accross as being very capable of turning into a rude & belligerent !#$% if questioned or queeried about anything.

I suspect by the look of him hes half pickled most of the time and would struggle for the brain cells required to respond respectfully or even care about what anyone else says,especially if they complained..indeed he seems to have taken the worst of thai style service to a new level!!

Would be a shame to think that tourists might get the impression that all Aussies might be like this...although i must admit, the attitude reminded me of a lot of people in oz whom i definately dont miss having to deal with (very often) over here.

He was wearing two caps the day i was there,one on top of the other..not sure what that was all about..maybe he forgot he already had one on..

maybe some new aussie fashion statement!!??

[kurnell]

Hate to kick an Aussie pub when it's down, but I had the fish and chips a month or 2 ago. Very ordinary. More batter than fish and full of oil. Chips were nice though.

I was also supposed to be invited to the grand opening, but I guess they forgot me. Nevermind, there are other Aussie pubs to go to.

[jfchandler]

I was in the neighborhood the other day for the very good 224 baht buffet lunch at the Grand President Hotel/Cafe 11 on Soi 11. And while there, I had a window view out to the Aussie Pub across the street on a weekday early afternoon.

The place appeared deserted the whole time I was having lunch nearby, save one pair of guys sitting out on the patio smoking and having a drink.

Later, on the way home as I walked past, I saw the Aussie Pub had a sign out advertising a Sunday afternoon BBQ Buffet, without mentioning the price or the menu items to be had.

As the Aussie Pub is owned by the same folks who run Molly Malone's...and serve up an excellent Sunday roast buffet there, I was going to ask if anyone had tried the Aussie Pub's Sunday buffet as yet....

But after reading all the above comments in this thread, I'm beginning to think that question might be futile...

Hey BKKJames.... you want to send a PM to the manager of the Aussie Pub....just so people are not airing any negative comments about a restaurant here in a public TV thread???

[bkkjames]

I was in the neighborhood the other day for the very good 224 baht buffet lunch at the Grand President Hotel/Cafe 11 on Soi 11. And while there, I had a window view out to the Aussie Pub across the street on a weekday early afternoon.

The place appeared deserted the whole time I was having lunch nearby, save one pair of guys sitting out on the patio smoking and having a drink.

Later, on the way home as I walked past, I saw the Aussie Pub had a sign out advertising a Sunday afternoon BBQ Buffet, without mentioning the price or the menu items to be had.

As the Aussie Pub is owned by the same folks who run Molly Malone's...and serve up an excellent Sunday roast buffet there, I was going to ask if anyone had tried the Aussie Pub's Sunday buffet as yet....

But after reading all the above comments in this thread, I'm beginning to think that question might be futile...

Hey BKKJames.... you want to send a PM to the manager of the Aussie Pub....just so people are not airing any negative comments about a restaurant here in a public TV thread???

Well John: Unlike Mr T&S, who at least affords a two way dialogue in the forum discussing his establishment, the purveyor of this fine establishment on soi 11 obviously doesnt know or care about this forum, and those who write on it.

As mentioned before, peharps Jorge deserves a bit of slack for at least listening to our suggestions and comments, and taking the time to reply. This is just my opinion.

Perhaps you should wander into the place on soi 11 sometime and tell us the good, bad and ugly, budding restaurant critic that you are.

[jfchandler]

I'm not "budding"... As you well know... I'm rather "well-seasoned" professionally speaking....

Certainly moreso than almost anyone else in these parts....

[bkkjames]

I'm not "budding"... As you well know... I'm rather "well-seasoned" professionally speaking....

Certainly moreso than almost anyone else in these parts....

Well, nobody will argue about your ability to sniff out a 99 baht value (even if it costs you 300 baht in taxi to get there).

[onnut]

give em a fair chance, they will get on to it.

Edited July 29, 2009 by onnut

[Ducati]

went there with the 3 kids and the wife and had a pretty good meal. my kids are very selective (ex-pat brats!) and im pretty laid back about food and they really enjoyed the food...young daughter had salmon and the two boys burgers...and they loved the atmosphere with rugby playing on the tvs....

and service was pretty much ok...pleasant waitress (who was busting out of her yellow and green dress)...food came pretty quickly too. and all on a saturday night. Sure....not cheap but i think ok value for the quality plus atmosphere.

only slight dampner was the fat idiot in the next cubicle with his 3 BG friends, eff'ing and blinding away...until i leaned across and politely asked him to shut it.

[roiethome]

Sorry to be going against the flow, but I eat in the Aussie bar every week, and have nothing but praise for the steaks, never had a bad one yet.

And service ? The staff are always friendly and attentive, never experienced any of the above horror stories.

In the evening the place is busy from sunset to midnight, so something must be right.

And the beers are great, one of the few places to get Tetley bitter if BKK.

I rate the place, and I am not an Aussie giving it a plug, just a satisfied customer

[jfchandler]

So anyone know the particulars of their advertised Sunday BBQ buffet???

[Travel2003]

I visited on the first day that it was open to the public, and stopped for ONE drink only, and chatted with the cook and also with the owner. Friendly enough, and I thought both were Aussies. I like the basket ball? outfits of the lady employees in the Aussie green and gold colours. Beer prices on the very expensive side. Walked past frequently to get to my hotel after that, and noticed that after the first few initial days the place was empty. Food prices very expensive. Imho oversized, overambitious, and overpriced. I won't go back.

An Aussie I know told me it's 500 baht for fish and chips there. I said to him "Man, I didn't know Aussies liked fish and chips?"

He said, "I don't either, but at 500 Baht, it's sure to keep the Pommies out".

The place is probably already in trouble, so they do the most logical business trick (in Thailand), which is to increase the prices.

[quiksilva]

Pommie here.

I have eaten and had a few drinks there, no complaints from me. The service was good, and it didn't seem overly expensive, and will almost certainly go back.

[midasthailand]

If you want some good food and the football, along with excellent service and no BG's try Bradman bar on Soi 23. Their lunch time crowd is almost exclusively Thai so their Thai food must be OK also.

[bkkjames]

If you want some good food and the football, along with excellent service and no BG's try Bradman bar on Soi 23. Their lunch time crowd is almost exclusively Thai so their Thai food must be OK also.

haha funny midas, you are suggesting that the locals are 'qualified' in ozzie fare? perhaps it's just cheap.

[hhgz]

"...you are suggesting that the locals are 'qualified' in ozzie fare?..."

Many Thais eat non-Thai food simply because it's different from Thai fare. I made the mistake of having breakfast at Molly Malone's, and evidently they were running an experiment on how disgusting they could prepare food, and still entice people to eat it. It is simply impossible to describe how bad the food is in this place. I'm sure many TVers love the place.

[jfchandler]

You must have some very strange idea of what is good and bad food.... I ate at MM's just on Sunday for their Sunday afternoon carvery buffet, and everything was first-rate, as it normally is.... Likewise, had their ribeye steak there recently for dinner, and it was good the same. Service is always polite and efficient. No hassles. Pleasant environment... Free wifi.... And some pretty good specials for their daily happy hours... Eat happy....

I made the mistake of having breakfast at Molly Malone's, and evidently they were running an experiment on how disgusting they could prepare food, and still entice people to eat it. It is simply impossible to describe how bad the food is in this place. I'm sure many TVers love the place.

[bkkbob]

Very interesting thing about the Australian Pub & Grill Sukhumvit Soi 11 is not one Aussie owner in the company.

Aussie manager I think.

Oh Well.

[onnut]

Many Thais eat non-Thai food simply because it's different from Thai fare. I made the mistake of having breakfast at Molly Malone's, and evidently they were running an experiment on how disgusting they could prepare food, and still entice people to eat it. It is simply impossible to describe how bad the food is in this place. I'm sure many TVers love the place.

I have always found the food to be very good in Molly Malone's. I eat there very often. this thread was about the Aussie pub not other pubs. why do people change the topic so much on TV?

[bkk4aussie]

You must have some very strange idea of what is good and bad food.... I ate at MM's just on Sunday for their Sunday afternoon carvery buffet, and everything was first-rate, as it normally is.... Likewise, had their ribeye steak there recently for dinner, and it was good the same. Service is always polite and efficient. No hassles. Pleasant environment... Free wifi.... And some pretty good specials for their daily happy hours... Eat happy....

I made the mistake of having breakfast at Molly Malone's, and evidently they were running an experiment on how disgusting they could prepare food, and still entice people to eat it. It is simply impossible to describe how bad the food is in this place. I'm sure many TVers love the place.

everybody is talking bout the food in the aussie pub...........what bout the band? though they only work from 10pm onwards.....they are probably the most promising new band here in bkk.......they cover songs from great aussie bands from inxs, acdc, crowded house, cold chisel and midnight oil and what not! Been around bars and most bars in bkk offer hip hop and r and b and a little bit of this and that........but .the band that plays here is really good and fun to watch! Beers are reasonably priced.......its even cheaper than in bangkok beat and hillary pubs......best time to go is on a tuesday night, where the acoustic guy lee gets to gig back to back with the house band then later on be on stage all together, they even invite guests to be a part of the show ............thats wonderful..

remember its not only a restaurant, its also a pub with great drinks and good entertainment everynight!!! i cant comment bout the food coz i only go there to get smashed and listen to great music........the staff are friendly too!

[jfchandler]

i cant comment bout the food coz i only go there to get smashed and listen to great music........the staff are friendly too!

Quite an auspicious first post on TV.... Welcome to TVland...

[mark5335]

everybody is talking bout the food in the aussie pub...........what bout the band? though they only work from 10pm onwards.....they are probably the most promising new band here in bkk.......they cover songs from great aussie bands from inxs, acdc, crowded house, cold chisel and midnight oil and what not! Been around bars and most bars in bkk offer hip hop and r and b and a little bit of this and that........but .the band that plays here is really good and fun to watch! Beers are reasonably priced.......its even cheaper than in bangkok beat and hillary pubs......best time to go is on a tuesday night, where the acoustic guy lee gets to gig back to back with the house band then later on be on stage all together, they even invite guests to be a part of the show ............thats wonderful..

remember its not only a restaurant, its also a pub with great drinks and good entertainment everynight!!! i cant comment bout the food coz i only go there to get smashed and listen to great music........the staff are friendly too!

Agree with you that the band is above average, which makes it worthwhile going there just for drinks and the band. Also good to see a well stacked female singer in a band here.

[onnut]

did I see this Lee guy handing out free beers last night? he was good fun especialy when he handed out a few beers.